N257SJ

This entry describes airframe N257SJ, a 1985-built Learjet 55 with serial number 55-118 manufactured by Gates Learjet Corp. The airframe is recorded as owned by registered corporation N257SJ AVIATION CORP, located in Middletown, DE, US, and carries United States registration and registry actions tied to that corporate owner. The aircraft’s documented valuation is $666,000, reflecting its age and market condition for mid-1980s business jets; routine maintenance and common component overhauls typical for this series are implied by its continued operability. The operator/home base is associated with the corporate owner’s location in Middletown, Delaware, and registry listings denote conventional continued corporate operation rather than individual or governmental use.

The specific cabin of N257SJ is configured for up to 13 seats, consistent with the Learjet 55’s corporate transport role, offering a narrow but long cabin optimized for regional to transcontinental point-to-point missions. Typical mission profiles for this airframe include business charters, corporate shuttle flights and owner-operator transits within its 2,165 nm range at an established cruise of 402 kts, and operations into mid-altitude flight levels up to 51,000 ft when operational performance and weight allow. Avionics and interior fit for this particular airframe are not published beyond base series norms, yet maintenance considerations for the twin Garrett TFE731-3AR engines and age-related systems upgrades are relevant to continued serviceability and insurance underwriting for this corporate-registered jet.

The Learjet 55 occupies a performance niche of light-to-midsize business jets with higher-speed cruise and a high-altitude ceiling relative to contemporaries, powered in this example by two Garrett TFE731-3AR turbofans. Competing types in its era include other late-1970s and 1980s light business jets offering similar seating and range; buyer and charter demand for a 1985 airframe typically emphasizes lifecycle maintenance history, engine time, and avionics upgrades. Resale considerations for N257SJ center on its reported valuation of $666,000, documented ownership by N257SJ AVIATION CORP, and the ongoing cost of component-specific maintenance and potential interior or avionics modernization to meet current charter or corporate standards.