Learjet 28/29 in flight (NASA photo). · Photo: NASA via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Learjet · Light Jet
Learjet 28 / 29 Longhorn
The winglet version of the Learjet 25 and the last new Learjet design with the original turbojet engines.
A fast, high-flying piece of aviation history that most buyers should not own. It cannot fly to or from airports in the lower 48 states without special FAA permits, range is short, and the unique wing has no spare-parts pool.
Buy it if
You are a museum, collector or experienced Learjet operator based outside the lower 48 states, and you value its history and 51,000 ft performance more than range, cost or resale.
Skip it if
You need a jet you can fly from US airports, carry four people more than about 800 nm, or sell later. A hushkitted Learjet 25D or a Learjet 35A does the job legally.
Biggest compromise
The US noise rule. Since January 1, 2016, jets of this size that miss Stage 3 noise limits may not fly to or from airports in the lower 48 states except under special FAA permits.
The numbers that matter
What it costs per year
$1.21M
at 300 hrs · two professional pilots
How far it flies
800 nm
About 800 nm with 4 passengers
How fast
458 kt
high-speed cruise
Seats
6
6 typical, 8 maximum; Model 29 fewer
Pilots needed
2
Two pilots required; the captain needs a Learjet (LR-JET) type rating.
Price
What one costs to buy
Typical asking price
$0
Other sites
Priced vs call
with a price / call for price
None are listed for sale and no published value guide covers the model. With nine built and US flying restricted, any price would be negotiated privately.
Price vs its family and alternatives
Scroll to explore · select a jet for details
For sale now
None listed right now
Cost to own
What it costs per year to run
300hours / year
Per year
Per flight hour
Estimate — your operator will quote actual numbers.
Fuel, airframe maintenance, engine overhaul reserve and other operating costs rise as you fly more. Two professional pilots, recurrent training, two pilots, hangar and insurance stay the same however much you fly.
Where the money goes
- Two professional pilots$216,59218%
- Recurrent training, two pilots$33,0523%
- Hangar$35,4193%
- Insurance$25,7392%
- Fuel$597,84050%
- Airframe maintenance$132,00011%
- Engine overhaul reserve$136,80011%
- Other operating costs$28,8052%
Fuel is the biggest single cost at 50% of the total.
The JetGrade
46 out of 100 — Well below its class
Peer group: Learjet 24, Learjet 25 / 25D, Cessna Citation I, Cessna Citation II, Mitsubishi Diamond I
Seven categories at a glance
- - - 70 = typical— This aircraft
Strongest on speed & trip time, weakest on airport access.
Grades are editorial opinions about the model, not any specific aircraft. Sponsors and affiliates have no input. Reviewed 2026-09-29.
Where it flies
Sample trips and reach
Typical trips on a map
Out of reach
0 of 6 sample trips are comfortable nonstops.
Sample flight times
Carlsbad → Las Vegas
205 nm · Barred by US noise rule; special permits only
Carlsbad → Aspen
625 nm · Barred by US noise rule; special permits only
Santa Ana → San José del Cabo
765 nm · Barred by US noise rule; special permits only
Teterboro → West Palm Beach
900 nm · Barred by US noise rule; special permits only
Dallas → Teterboro
1,190 nm · Barred by US noise rule; special permits only
Carlsbad → Teterboro
2,100 nm · Barred by US noise rule; special permits only
Lineage
What came before and after
1979–1982
Learjet 28 / 29 Longhorn
Learjet 25 body with a new winglet wing; only nine built.
What changed from the Learjet 25
- New wing with winglets, the first on any production jet.
- Wingtip fuel tanks removed; fuel moved to a larger tank in the fuselage.
- Model 28 seats up to eight; Model 29 trades two seats for extra fuel.
- Same GE CJ610-8A turbojets as the Learjet 25D, 2,950 lb of thrust each.
