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Aircraft for the East End

From a helicopter for two to a large jet for the whole house: what each one carries, where it can land and what it usually costs.

Helicopter

Lifts off from a Manhattan heliport and lands on the East End. Best for small groups travelling light.

Seats: Small groupsPrice: Quoted per trip

Aircraft wing over farmland seen through a cabin window

Turboprop

The value pick for a 40-minute hop, and at home on Montauk's short runway.

Seats: 6–9Per hour, est.: $1,800–3,200One-way, est.: $3,900–6,900

Light business jet in flight above the clouds

Light jet

The Friday favourite for four to six with weekend bags.

Seats: 6–8Per hour, est.: $3,500–5,500One-way, est.: $7,500–11,800

Warmly lit cabin with leather club seats

Midsize jet

Stand-up cabin for families and groups of up to eight.

Seats: 7–9Per hour, est.: $4,500–7,000One-way, est.: $9,700–15,000

Business jet facing the camera on the ramp at dusk

Super-midsize

More room for a bigger party; usually lands at Westhampton Beach.

Seats: 8–10Per hour, est.: $6,500–9,500One-way, est.: $14,000–20,400

Large business jet on the ramp under an evening sky

Large cabin

For a full house of guests, flying into Westhampton Beach's long runway.

Seats: 10–16Per hour, est.: $8,500–13,000One-way, est.: $18,300–28,000

Each one-way figure is an estimate: about an hour billed per direction, the empty return included, plus 7.5% federal excise tax. Helicopters are priced per trip.

Specifications

The airplane categories in detail

Useful when the weekend continues to Nantucket, Palm Beach or farther.

Estimated US market ranges, excluding 7.5% federal excise tax and fees. Range figures include reserves and fall with heavy loads, short runways or headwinds.
Type	Seats	Range	Headroom	Hourly, est.	Examples
Turboprop	6–9	~1,800 nm	Under 5 ft	$1,800–3,200	PC-12, King Air 350
Very light jet	4–5	1,400–1,550 nm	Under 5 ft	$2,800–4,200	HondaJet, Citation M2
Light jet	6–8	2,000–2,150 nm	4.8–4.9 ft	$3,500–5,500	Phenom 300E, Citation CJ4
Midsize jet	7–9	~2,100 nm	~5.7 ft	$4,500–7,000	Citation XLS+
Super-midsize	8–10	3,200–4,000 nm	~6.0 ft	$6,500–9,500	Challenger 350, Citation Longitude
Large cabin	10–16	4,000–4,300 nm	Over 6 ft	$8,500–13,000	G450, Challenger 650, Falcon 2000LXS
Ultra long range	13–19	7,500–7,700 nm	Over 6 ft	$12,000–20,000+	G650ER, Global 7500

Matching aircraft to East End airports

East Hampton (HTO) takes turboprops, light and midsize jets and helicopters. Its overnight curfew and noise procedures are voluntary for now, and we confirm the current position for your date.

Westhampton Beach (FOK) has a long runway, so it is the usual choice for super-midsize and large-cabin jets, and handy for Quogue, Westhampton and Southampton.

Montauk (MTP) has a short runway that suits turboprops and smaller aircraft. Larger jets land at East Hampton or Westhampton instead.

Bags and boards. Helicopters are the tightest on luggage. Jets and turboprops take normal weekend bags within the operator's weight limits. Bikes and surfboards need planning; mention them early.