5 Best Cross Country 2-Seater Airplanes (Fast & Efficient)

What’s the best cross-country two-seater aircraft?
If your mission is to cover serious miles without stepping up to a four-seat airplane, you need speed, range, comfort, and efficiency. In this video, we review 5 of the best cross-country 2-seaters on the market — airplanes that cruise faster, fly farther, and sip fuel compared to typical trainers, while keeping costs lower than big touring machines.

We break down each aircraft’s performance, endurance, payload, avionics, handling, safety systems, and price, so you can see which two-seater fits your mission.

Aircraft featured:
JMB VL3 (Rotax 916 iS) → 180–190 KTAS cruise, 600–800 NM solo range, FADEC, Garmin glass, ballistic chute, $210K–$365K price range.
TL-Ultralight Sparker (Rotax 916 iS) → Cirrus-wide cabin, 170 KTAS cruise, 700+ NM range, slotted Fowler flaps, Garmin G3X/autopilot, $327K–$400K+.
Elixir (Rotax 912iS / 915iS) → Certified, trainer-friendly, 125–158 KTAS cruise, 600–755 NM range, whole-airframe parachute, Garmin G3X & GFC 500, ~$280K–$400K.
Glasair III (Lycoming IO-540) → High-performance kitplane, 230–242 KTAS cruise, up to 1,200 NM solo range, 13–15 GPH fuel burn, $115K–$275K used.
Shark Aero Shark (Rotax 912 ULS) → Tandem ultralight, 150–162 KTAS cruise, 850–1,000+ NM range, 3.5–6.5 GPH fuel burn, $170K–$300K+.

Key considerations covered:

Cruise speed & true airspeed at realistic power settings

Fuel burn and efficiency (FADEC vs manual mixture)

Endurance and range (solo vs with two aboard)

Payload and useful load limits

IFR capability and avionics (Garmin G3X, autopilot, chute)

Handling and training transitions from basic trainers

Safety features (ballistic parachute, spin resistance, crash-worthy tanks)

Ownership costs, used vs new pricing, resale values

Whether you’re shopping for a VL3 pocket rocket, a wide-body Sparker, a certified Elixir, a Glasair speed demon, or a Shark Aero world traveler, this guide gives you the numbers that matter.

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