"You've used your Citation to build business," it says. "Now use it to build esteem."

This is an ad in Businessweek by Cessna and the Special Olympics administration (is that J. P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation?) asking people who own, or have as a company resource, a Cessna Citation to donate its use to transport athletes and families from wherever to the site of the Special Olympics this year.

I read Businessweek not because I run a business, or because I am so wealthy I need their advice (I'm a grad student, what do you think?), but because (a) it's well-written and interesting, and (b) a previous resident of this apartment moved, and decided to let the subscription run out for this address and get a new one for his new digs, rather than change his listed address on the existing subscription (because he is wealthy and can afford that). In other words... it's free.

But seriously, even in the business world, are there that many people, or that many firms, that own small airliners (as opposed to contracting with a conventional airline for business travel)? I'm pretty sure that Bank of America, AT&T and IBM, three firms I know a bit about due to family (and having worked for AT&T myself) do the latter; if you need to go cross-country or overseas in a hurry, they'll point you to their favorite airline. Of course, you have to pay up for the ticket, then submit it to your employer as travel expenses.