Light jets provide an affordable way to access private aviation. With prices for on-demand and jet card charter of a light jet often starting at under $5,000, depending on where you are going and with how many people, light jets, including its category subset very light jets, are a good way to get the most value when flying privately. Light jets are defined as having a maximum take-off weight of under 20,000 pounds with very light jets typically referred to as those aircraft with a maximum take-off weight under 10,000 pounds.
Of course, when choosing light jets size can be an issue. both cabin height can impact how much you have to duck when moving around while width and length impact how spacious it feels once you are flying. Cabin volume combines all three, and according to research by Conklin & de Decker Associates, the new Pilatus PC-24 is the champion when it comes to light jets with its cabin measuring 501 cubic feet followed by the Embraer 300/300E at 324 cubic feet. Next from Cessna are the Citation Encore (310 ), Citation Encore + (310), Citation V ( 310) and Citation Ultra (310).
Of course, if you are taller, height may an issue. From that perspective, the Beechcraft Premier I and IA at a height of 5.4 inches will give you the most headroom in the category followed by the Pilatus PC-24 at 5.08 feet and then Embraer’s Phenom 100 and 300 at nearly five feet in cabin height (4.92 and 4.94). Other light jets that will give you more head space include the Dassault Falcon 10 (4.9), Dassault Falcon 100 (4.9), HondaJet HA-420 (4.8), Cessna Citation V (4.8), Cessna Citation Ultra (4.8), Beechcraft Beechjet 400A (4.8), and Beechcraft Diamond 1A (4.8). At a cabin height of 4.75 feet are the Citation CJ3+, CJ2, C2+, CJ1, CJ1+ and M2.
In terms of width, the Pilatus PC-24 is again the leader at 5.58 feet followed by Beechcraft’s Premier 1/1A at 5.5 feet. While the Sabreliner Sabre 40A offers a cabin 5.25 feet wide, it hasn’t been manufactured since the 1970s so you are unlikely to find many on the charter market or featured in jet card programs. However, the Phenom 100 and 300 series, both with cabins at 5.08 feet wide are highly popular, and a number of jet card providers, including Executive AirShare, Flexjet, JetSuite and Nicholas Air offer programs featuring them. The narrowest private jet is the Cessna Citation Mustang at 4.58 feet.
For cabin length, the PC-24 at 23 feet is longest. Cessna’s Citation V, Ultra, Encore, Encore +, CJ4 and Embraer’s Phenom 300 and 300E all have cabins over 17 feet long. On the compact side, the Mustang, Learjet 24D/24E and Eclipse 500/550 and Total Eclipse 500 each have cabins under 10 feet in length.
When choosing a light jet you need to make sure to verify how many seats on the aircraft as the same airplane types can be configured with a different number of seats. With light jets, you will also want to check to see if there is an enclosed toilet and if it is separated by a hard door or just a curtain.
Source: Conklin & de Decker Associates, Inc. Note: Seating is standard configuration, provided for guidance only, and may vary by owner.
| Aircraft Name | Maximum Take-off Weight | Cabin Height | Cabin Width | Cabin Length | Cabin Volume |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-24 | 17,968 | 5 | 6 | 23 | 501 |
| 12,100 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 393 | |
| 12,100 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 393 | |
| 11,550 | 6 | 6 | 15 | 393 | |
| Pilatus PC-12 | 10,450 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 356 |
| 10,450 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 356 | |
| Beechcraft King Air 350 | 15,000 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 344 |
| 16,500 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 344 | |
| 15,000 | 5 | 5 | 19 | 344 | |
| 16,500 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 344 | |
| Embraer Phenom 300 | 17,968 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 324 |
| 17,968 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 324 | |
| 16,830 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 314 | |
| 16,630 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 314 | |
| 16,300 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 310 | |
| 15,900 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 310 | |
| Beechcraft Hawker 400XP | 16,300 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 305 |
| Nextant Aerospace 400XTi | 16,300 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 305 |
| 16,100 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 305 | |
| 16,300 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 305 | |
| 16,300 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 305 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 14,000 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 11,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 11,800 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 303 | |
| 19,612 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 294 | |
| 14,630 | 5 | 5 | 15 | 293 | |
| 15,780 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 293 | |
| 17,110 | 5 | 5 | 17 | 293 | |
| 14,800 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 292 | |
| 14,100 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 292 | |
| 15,100 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 292 | |
| 14,100 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 292 | |
| 15,100 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 292 | |
| Bombardier Learjet 35A | 18,300 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 289 |
| Cessna Citation CJ3 | 13,870 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 286 |
| 13,870 | 5 | 5 | 16 | 286 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 285 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 6 | 14 | 285 | |
| 15,500 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 281 | |
| 17,700 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 281 | |
| 17,200 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 281 | |
| 16,500 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 281 | |
| 15,000 | 4 | 5 | 12 | 258 | |
| 12,500 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 248 | |
| 12,375 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 248 | |
| 11,500 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 230 | |
| 11,850 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 230 | |
| 18,300 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 228 | |
| 18,740 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 224 | |
| 18,740 | 5 | 5 | 13 | 224 | |
| 13,500 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 220 | |
| 13,500 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 220 | |
| 9,650 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,485 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,950 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,100 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| 10,500 | 5 | 5 | 12 | 218 | |
| Embraer Phenom 100 | 10,472 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 212 |
| 10,582 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 212 | |
| 10,582 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 212 | |
| 13,950 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 210 | |
| 10,400 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 205 | |
| Cessna Citation M2 | 10,700 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 201 |
| 10,700 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 201 | |
| 10,600 | 5 | 5 | 11 | 201 | |
| Cirrus Vision SF50 | 6,000 | 4 | 5 | 11 | 170 |
| 8,645 | 5 | 5 | 10 | 163 | |
| 7,394 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 143 | |
| 7,394 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 143 | |
| 7,394 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 143 | |
| 7,394 | 4 | 4 | 10 | 143 | |
| 10,470 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 142 | |
| 3,000 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,050 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,050 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,000 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,400 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,600 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,600 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,400 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 3,600 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 136 | |
| 6,000 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 109 | |
| 6,000 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 109 | |
| 6,000 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 109 | |
| Honda Aircraft HA-420 HondaJet | 10,600 | 5 | 5 | 12 |
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