12 Fantastic Aircraft You Should Consider

This is an article from our 2025 BJT Buyers' Guide. Make sure you are signed up for a free copy here.

Cabin class helicopter that won’t trash the lawn 

Leonardo AW169

Finding a roomy cabin helicopter with a small enough footprint to minimize rotor downwash is no small task. With a main rotor diameter of 39 feet, the AW169 fits the bill. Maximum speed is 144 knots and range with full fuel and 30-minute reserve is 424 nautical miles. The 222-cubic-foot passenger cabin can accommodate eight to 10 people in utility configuration, eight in an executive design, or six to seven in an extremely plush VIP layout. The stylish interiors feature noise reduction, advanced cabin electronics, spacious captain’s chairs, LED lighting, and high-end materials.

Dampeners inserted between the main rotor system mitigate vibration on passengers, pilots, and equipment and deliver a comfortable, jet-like ride. Another plus: though the AW169 doesn’t have an auxiliary power unit to run air conditioning and cabin electricals, power can be drawn by running one of its two engines on the ground without engaging the rotors. No more melting—or freezing—while you wait for the engine to start, run-up, and taxi.

Available on skidded or wheeled landing gear, the AW169 is certified for single-pilot IFR (instrument flight rules) operations.

An airplane for living off-grid 

Daher Kodiak 100

No runway? No problem. The Kodiak 100 Series III is a float-ready, single-engine turboprop designed to get in and out of tight spots—dirt, gravel, grass, or water—under harsh conditions. The basic aircraft features a 45-foot-long high wing mated to a rugged aluminum fuselage with a large 54-by-57-inch rear cargo door, heavy-duty and high-riding fixed landing gear, a time-tested Pratt & Whitney PT6A-34 series engine, and Garmin’s G1000 series glass-panel avionics in the cockpit.

The Kodiak is an almost-go-anywhere aircraft with a low stall speed of just 60 knots (flaps down), enabling it to use runways as short as 934 feet and stop in less than half that distance with reverse thrust. It has a maximum cruise speed of 183 knots, seating for nine passengers and one pilot, 248 cubic feet of cargo space without the passengers, and an endurance of close to 10 hours when you pull the power back to 95 knots. At 174 knots, the airplane has a maximum range of about 1,100 nautical miles.

Family hauler 

Pilatus PC-12 PRO

Since 1994, the Pilatus PC-12 has combined go-anywhere utility with creature comforts that include a pressurized cabin, near 300-knot speed, and more than five hours of endurance. Stall speed at maximum takeoff weight is a slow 67 knots—remarkable for a 10,000-pound airplane. Trailing-link landing gear smooths out the sloppiest of landings and facilitates touchdown on paved or unpaved surfaces. The nearly 17-foot-long, six-to-nine-passenger flat-floor cabin features a beefy aft cargo door that is large enough to accommodate all-terrain vehicles, jet skis, Shetland ponies, and some larger household appliances.

Pilatus has refreshed the PC-12 several times since its first production models rolled off the assembly line. Updates have included improved avionics, better handling, sharper interiors, more engine power, and an upgraded propeller. The PC-12 Pro, the latest iteration, will begin deliveries later this year. It includes the Garmin G3000 Prime integrated flight deck with synthetic vision, high-resolution touchscreen displays, and an emergency Autoland function, which can land the aircraft automatically at the nearest suitable airport in the event of pilot incapacitation or another emergency. The Pro also offers a redesigned cockpit and cabin.

The entry-level jet you can fly yourself  

Cirrus Vision Jet

The 311-knot Cirrus Vision Jet G2+ is the fastest—and the slowest—certified single-engine business jet you can buy. The airframer designed the carbon-fiber jet to be flown single pilot and by pilots with limited or even no previous turbine-aircraft experience. (Ed. note: All pilots who want to fly the jet will need to complete a type-rating course.)

Like Cirrus piston aircraft, the Vision Jet features a handle that deploys an emergency whole-aircraft parachute. It also includes Garmin Autoland  as part of the Cirrus Perspective Touch+ avionics package with autothrottle and auto radar.

With full fuel (296 gallons), there’s enough payload fo carry the pilot and a passenger or the pilot and a lot of gear. The jet also has modular seating available for up to five adults plus two more optional jump seats suitable for small children. Its cabin is about 5 feet wide, 4 feet high, and nearly 11 feet long. With a pilot and four passengers (each at 200 pounds), the Cirrus will fly 600 nautical miles at 300 knots. Maximum range with full fuel is 1,275 nautical miles, and the aircraft can take off on just more than 2,000 feet of runway.

