BUSINESS JETS IN OTHER BUSINESSES

Business Jets in other businesses

Catalin Pogaci, March 2025

Few know that the first aircraft meant to serve the corporate sector resulted from military requirements. A less-expensive-than-a-fighter jet, but still a jet, can cover many roles in the army. This is how the Morane Saulnier MS-760 was born.

Designed as a liaison and army training aircraft, the Morane was pitched to the business world with poor results. Its specifications were too military to be attractive to the civilian market, and the plane mainly served as a military aircraft, but the trend was established.

On the other side of the Atlantic, the military launched the UCX and UTX programs. These initiatives aimed to acquire small, swift, off-the-shelf aircraft, with manufacturers tasked to develop the planes without government funding. The result was the birth of the Lockheed Jetstar, a light cargo carrier that met the UCX specifications, and the North American Sabreliner, which answered the UTX program with its high-priority cargo transport, radar, and navigation trainer capabilities.

Following the same pattern, the North American Sabreliner answered the UTX program. Named the T-39, the type takes roles such as high-priority cargo transport, radar, and navigation trainer. It is still in service.

Solidly built and inheriting traits from the venerable F-86 Sabre, the Sabreliner is the only ‘business jet’ certified for aerobatics.

Due to their orthodox configurations, the Jetstar and the Sabreliner were quite attractive to the civilian market, so they became the first purposely built business jets without losing their military roles.

Another veteran, the Learjet 35, doubles as the C-21. This military VIP transport also fulfills the medical evacuation role, which is not new for the small Learjet. What was new for the type were a few peculiar roles, such as:

- Tracking and surveying Soviet bombers, taking the role of a mini-AWACS platform for the Finish Airforce;

- Navigation and weapons trainer for the Japanese Defence Forces, designated the U36;

- Target towing aircraft for several air forces – one 35 was accidentally blasted from the skies in such a role.

During the Falklands War, it also served on the Argentinian side as a navigation platform, reconnaissance aircraft, and…bait for the British fighters as part of the Escuadron Fenix. As a type, the small jet bears the distinction of being legitimately shot down by an enemy missile when a Sea Dart knocked the Escuadron Fenix skipper out of the sky.

Closer to more modern times and based on previous experience, the Gulfstream 550 doubles as a dedicated recce platform for the U.S. military, named the EC37B. It is also used as a military VIP transport, as the C37A and the C37B.

The Bombardier Global 6000 is another communications platform. The E11 is an electronic air platform meant to act as a battlefield air communications node.

The Bombardier Challenger CL604 and 5 are used as VIP transports by many air forces worldwide.

The Beechcraft Hawker 400A, under the military designation T1 Jayhawk, is used as an advanced trainer for pilots who will fly tankers and transport aircraft.

Like the CL604 / 5, the Falcon 50 is used by many air forces as a VIP transport. In such a role, like the Learjet-35, it also has the sad distinction of being shot down by ground-to-air missiles. The plane had two African presidents on board, and it is believed that the incident triggered the Rwandan genocide.

But the Falcon 50 also fought back.

A specially modified 50 has the dubious but distinct honor of attacking and damaging a warship. Equipped with an air-to-ground radar and two anti-ship missiles, the Iraqi Airforce Falcon 50 - Susanna launched its missiles by accident or on purpose at USS Stark in 1987, severely damaging it and killing 37 sailors.

Finally, to end the article in a pacifist way, business jets were also used in other civilian roles apart from passenger transportation (air ambulances included). Some were used as testbeds for different technologies, high-altitude research, chase planes by NASA, and aerial photography—many aerial sequences of the 1986 Top Gun film were taken by a specially modified Learjet-25.