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Not all aircraft are created equal, and even aircraft in the same category are often quite different, and there are so many subcategories to consider when looking at various general aviation aircraft. Take corporate business jets, for example. Some corporate jets are extremely large and the size of airliners; in fact, many are airliner conversions. Boeing makes business-class 737s and 757s, while Gulfstream, Bombardier and other major corporate jet makers make extremely large commercial jets.

And then there are the typical business jets that we think of when we think of corporate aviation, private jet charters, or companies like NetJet and other fractional jet airline companies. Of course, there are also the VLJs. VLJ stands for Very Light Jet, and many of these are four-passenger-only planes with two pilots, seating six people in total. They’re a bit smaller than even a Learjet 24, but they’re generally made of high-tech composites and don’t weigh much more than a jet-powered Piper Seneca. And you can imagine how wonderful the acting is.

And since they’re a bit smaller, they don’t cost as much as a regular corporate jet, which typically costs no less than $3 million new. Many of these planes are around $1 million for a VLJ and sometimes a hair under. Some people in general aviation are concerned about VLJs because they cost so much less, so more people who may not have the experience to fly them properly will buy them. This means there will be more accidents, and it will make the general aviation industry look bad and increase insurance rates for everyone.

In fact, that’s a typical point of debate, and the critics are right on that, as there have been a few crashes and more are to be expected. Eventually the FAA will get involved requiring more regulations and scrutiny for the pilots who fly them. In many respects, a small business could afford a VLJ, as a business tool, even though it doesn’t have the range needed for a private jet, but they could fly regionally, making them perfectly viable for such applications.

The good thing about having a very light jet is that it’s quite a bit faster than a normal twin-engine plane, and you also get the prestige of owning a jet, without all the fuel costs. The industry predicts that this will be one of the fastest growing sectors in general aviation in the future. In fact, I hope you will please consider all of this and think about it.

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