She also said that she spends $300,000 to $500,000 a year to fly privately.

A number of C4M Kudu aircraft are still flying privately and have proven well in the role of skydive release aircraft.

Ten years ago, there were two ways to fly privately: buying a share of a jet, much like a time-share condominium, or buying the entire plane.

"There's no stress," he said of flying privately.

All this time, Gibbs also flew privately.

Lawrence Bathgate, a New Jersey lawyer who flies privately for business and pleasure, is less impressed with alcantara inlays and ostrich-skin seats than with efficiency.

Fisken learnt to fly privately during the 1930s, taking lessons in a DH60 Gypsy Moth.

"In North America, I only fly privately," he explained.

He will be able to make full use of his machine, either flying commercially or privately, for business or pleasure.

Civilian pilots fly privately for pleasure, charity, or in pursuance of a business, for non-scheduled commercial air-transport companies, or for airlines.