As a small aircraft pilot I can tell you that flying in small planes is not economic. The wet fee (gas, insurance, aircraft) for a single engine aircraft is usually upwards of $80/hour. This of course does not include a pilot, which will cost even more (probably around $40/hour). Most small aircraft have a cruising airspeed of around 120 kts/hour, which means that traveling 300 miles would cost upwards of $240 and take around 2 hours.
High performance and multi engine aircraft can travel much faster but also are much more expensive to rent. The other problem is that small aircraft are affected much more by the weather. While large jets can navigate above storms, most small aircraft cannot, and must either navigate around the storm or land.
Corporate jets (like Lear and Gulf) cost ridiculous amounts of money, which is why the only people using them are those who are amazingly rich. Needless to say, there are very few Lears out there for charter flights. Unfortunately, this means that the only practical method of air travel is through the large airlines.
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As a small aircraft pilot I can tell you that flying in small planes is not economic. The wet fee (gas, insurance, aircraft) for a single engine aircraft is usually upwards of $80/hour. This of course does not include a pilot, which will cost even more (probably around $40/hour). Most small aircraft have a cruising airspeed of around 120 kts/hour, which means that traveling 300 miles would cost upwards of $240 and take around 2 hours. High performance and multi engine aircraft can travel much faster but also are much more expensive to rent. The other problem is that small aircraft are affected much more by the weather. While large jets can navigate above storms, most small aircraft cannot, and must either navigate around the storm or land. Corporate jets (like Lear and Gulf) cost ridiculous amounts of money, which is why the only people using them are those who are amazingly rich. Needless to say, there are very few Lears out there for charter flights. Unfortunately, this means that the only practical method of air travel is through the large airlines.