Size and cabin
How big it is, inside and out
Outside
Silhouette · scaled to length
Length
Wingspan
Height
Inside the cabin
Cabin length
Width
Height
Compare
How it stacks up
This aircraft
Learjet 28 / 29 Longhorn
- JetGrade
- 46
- Cost per year
- $1.21M
- Range
- 1,300 nm
- Speed
- 458 kt
- Seats
- 6
- Cabin length
- 12′ 1″
- Pilots
- 2
- Years built
- 1979–1982
← Before
- JetGrade
- 54
- Price
- $150K–$400K guide
- Cost per year
- $1.24M
- Range
- 1,535 nm
- Speed
- 464 kt
- Seats
- 7
- Cabin length
- 12′ 0″
- Pilots
- 2
- Years built
- 1967–1982
After →
- JetGrade
- 65
- Price
- $649K
- Cost per year
- $1.93M
- Range
- 2,244 nm
- Speed
- 458 kt
- Seats
- 7
- Cabin length
- 13′ 7″
- Pilots
- 2
- Years built
- 1981–1986
Alternative
- JetGrade
- 67
- Price
- $581K–$920K guide
- Cost per year
- $1.31M
- Range
- 2,196 nm
- Speed
- 451 kt
- Seats
- 6
- Cabin length
- 12′ 11″
- Pilots
- 2
- Years built
- 1974–1993
Alternative
- JetGrade
- 67
- Price
- $895K
- Cost per year
- $919K
- Range
- 1,159 nm
- Speed
- 355 kt
- Seats
- 6
- Cabin length
- 15′ 9″
- Pilots
- 2
- Years built
- 1978–1994
- Learjet 25D instead: Same fuselage, engines and speed, with an approved hushkit that makes it legal in the lower 48 and about 1,000 nm of range.
- Learjet 35A instead: Quieter, more efficient turbofan Lear with far more range and a large support network, often at a similar price.
- Cessna Citation II instead: Slower, but a roomier cabin, lower fuel burn and a deep parts and resale market.
Gold marks the best figure in each row.
Owning one
What to know before you buy
Engines & inspections
2 × GE CJ610-8A · 2,950 lbf each
No APUEngine hours until overhaul
- 300-hour A inspection · 300 hr
- 600-hour B inspection · 600 hr
- 1,200-hour C inspection · 1,200 hr
- 2,400-hour D inspection · 2,400 hr
- Engine overhaul · 5,000 hr
- 12,000-hour inspection · 12,000 hr
- 12-year structural inspection every 144 months
Owners pay for overhauls as they come due; U.S. Turbine & Accessory and a few other shops still overhaul and lease these engines.
Known issues
Barred from lower-48 airports
It misses Stage 3 noise limits and no approved hushkit covers it, so US flights need special FAA permits.
One-of-nine wing
The winglet wing exists on only nine airframes, so major structural repairs have no donor parts.
Costly 12-year inspection
About $90,000 in labor alone at one specialist, plus parts and five to six weeks of downtime.
Pre-buy checklist
0 of 8 checked
A few US Learjet specialists still price 20-series inspections, and several shops overhaul and lease CJ610 engines. Parts are shared with the Learjet 25 except the unique wing and winglets.
Review
The full review
Strengths
- High-speed cruise of about 450–465 knots, faster than most light jets built today.
- Certified to 51,000 ft with a published climb rate of about 6,350 feet per minute.
- Takeoff distance of about 3,040 ft at 15,000 lb maximum weight.
Limitations
- Barred from normal flights to or from airports in the lower 48 states since 2016 because it misses Stage 3 noise limits.
- Twin turbojets burn roughly 245–285 gallons an hour, about double a modern light jet.
- Cabin is 4 ft 3 in tall and 4 ft 10 in wide, with about 800 nm of practical range.
The Learjet 28 and its long-range sister, the Learjet 29, are the rarest Learjets ever sold. Gates Learjet built just five 28s and four 29s between 1979 and 1982. Both used the fuselage and General Electric CJ610 turbojet engines of the Learjet 25 and added a new wing with winglets, making them the first production jets to fly with them. The design was nicknamed the Longhorn, and the same wing idea carried on into the larger Learjet 55.
Pilot's take
The 28 flies like the 20-series Learjet it is. Two yaw dampers are required for flight, a stick pusher guards the stall, and the airplane rewards precise speed control near its 0.82 Mach limit. The winglet wing was designed to improve climb and high-altitude efficiency, and the published 51,000 ft ceiling and brisk climb reflect that. The trade is fuel: a pair of turbojets that are happiest very high, and a range that makes every leg a reserves calculation. Anyone considering one should start with the noise rule, not the logbook.
Who this is for
Aviation museums, collectors and Learjet specialists outside the United States who want the first production jet with winglets and have the crews and shops to keep a 1979 turbojet flying.
Ask about this aircraft
Answers come only from our research file on the Learjet Learjet 28 / 29 Longhorn.
Your earlier questionsOwners
Private to verified ownersOwn a Learjet Learjet 28 / 29 Longhorn? Verify with its FAA registration to join the owners' thread and the real-cost poll.