Luxury personal private jets for business and leisure travel: Cessna, Embraer and six more – which are the best planes for a single pilot?
8 of the best personal private jets. Which are the fastest? Which have the longest range? Which take the most passengers?
One of the major takeaways from the coronavirus pandemic is a greater focus on independence and control, especially when it comes to travel.
When thousands of travellers saw flights being cancelled en masse due to surprise travel restrictions, the only option for many was to cancel plans and some were even stranded overseas as a result.
While most are taking back control of travel by sticking to road trips or not travelling at all, one option for the wealthier jet-setting public is personal private jets. Unlike traditional private aircraft, these tiny planes are meant to be flown by a single-pilot, often the owner, and are known for their ease of use even when flying in complex airspace.
In general, aviation has long been a bastion of independence for qualified pilots but these planes take it to the next level, with the speed, range, and carrying capacity only jet aircraft can provide over pistons and even the newest turboprops.
Travelling businessmen who would bounce around in piston-engined Bonanzas are now able to upgrade to the newest jets from the likes of Cessna, Embraer and Cirrus. And instead of loading up the SUV for a long road trip, a family can load up the jet and be on the other side of a continent in a matter of hours.
Here we take a look at the best personal private jets.
Cessna Citation
Cessna has long been the leader in single-pilot jet aircraft, with multiple models in its popular Citation line-up built with solo operations in mind. Their light jet aircraft have dominated the skies since the 1970s with Cessna continuing production of new models nearly five decades later.
The smallest Citation jet still available is the Mustang, a five-seater aircraft with a range of around 700 nautical miles and a price of US$3.5 million, according to Business Jet Traveler. Cessna sold just under 500 Mustangs before retiring it from production.
Newer aircraft like the Citation CJ4 boast all the benefits of a light jet with a range greater than some airliners. Cessna puts the range of the CJ4 at just under 2,200 nautical miles, enough to fly from Phoenix to New York if the tailwinds are right, with a sticker price just shy of US$10 million, according to Business Jet Traveler, and a maximum capacity of 10.