The smaller end of private aviation, and the most cost-effective for short trips. Check which aircraft can fly your route nonstop, then compare the categories.
01Range checker
Pick two airports from the list and the number of passengers. You’ll see the distance, an estimated flight time and which categories can do it without a fuel stop.
| Aircraft | Typical range | Nonstop? | Flight time | Flight-time cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turboprop | ~1,800 nm | Nonstop | 1 h | $1,800–3,200 |
| Very light jet | 1,400–1,550 nm | Nonstop | 50 min | $2,400–3,500 |
| Light jet | 2,000–2,150 nm | Nonstop | 50 min | $2,800–4,400 |
| Midsize jet | ~2,100 nm | Nonstop | 45 min | $3,500–5,500 |
| Super-midsize jet | 3,200–4,000 nm | Nonstop | 45 min | $5,000–7,300 |
Estimates only. Times include about 25 minutes for taxi, climb and descent, plus 45 minutes on the ground for each fuel stop. Costs are flight time at typical US hourly ranges, before tax, fees, repositioning and daily minimums.
02The categories
Seats, range and hourly cost are typical US figures. Specific aircraft vary, and every quote names the exact model.
Pilatus PC-12, King Air 350
Propeller-driven but turbine-powered, turboprops such as the Pilatus PC-12 and King Air 350 are the lowest-cost way to fly privately on short routes, and they reach runways most jets can’t.
HondaJet, Citation M2
The smallest jets, such as the HondaJet and Citation M2, carry four or five people at jet speed for less than a light jet. Cabins are compact and bag space is limited.
Phenom 300E, Citation CJ4, Learjet 75
Light jets such as the Phenom 300E, Citation CJ4 and Learjet 75 are the workhorses of short-haul charter: fast, efficient and comfortable for trips up to about three hours.
03Reading the result
The checker measures the great-circle distance between the two airports, the shortest path over the earth. Real flights follow airways and departure procedures, so they fly a little further. It then treats about 80% of each category’s lower published range as a comfortable nonstop distance.
That margin covers what brochures leave out: the fuel reserves every flight must carry, headwinds, which are strongest flying west in winter, and the weight of a full cabin and bags. A trip in the amber band can often be flown nonstop, but the operator decides on the day based on winds, weather and load.
Runways matter too. Short runways, high-elevation airports such as Aspen, and hot afternoons all reduce how much fuel and weight an aircraft can take off with. The operator checks every leg against the aircraft’s performance data before confirming.
The costs shown are flight time only, at typical US hourly ranges. A real quote adds the 7.5% federal excise tax, segment fees and airport charges, and can include repositioning or a daily minimum. Ours shows every one of those lines.