N353CK

This airframe, N353CK, is a 1976-built Gates Learjet 35A carrying serial number 35-081. It is listed in civil registry as operated by Kalitta Charters LLC of Ypsilanti, MI, US, an LLC that appears as the on-file owner and operator for this airframe. FAA records note this airframe as a ten-seat Learjet type and value the aircraft at $960,000, reflecting a mature market position for late-1970s business jets. The aircraft’s registration and current operator history indicate steady commercial charter use rather than sole private ownership.

This Gates Learjet 35A is typically operated in a six–eight passenger executive club/divan cabin layout, though FAA records for this specific airframe list 10 seats, allowing regulatory flexibility for different mission fits. Operated by Kalitta Charters LLC from Ypsilanti, MI, the airframe is well suited to short‑to‑medium range on-demand charter missions and shuttle flights across regional and transcontinental routes within its 1,990 nm capability and high cruise speed of 436 kts. Cabin appointments on similar airframes commonly emphasize rapid turnarounds and simple executive amenities rather than large standup cabins; maintenance considerations focus on hot-section and life‑limited parts for the TFE731 series and aging‑airframe corrosion/structural inspections for a 1976-built jet.

The Gates Learjet 35A occupies a well-established light twinjet niche: high cruise speed, long range for its class, and a service ceiling of 45,000 ft that supports efficient city‑pair operations. Competing models historically include early Cessna Citations and IAI Westwinds; buyers and charter operators prize the Learjet’s speed and runway performance while factoring in older systems and avionics upgrade costs. Resale and maintenance considerations for this 1976 airframe and similar serials (such as 35-081) center on engine TBO status for the TFE731s, structural fatigue inspections, and the economics of avionics modernization versus current valuation.