You know the economy is improving when private jets return to the skies. And that's exactly what is happening now.

Encouraged by rising profits and the diminished likelihood of a double-dip recession, some corporations and high-net-worth highfliers who had idled their jets through the downturn are venturing back into business aviation. The broadening economic recovery is giving many publicly traded companies all the reason they need to pull their jets out of their hangars and start flying again.