John Lear, 67, retired airline captain and former CIA contract
pilot with over 19,000 hours of flight time, over 11,000 in command
of 3 or 4 engine jet transports, has flown over 100 different
types of aircraft in 60 different countries around the world.
He retired in 2001 after more than 40 years of flying. Son of
Learjet inventor, Bill Lear, John holds more FAA airman
certificates than any other FAA certificated airman. These include
the Airline Transport Pilot certificate with 23 type ratings, Flight
Instructor, Flight Engineer , Flight Navigator, Ground Instructor,
Aircraft Dispatcher, Control Tower Operator, Parachute Rigger and
Mechanic, rated for both Airframe and Powerplant. John flew for
the CIA in Southeast Asia where between 1972 and 1973 logged
560 missions of which over half were combat missions. He was
shot down once. He also flew contract missions in Eastern Europe,
the Middle East and Africa between 1977 and 1982. During the
last 17 years of his career John worked for several passenger
and cargo airlines as Captain, Check Airman and Instructor.
He was certificated by the FAA as a North Atlantic Navigation
Check Airman. He has extensive experience as command pilot and
instructor in the Boeing 707, Douglas DC-8 and Lockheed L-1011.
John held 17 world records including Speed Around the
World in a Lear Jet Model 24 set in 1966 and was presented the
PATCO (Professional Air Traffic Controller's Association) award
for Outstanding Airmanship in 1968. He is a Senior
Vice-Commander of the China Post 1, the American Legions
Post for “Soldiers of Fortune”, a 28 year member of the
Special Operations Association and member of Pilotfor911truth.org.
John has 4 daughters, 4 grandchildren and lives with his wife of
38 years, Las Vegas business woman Marilee Lear in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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