Pole to pole: A Learjet will soon leave Wichita on a worldwide mission
The 'Polar Mission,' more formally known as polar circumnavigation, is a trip through both poles. The flight was organized by the Classic Lear Jet Foundation based in Wichita.
'No Learjet has ever attempted this aggressive mission,' foundation spokesperson Rick Rowe said.
The Rockwell Polar Flight in November 1965 was the first to complete a circumnavigation.
The mission is intended to raise money to restore Lear Jet 23-003, the first Learjet to ever be delivered to a customer on Oct. 13, 1964, Rowe said in a phone call.
The foundation is in the early stages of restoration and is dismantling the plane. Rowe could not say how much it would cost to restore it.
'We have to take all the wiring, plumbing, flight control cables and all the insulation out of the fuselage,' Rowe said. 'In other words, just make it, make it a skeleton.'
The Learjet 36A that will be flown across the world landed at Stearman Airfield in Benton on April 24. It will depart on April 30 and will return May 3.
The funding and plane were provided by Global Jetcare, an air ambulance company based in Florida. Bart Gray is the CEO of Global Jetcare and the vice president of the Classic Lear Jet Foundation.
'He is an avid Learjet pilot and a real aficionado of Learjet airplanes,' Rowe said. 'He is the one who suggested we do this and has done all the planning for it.'
Gray, along with three other pilots, will take turns flying the plane on the polar mission.
'At each stop on the flight, the crew will perform research by placing a scale on the wing of the plane to help determine if the Earth is bigger on the Equator and document it,' the foundation said.
There are 12 stops on the route, a flight path graphic shows.
Lear Jet was founded in 1962 by William Powell. It was later renamed Learjet. Bombardier acquired the company in 1990 and announced the end of production for all models in 2021, bringing roughly 60 years of Learjet history to an end.
Lear Jet 23-003 has historical significance.
'Business aviation was alive and well in 1962 to 1964 when Bill Lear first came to town and started building the jet,' Rowe said. 'But during that time they were flying piston prop planes, so when Bill got the Lear all figured out and designed and engineered and delivered, the world became a lot smaller because this airplane would go twice as far, twice as fast than the business aviation airplanes at that time.'
The Learjet used two General Electric turbojet engines.
Rowe added: 'It's iconic to civilian aviation as a business jet, just as Doc [B29] is to military aviation.'
A real-time tracker will be available to view the plane's route after it departs from Wichita at https://share.garmin.com/POLARMISSION
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VRDN-008 showed a longer half-life than efgartigimod and led to a more sustained IgG reduction after a single, high dose in non-human primates. Forward Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements may be identified by the use of words such as, but not limited to, 'anticipate,' 'believe,' 'become,' 'continue,' 'could,' 'design,' 'estimate,' 'expect,' 'intend,' 'may,' 'might,' 'on track,' 'plan,' 'potential,' 'predict,' 'project,' 'should,' 'target,' 'will,' or 'would' or other similar terms or expressions that concern our expectations, plans and intentions. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based on our current beliefs, expectations, and assumptions. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding: preclinical development, clinical development, and anticipated commercialization of Viridian's product candidates veligrotug (formerly VRDN-001), VRDN-003, VRDN-006, and VRDN-008; anticipated data results and timing of their disclosure, including VRDN-003 topline data from the REVEAL-1 and REVEAL-2 trials in the first half of 2026 and anticipated VRDN-006 clinical data, including proof-of-concept IgG reduction data, in the third quarter of 2025; regulatory interactions and anticipated timing of regulatory submissions, including the anticipated BLA submissions for veligrotug in the second half of 2025 and VRDN-003 by year-end 2026, MAA submission for veligrotug in the first half of 2026, and IND submission for VRDN-008 by year-end 2025, pending data; the impact of Breakthrough Therapy Designation, including eligibility for Priority Review, or any other FDA designations; the potential utility, efficacy, potency, safety, clinical benefits, clinical response, convenience, and number of indications of veligrotug, VRDN-003, VRDN-006, and VRDN-008, including Viridian's view of the strength of the THRIVE durability and safety resolution data and veligrotug's robust clinical profile; veligrotug's potential to be the IV treatment-of-choice for active and chronic TED; potential market sizes and market opportunities, including for Viridian's product candidates; Viridian's product candidates potentially being best-in-class; Viridian's expectations regarding the potential commercialization of veligrotug and VRDN-003, if approved, including the anticipated U.S. launch of veligrotug in 2026, plans to launch VRDN-003 with a low-volume autoinjector, and in Japan under the agreement with Kissei; Viridian's partnership with Kissei, including that it supports the potential for broad global opportunities; Viridian's ability to receive development, regulatory, and commercial milestone payments and receive royalties on the commercial sale of our product candidates, if approved, pursuant to the agreement with Kissei; and that Viridian's cash, cash equivalents and short-term investments will be sufficient to fund its operations into the second half of 2027. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties. No representations or warranties (expressed or implied) are made about the accuracy of any such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties including but not limited to: potential utility, efficacy, potency, safety, clinical benefits, clinical response, and convenience of Viridian's product candidates; that results or data from completed or ongoing clinical trials may not be representative of the results of ongoing or future clinical trials; that preliminary data may not be representative of final data; the timing, progress and plans for our ongoing or future research, preclinical, and clinical development programs; changes to trial protocols for ongoing or new clinical trials; expectations and changes regarding the timing for regulatory filings; regulatory interactions; expectations and changes regarding the timing for enrollment and data; uncertainty and potential delays related to clinical drug development; the duration and impact of regulatory delays in our clinical programs; the timing of and our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals for our therapeutic candidates; manufacturing risks; competition from other therapies or products; estimates of market size; other matters that could affect the sufficiency of existing cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments to fund operations; our financial position and projected cash runway; our future operating results and financial performance; Viridian's intellectual property position; the timing of preclinical and clinical trial activities and reporting results from same; that our product candidates may not be commercially successful, if approved; and other risks described from time to time in the 'Risk Factors' section of our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including those described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K or Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as applicable, and supplemented from time to time by our Current Reports on Form 8-K. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Neither the company, nor its affiliates, advisors, or representatives, undertake any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the company's views as of any date subsequent to the date hereof.
