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General aviation has long been a bastion of independence for pilots but personal private jets 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, these planes are more capable in almost every way. 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.
Traveling business people who would travel around in piston Bonanzas are now able to upgrade to the newest jets from the likes of Cessna, Embraer, and Cirrus. And instead of loading up the station wagon for a long road trip, a family can load up the jet and be on the other side of the continent in a matter of hours.
Take a look at the best personal private jets.
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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. The light jet aircraft have dominated the skies since the 1970s with Cessna continuing production of new models nearly five decades later.
The smallest jet in the Citation line-up is the Mustang, a five-seater aircraft with a range of around 700 nautical miles and a cost price of $3.5 million, according to Business Jet Traveler. Cessna sold just under 500 Mustangs before retiring it from its product line.
Newer aircraft like the Citation CJ4 Gen2, which was unveiled in February 2021, boasts all the benefits of a light jet with a range greater than some airliners. Cessna puts the range of the CJ4 Gen2 at just under 2,200 nautical miles, enough to fly from Phoenix to New York if the tailwinds are right, with a sticker price of just over $9 million and maximum capacity for 10.
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Cirrus debuted the Vision Jet in 2016 as the next step up from its popular piston product line with a price tag of around $3 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. Cirrus has since debuted the G2 version and the G2+ with improved performance.
The G2+ seats six passengers and one pilot in a maximum capacity configuration with optional add-ons including SiriusXM Satellite Radio and WiFi. 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 next-generation jet only offers around 1,275 nautical miles of range, 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.
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Eclipse Aerospace builds the Eclipse Jet 550, which can seat six. Though with a similar look to the Cirrus Vision Jet, the Eclipse Jet is just a bit longer and features two engines, which adds to its operating costs and requires users to have multi-engine training.
The price for the newer Eclipse 550 model is around $3 million, according to Business Jet Traveler, and in return, the jet offers 1,125 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.
The Eclipse program has gone through several mergers and owners, including One Aviation, which filed bankruptcy in 2018, per AIN Online. But, the program was purchased by British entrepreneur Christopher in 2020, per the outlet, though it is unclear whether the plane is still being built.
Eclipse Aerospace did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Embraer
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 seats as passenger seats.
Meanwhile, the larger Phenom 300 can seat 10 passengers, not including the pilot. The next-generation Phenom 300E, which debuted in 2017, has enhanced the previous model with more thrust and speed.
Phenoms are high-performance aircraft with the Phenom 300E being able to reach speeds of Mach .80 — 464 knots (534 miles per hour), which Embraer says makes it the fastest and longest-range single-pilot aircraft.
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, touchscreen cockpits as well as passenger-friendly features such as an enclosed lavatory.
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The HondaJet is one of the more unique private planes on the market that can be flown in a single-pilot configuration. Four variants of the product line are in existence: the original HondaJet, the HondaJet Elite, the HondaJet Elite S, and the HondaJet Elite II.
Since the debut of the Elite II in October at the 2022 National Business Aviation Convention and Exhibition, the company will no longer sell new versions of the three predecessors, a spokesperson told Insider. The jet costs about $7 million, AIN Online reported, and will improve range and gross weight.
Four passenger seats can fit in the 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 Elite II has a range of about 1,550 nautical miles with four passengers on board, making transcontinental hops possible with just one stop. A cool feature for passengers is a "speaker-less stereo," where transducers vibrate the cabin walls for an immersive listening experience.
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The Pilatus PC-24 capitalizes on the success of the highly versatile PC-12 turboprop, another single-pilot aircraft, but adds on the speed of a jet aircraft.
The jet has a range of 2,000 nautical miles, according to its manufacturer, with seating for 11 passengers in its most dense configuration, plus one pilot. It can also reach an altitude of 45,000 feet, where traditional business jets from Gulfstream, Dassault, and Bombardier aircraft can be found roaming.
One of the PC-24's 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.
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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 $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
Although currently still under production, the SyberJet SJ30i will be the "world's fastest and longest range" light jet, according to the manufacturer.
With a price tag of $7.3 million, per the Business Jet Traveler, the aircraft promises a range of 2,500 nautical miles, enough to fly from Los Angeles to New York, at the speed of 476 knots, which would make it faster than the Phenom 300E. The SyberJet's first flight was in October 2019 in San Antonio, Texas.
The jet can seat four passengers in the main cabin and one in the cockpit while also featuring a lavatory seat. Earlier versions of the jet failed to achieve commercial success but the latest version is hoping to change that with certification planned for late 2022, according to Aviation Week.
