small piston engined airplanes are the most popular among enthusiasts who wish to own their own aircraft. Flying as a hobby or just for fun is very popular all over the world mainly because they are safe and easy to fly and maintain. These aircraft are owned by people from all walks of life - bank employees, architects, engineers, doctors and lawyers.
Many drivers do not own a plane, but they rent from local airports, paying only for the number of flight hours. If a small aircraft is rented for the day for a family outing, it would cost only about $ 100 driver per hour and the actual flight time may not exceed one to two hours.
Most small aircraft costs about the same as a luxury car. Aircraft used are much more economical.
When it comes to bigger planes, it is another story. The smaller jets cost about $ 1.50 to $ 2.00 million making it beyond the reach of enthusiasts and pleasure seekers. Generally these devices are the property of multinational and Fortune 500 companies, and of course movie stars, athletes, etc.. The flight and maintenance of these aircraft is expensive. A pilot must be permanently employed and the company needs to pay the rent if the plane is parked at the local airport.
For a multi-million dollar turnover, this may be a necessity as they would be using the device even more frequently as part of their business, flying quite a few hundred hours year. But for small businesses, but they can afford to buy such a device, they need to consider whether such additional expenditure is necessary in light of their actual use.
A private jet can be chartered for one year use about 30 hours of actual flight for about $ 100,000, and the aircraft of your choice will be at your beck and call before completing the 30 hours or one year, whichever comes first. It works very economical for companies that do not need the aircraft very often.
And then there is the regime of fractional ownership, where several companies join and purchase an aircraft, and share the costs of maintenance and other matters, and to pay for the hours of actual flight cost. This is economical for companies that may require the use of aircraft more often.
To own or charter a private jet depends entirely on the financial situation and needs.