20 May 2014
Ed Swearingen – designer of the SJ30, aviation legend, and friend to many in the aviation world passed away on 15 May.
As creator and developer of the original SJ30 with his longtime friend Sam Williams of Williams International, Swearingen helped to define the light jet market in the late 1980s. His career spanned much of the 20th century, from his beginnings as a mechanic to awards from the NBAA and induction into the Living Legends of Aviation and the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame.
“The industry will forever be influenced by Ed’s many contributions. His tenacity and unrelenting passion for perfection ultimately led to certification of the SJ30, the best performing light business jet in the market today,” commented SyberJet’s President Chuck Taylor.
Swearingen learned the aeroplane development business at the side of aviation entrepreneur, Bill Lear. After introducing groundbreaking modifications for existing production aircraft such as Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche in the 1950s and 60s, Swearingen produce his own new, revolutionary aircraft, including the Swearingen Merlin and Metro series, which became some of the most successful production aeroplanes of their time. In the 1980s, he built a record-breaking kit plane, the SX300. The past two decades saw the development of the SJ30 personal business jet (pictured).
Swearingen has been honored by his peers throughout his career, receiving the National Business Aircraft Association’s NBAA Meritorious Service to Aviation award in 1974. More recently, he was inducted into the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame for his lifetime achievements in aviation, and was honored as a “Living Legend of Aviation”.
