N500BJ

This entry covers airframe N500BJ, an IAI 1124 Westwind I built by Israel Aircraft Industries in 1978, serial number 242. The aircraft is recorded as owned by AIR METRO LEASING INC of Wilmington, DE, US, and is registered in the US. The airframe was offered with a refurbished interior and an avionics fit described on a sales listing; its market valuation is listed at $295,000 indicating an airframe with notable age and a seller-disclosed equipment baseline rather than a premium condition certificate.

The cabin in this specific airframe is described as a refurbished eight-passenger layout featuring an aft four-place club, a forward single seat, a two-place side divan, and an aft belted flushing lavatory. Avionics are reported as a Collins ProLine suite with Garmin GTX-series transponders (per sales listing), providing IFR-capable flight deck functionality consistent with late-model retrofits. Typical missions for this individual Westwind would include medium-range business or charter hops within the aircraft’s 2,390 nm range and high-speed cruise at approximately 424 kts, operating from a U.S. base under the listed corporate owner. Maintenance considerations for this airframe will reflect its 1978 manufacture date and the Garrett TFE731 engine family commonality, with overhaul and component status driving operational availability.

The IAI 1124 Westwind I occupies a late-1970s light to midsize business jet niche, valued for relatively high cruise speed and a long operational ceiling of 45,000 ft. Competing models historically include older Learjet and Sabreliner designs and early small Gulfstream or Falcon derivatives in the secondhand market. Buyer and charter demand for a late-1970s Westwind typically centers on value-conscious operators seeking range and speed, while resale and maintenance considerations hinge on structural fatigue inspections, engine cycles on Garrett TFE731-3-1G powerplants, and the completeness of avionics upgrades noted in the sales listing.