For your consideration: A great light jet cabin  

HondaJet Elite II

This airplane demonstrates why Honda is the value brand both on the road and in the sky. The HondaJet is all about delivering midsize cabin comfort with light jet performance and operating economics. Honda engineers worked with the theory that each passenger requires about 60 cubic feet and that the seat pitch angle needs to be such that passengers’ feet don’t overlap when they’re seated in the club-four facing seats. Passenger legroom is generous. Several interior configurations are available with seating for up to 7 passengers in a cabin that measures 17.8 feet long, 5 feet wide, and 4.83 feet tall and includes an aft lavatory with a solid privacy door. The aircraft’s interior features upscale automotive accents, such as high-tech plating that runs the length of the cabin. Baggage capacity is 62 cubic feet.

Service ceiling is 43,000 feet and maximum cruising speed is 422 knots. With four passengers, maximum range is 1,547 nautical miles.

Midsize jet you won’t trip in 

Cessna Citation Latitude

Flat-cabin-floor luxury awaits. With the Latitude, Cessna exorcised the dreaded trenched center aisle demon that has possessed most midsize business jets since the 1970s. Begone the need to assume uncomfortable, and sometimes unnatural, postures when you want to stretch out or swing your feet into the aisle. No more banging your knees or tripping over the intruding wing spar box to get to the lavatory. The Latitude erases those indignities with a comfortable cabin that measures 27 feet, 6 inches long, 72 inches tall, and 77 inches wide. Standard seating accommodates up to nine passengers with a forward, two-seat, side-facing couch, a club-four grouping of single seats and two more single seats aft of that, and another belted single seat adjacent to the lav. The six pedestal single seats track forward and aft seven inches and laterally four inches on the seat base with 180-degree swiveling capability and infinite recline positions. The cabin management system allows completely wireless control of cabin functions and is compatible with Apple iOS and Google Android devices.

Top cruising speed is 446 knots and maximum range is 2,700 nautical miles. The aircraft has good short-runway capability with less than 4,000 feet of runway required at maximum takeoff weight.

Transatlantic super-midsize jet for comfortable napping  

Embraer Praetor 600

Want to catch some ZZZs? In the super-midsize Praetor 600, the single executive seats can be rotated back-to-back and reclined together to provide comfortable sleeping accommodations for up to four passengers. That’s no small consideration in a jet with a maximum range of 4,018 nautical miles: London to New York with fuel to spare (four passengers). Fully loaded, the twinjet can alight from runways shorter than 5,000 feet. Full fly-by-wire flight controls deliver a smooth ride.

With total passenger seating of eight to 12, the Praetor 600’s flat-floor cabin measures 6 feet tall, nearly 7 feet wide, and 26 feet, 10 inches long. Available amenities include a big, well-appointed galley with hot and cold water, cabin-attendant seating, and two-zone executive seating in the main cabin for eight or nine with an optional three-place, berthing divan. The aft lavatory features a solid door, vanity, basin, vacuum toilet, and a closet with 40 cubic feet of space. (Total baggage space is 155 cubic feet.) An upper tech panel displays flight information and cabin management controls that appear when needed, then vanish, leaving a clean, smooth look.

Weekend large-cabin jet  

Bombardier Challenger 650

The Challenger 600 series has been in production since 1978 and continues to fill the niche between the super-midsize and traditional large-cabin jets. Numerous improvements have been made to the aircraft throughout its lifespan in terms of interior styling and passenger comfort and technology, but the cabin’s most compelling feature remains unchanged: space. The flat-floor, 1,150-cubic-foot cabin provides stand-up headroom and is almost 8 feet wide, and is 25 feet, 7 inches long. This enables multiple configurations, including a mix and match of large single captain’s chairs, a comfortable club four and hi-lo table grouping, and one or two three-place divans. With 115 cubic feet of baggage space, there is ample room for multiple heavy golf bags and giant rollaway bags. With 4,000 nautical miles of range (six passengers, two crew), it’s perfect for a weekend golf outing to St. Andrews or to Paris for a shopping trip—and can still use runways less than 6,000 feet long.

