In preparing our forthcoming Decision Guide to Private Aviation (available here), we’ve spoken with a number of private owners whose plane portfolio resembles their garage portfolio: different vehicles for different needs. An owner of a Gulfstream V may nonetheless purchase a share of a Hawker 400 to schlep the in-laws around on-the-cheap. It’s also a handy backup for when the GV has a flat tire.

Within fractional ownership programs (CitationShares, Flexjet, Flight Options, NetJets), you’ll see owners purchase two separate 1/16 shares in two different aircraft, rather than a single 1/8 share. One share is for large, long-range trips; another for more intimate, regional destinations. This saves them the expense of an oversized plane, and may give them greater flexibility in airport runway requirements. It also eliminates the hassle, restrictions and penalties of interchange formulae.

Some owners supplement with a guaranteed card program. Others may have a local charter FOB that they rely on for more efficient & economical travel such as same-day round-trip flights. Nearly all flyers supplement with commercial aviation, though typically with gritted teeth and lowered expectations.

It’s a crowded sky out there, and our guide should help you identify which “format” is best for you. Below is a table that shows our breakdown.