Aircraft
Engine, interior upgrades revitalize older Learjet 25s
The ranks of small business jets are about to swell with the imminent buildup of new sub-10,000-pound jets certified to FAA Part 23 regulations.

The ranks of small business jets are about to swell with the imminent buildup of new sub-10,000-pound jets certified to FAA Part 23 regulations. Priced from $1.5 to $4.5 million, these jets include the newly certified Cessna Mustang and Eclipse 500, and the in-development Adam A700, HondaJet and Embraer Phenom 100.

There is nothing inherently wrong with Part 23, and plenty of jets are certified to those rules. But more stringent transport-category Part 25 regulations mandate a higher level of performance, especially during takeoff after engine failure. And if Part 25 is important to a prospective jet buyer, he might want to consider an older transport-category-certified airplane upgraded to operate in today’s airspace, with modern avionics and fresh interior and paint, at a cost that sits squarely in the middle of the new Part 23 jet price range.