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.

Jim Hagedorn, the CEO of Scott's Miracle-Gro, commutes from Long Island, New York to Columbus, Ohio in a Citation nearly every day, according to Forbes. The 500-mile flight takes about an hour, with Hagedorn flying the plane himself.

Cirrus Vision Jet

Cirrus debuted the Vision Jet in 2016 as the next step up from its popular piston product line with a price tag of around US$2 million for a base model. The manufacturer crafted the jet with a similar feel to its piston aircraft so that pilots can train on the latter and graduate to the former when ready with a two-week training course.

The jet seats seven in a maximum capacity configuration with optional add-ons including SiriusXM Satellite Radio and Wi-fi. Unlike its competitors, the Vision Jet only has one engine, lowering its operating and maintenance costs and allowing pilots to fly it without multi-engine training.

The jet only offers around 800 nautical miles of range with a near-300 gallon fuel capacity so transcontinental trips will incur multiple fuel stops. In the event of an engine failure where landing safely isn't an option, the jet comes with a standard-issue parachute, a staple of Cirrus aircraft.

Eclipse Jet

New Mexico's One Aviation builds the Eclipse Jet, which can seat six. Though having a similar look to the Cirrus Vision Jet, the Eclipse Jet is just a bit longer and features two engines, which adds to operating costs and requires users to have multi-engine training.

The price for one of the newer six-seater models is around US$3 million, according to Business Jet Traveler, and in return, the jet offers around 1,100 nautical miles of range, according to the manufacturer. The Eclipse Jet can also climb to a top altitude of 41,000 feet, so high that the curvature of the Earth is visible.

A next-generation variant to the Eclipse Jet family is in the works which will see the range increased to 1,400 nautical miles, with a new avionics suite in the cockpit, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association.

Embraer Phenom

Embraer has been expanding its line of private jets in recent years with the smallest among them being the Phenom series including the Phenom 100 and Phenom 300. The smaller Phenom 100 can seat seven in a high-density configuration that includes using the lavatory and co-pilot seat as passenger seats, while the larger Phenom 300 can seat 10 passengers, both not including the pilot.

Phenoms are high-performance aircraft with the Phenom 300 being able to reach speeds of more than 600 miles per hour, which Embraer says makes it the fastest single-pilot aircraft. The duo can also maintain cruising speeds of over 400 knots or 460 miles per hour.

The Phenoms are popular with charter operators and are some of the largest private jets that can be flown by just one person. The jets feature modern, touch screen cockpits as well as passenger-friendly features such as an enclosed lavatory.

HondaJet

The HondaJet is one of the more unique private planes on the market that can be flown in a single-pilot configuration. Two variants of the product line are offered, the HondaJet and HondaJet Elite, with the later offering greater performance and range at a price of US$5.25 million.

Four passenger seats can fit in the passenger cabin, along with an enclosed lavatory, and the co-pilot seat can be used as a passenger seat when in a single-pilot configuration. One of the unique aspects of the HondaJet is that its engines are mounted over the wing and separated from the fuselage, which the manufacturer says improves efficiency.

The HondaJet has a range of around 1,200 nautical miles with four passengers on board, making transcontinental hops possible with just one stop. A cool feature for passengers is a speaker-less sound system, where transducers vibrate the cabin walls for an immersive listening experience.

Pilatus PC-24

The Pilatus PC-24 capitalises on the success of the highly versatile PC-12 turboprop, another single-pilot aircraft, but adds the speed of a jet aircraft. It's the first jet from the Swiss manufacturer and is growing in popularity in the US as it's currently in use with fractional ownership operator PlaneSense, as Business Insider's David Slotnick experienced on a demonstration flight.

The jet has a range of 2,000 nautical miles, according to its manufacturer, with seating for 11 in its most dense configuration, not including the pilot. It can also reach an altitude of 45,000 feet, a similar ceiling to that of traditional business jets from Gulfstream, Dassault and Bombardier.

One of the PC-24s most popular features is its short take-off and land capabilities and its ability to access airports that normal jet aircraft cannot, giving it the moniker of super versatile jet, or SVJ. The Australian Royal Flying Doctor Service uses the jet to reach remote destinations in the outback with the PC-24 offering the unique capability of landing on unpaved runways.

Raytheon Beechcraft Premier 1

Initially produced in the early 2000s, the Premier is the only true single-pilot jet to come from Beechcraft, which is also behind some of the most popular business jets such as the Hawker 800 and Beechjet. With room for six club chairs in the cabin and the co-pilot seat up front, the Premier can carry seven passengers when in a single-pilot configuration.

Though no longer being manufactured, the Premier was priced just under US$6 million and offered the speed that other single-pilot jets at the time couldn't, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. It was also built using composites at a time when few aircraft were.

The Premier had a range of around 1,100 nautical miles, according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which also stated its top speed to be around 450 knots, roughly equivalent to 517 miles per hour. That meant trips from New York to Florida could be done nonstop but transcontinental hops might need two fuel stops.

SyberJet SJ30i

The SyberJet SJ30i is slated to be the “world's fastest and longest range” light jet, according to the manufacturer, when it becomes fully certified. Currently undergoing test flights, the SyberJet promises a range of 2,500 nautical miles, enough to fly from Los Angeles to New York, at the speed of Mach 0.83, almost 640 miles per hour.

The jet can seat four passengers in the main cabin and one in the cockpit with a possibility of using the lavatory for an extra seat. Earlier versions of the jet failed to achieve commercial success but the latest version is hoping to change that with the first production aircraft planned for late 2020, according to Aviation International News.

Want more stories like this? Sign up here. Follow STYLE on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and Twitter .

This article originally appeared on Business Insider.