Work continues on the removal of the baggage floor. The process includes removing the fiberglass ducts on the left and right sides of the divan floor, then removal of the step between the divan floor and baggage floor. The photo below, looking aft, shows the various parts included in removing the baggage floor. Note that the right side of the baggage floor has been raised to aid in the removal of the right-hand fiberglass duct. Hartney Hummer removed right hand fiberglass duct on September 10, 2026. In the photo on the right below, where the duct has been removed, you can see the fuselage foam insulation that was hidden behind the duct and will have to be removed using the dry ice blasting technique. Major Wing Decision We have made the difficult decision to replace the wing on 23-003. When we first inspected the 23-003 in Florida on July 20, 2022, we observed corrosion on the left lower wing skin and understood the risk that that would present. After we started the detailed evaluation of the wing in Wichita in the fall of 2024, we found the corrosion to be out of structural limits, meaning a major repair or replacement of the skin was necessary.

It is amazing the progress that our hard working, very dedicated group of volunteers are making on 23-003. Here’s a sample of the various jobs that they do in a single volunteer day: On Tuesday, August 25, 2026, the team was working in unison on several projects: removal of the aft cabin baggage floor, disassembling the main landing gear wheels, using the wiring diagrams to identify switches, connectors, etc., researching the drawings and parts catalog, tagging and storing removed parts. They also held a team meeting to discuss progress, problems encountered and planning the next day’s work projects. We finished removing the fasteners and the enormous amount of sealant that was on the baggage floor on August 6th.. The floor is now completely loose and moving around. However, we discovered that removing it from the fuselage is going to be a lot harder than we thought! According to Jim Tidball, “Talk about a square peg in a round hole!” We put out a request for assistance from anyone that can help us remove this floor and Wes Lumry, a retiree who has been at Learjet since the early days, volunteered. On August 27th he came out to inspect 23-003 and offer his advice on removing the baggage floor. In order to get enough room to lift and rotate the baggage floor to clear the fuselage structure to remove it, we will first have toremove the step between the divan floor and the baggage floor.