Long-range large jet for short runways  

Dassault Falcon 8X

This trijet can get you into—and out of—some incredibly tight spaces. Like landing in just 2,200 feet. From London City airport’s 3,934-foot runway, the 8X can fly nonstop to Chicago. Fully laden at 73,000 pounds, it has a range of 6,450 nautical miles and still only requires 6,000 feet of runway. All this versatility is combined with a comfortable cabin and a cross section that is 74 inches tall and 92 inches wide. The 8X can accommodate 12 to 16 passengers in up to 30 configurations across three zones while delivering a cabin altitude of just 3,900 feet at 41,000 feet.

Fore and aft lavs, a crew rest area that can be converted into a closet, an expanded galley, electrically-assisted seats, and a cabin humidification system all enhance the passenger experience. A new cockpit incorporates super-comfy seats and takes styling cues from Dassault’s 6X twinjet. The aircraft features the new EASy IV glass-panel digital avionics, which are built around the Honeywell Primus Epic System, and the Elbit head-up display, which combines enhanced and synthetic vision.

Super lux bathroom in an ultra-long-range bizjet  

Gulfstream G700

When you’re on an airplane that can fly up to 7,750 nautical miles on one bag of gas, bathrooms matter. While the five-zone G700 offers many cabin layouts and seemingly endless finer details, what makes it a true lux long-hauler is the available ‘Grand Suite’ in the aft fuselage. It’s the closest thing to a five-star hotel room in a production business jet. It can be equipped with a curved-edge, queen-size bed opposite a full-size dresser. Nice as this is, the adjacent, opulent aft lav is the main attraction, with two windows, stand-up closet, large vanity, and optional stand-up shower. The lav also provides in-flight access to the pressurized, 195-cubic-foot baggage hold, which can convey 2,500 pounds. This spaciousness is made possible by the passenger cabin that is a cross section of 6 feet, 3 inches tall and 8 feet, 2 inches wide, with a length of 56 feet, 11 inches.

Passenger comfort is further enhanced by an intricate cabin lighting system with 20,000 HD LEDs that simulate sunrise and sunset and can be used to adjust human body circadian rhythms, a 100 percent fresh-air system, a maximum cabin altitude of 2,916 feet (while the aircraft is at 41,000 feet), and 20 oversized (21-by-28-inch) dimmable oval cabin windows for natural lighting—all working in concert to minimize jetlag.

Party plane that won’t spill your drink  

Airbus ACJ320neo

This business jet iteration of the ubiquitous Airbus A320 single-aisle airliner features fly-by-wire light controls, advanced avionics, and significant range improvements over its legacy predecessor, thanks to more fuel-efficient engines. The ACJ320neo can transport 25 passengers more than 6,000 nautical miles—a big jump from the 4,300-nautical-­mile, eight-passenger range of the ACJ320. This range allows it to fly nonstop from London to Johannesburg or Los Angeles to Tokyo. The fly-by-wire controls help deliver a remarkably smooth ride.

Overall, the cabin measures 90 feet, 3 inches long, 12 feet 1 inch wide, and 7 feet tall—just enough room to hang that disco ball. And the luggage hold is a massive 650 cubic feet—big enough for costume changes that will keep the party going for weeks. Interior options are only limited by your budget and imagination.

The jet for potentates who want to blend in  

Boeing BBJ 787-8

When a behemoth like a 987,000-pound (maximum takeoff weight) Boeing 747-8i quadjet is simply too conspicuous, the more discreet 500,000-pound BBJ 787-8 widebody twinjet could be an attractive alternative for the VVIP set looking to keep a lower profile. When configured with 24 to 35 passengers sharing the 2,340-square-foot cabin, the BBJ 787-8 can remain aloft for nearly 22 hours and fly 9,960 nautical miles nonstop, connecting virtually any two points on the globe. In the belly, there is space for 4,400 cubic feet of cargo. This is all the airplane most ultra-billionaires and heads-of-state will ever need.

Like the ACJ, the interior of the BBJ 787 has few limitations. Available layouts include a second sleeping level, giant big-screen theater room, bandstand, full bar, transparent floors, fitness center, sauna, library, walk-in shower, formal dining room, gourmet kitchen, and color schemes and accents that transcend good taste. Every passenger can be treated to a first-class experience with lie-flat seating, privacy surrounds, and the same connectivity and entertainment options found in a luxury hotel suite. BJT