At NBAA, Pilatus unveiled the latest version of its PC-12 NGX, an update of the seminal rugged pressurized turboprop single made in Switzerland. This is just the third big version change for the plane, which was introduced in 1994 and of which Pilatus has hand-built more than 1,700.

The NGX incorporates a host of new features while still retaining the character of the original very strongly. As have other turboprop single makers, Pilatus with its latest update has made the PC-12, a complex aircraft to fly single-pilot, more user-friendly. The avionics suite is sleek, beautiful, colorful and totally modern, featuring touch screens, as well as a cursor control device.

The other big user advance is FADEC with autothrottle. The digital engine control also features propeller control. And the legendary PT-6 has more oomph, too, with 1,825 shp, for much better cruise and climb. The book cruise for the plane is 285 knots, and early reports are that it does even better than that.

Finally, the interior, which was already very nice, has gotten an update as well, with a brand-new interior reimagining from BMW. It’s really slick.

Look for a flight report on the PC-12 NGX in a coming edition of Plane & Pilot.

Subscribe today to Plane & Pilot magazine for industry news, reviews and much more delivered straight to you!

The post NBAA 2019: Pilatus Unveils New PC-12 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Sixty years ago when Piper introduced the first everyman’s business twin, the PA-23 Apache, everyone automatically accepted the premise that twins were naturally safer than singles. When Cessna introduced the 310 a year later, it seemed obvious to everyone that the second engine on a twin-engine airplane would allow you to bring the bird home when an engine had failed.

Not necessarily. It turned out that twin-engine redundancy was only operative as long as the pilot was willing to maintain proficiency and practice single-engine techniques on a regular basis.

Accident statistics soon revealed that most pilots weren’t so disposed. After they had earned the multi-engine rating, pilots sometimes ignored the obvious fact that the relative incidence of engine failures with a twin was twice as high as with a single. Worse still, the AOPA Air Safety Institute discovered many years later that the most common phase of flight for an engine problem in a twin was cruise, not the more obvious takeoff mode. In other words, a pilot could lose one engine on a twin in the most benign phase of flight and still not be able to bring the airplane to a safe landing.

Statistically, more pilots come to grief after losing an engine in a twin than in a single. Perhaps perversely, the very reliability of general aviation engines convinced many that there was little need to maintain proficiency during single-engine operations, since the myth was that piston engines run properly almost never failed.

The problem was that little word, “almost”. Nearly all piston twins utilized engines mounted on the wings, so loss of power on one side resulted in asymmetric thrust and an obvious control problem.

The emergence of the single-engine turboprop was a logical development that improved safety and side-stepped much of the cost and operating expense of a twin. Never mind that the last, true corporate twin went out of production in the late 1980s.

Swiss Turboprop
The acknowledged top of the jetprop class, not only in price and size but in carrying capacity, is the current Swiss Pilatus PC-12NG. Introduced in 1994, the basic PC-12 has been updated and improved progressively to the current NG (Next Generation) configuration that incorporates all the innovations and technology gained from 20 years of production.

The PC-12 sits tall on the ramp, but the airplane’s airstair door is beautifullY BAlanced, so virtually anyone can handle it.

At $4,556,000 (2014 pricing), the PC-12NG comes standard with Honeywell Apex avionics, synthetic vision and a BMW eight-seat interior, but may be configured for up to 11 seats, bumping it up to the entry-level King Air class in seating capacity. The Pilatus offers cruise speeds of 280 knots and a max operating altitude of FL300 when RVSM equipped.

N75WH is a PC-12NG that jetAVIVA took on trade for a client upgrading to a Citation CJ3.

The PC-12NG is indeed a large aircraft. In size, it dwarfs both the TBM 900 and the Piper Meridian. Wingspan is a wide 53½ feet with Pilatus’ high-lift winglets on each tip. That’s also roughly three feet greater span that a twin turboprop C90 King Air. Gross weight is nearly 10,500 pounds, but Pilatus mounts a huge P&W PT6A-67P rated for 1,200 shp that can more than manage the load. The four-blade Hartzell aluminum prop is nearly nine feet in diameter to convert the Pratt’s horsepower to thrust.

The PC-12 sits tall on the ramp, but the airplane’s forward-left airstair door is beautifully balanced, so virtually anyone can handle it. The entry door also allows the pilot to close and lock the aft 48-inch-wide cargo door from the outside before entry. The cargo entry is designed to be loaded with a fork lift and makes it possible to carry such items as dirt bikes, kayaks and other items that won’t fit in any other turboprop.

With a total capacity of 11 seats, there are a myriad of interior configurations that can accommodate forward and aft-facing seats of six to nine passengers or a quick-change arrangement that allows the airplane to be converted to pure cargo space in a half hour. The PC-12’s cabin is approximately 10% larger than that of the King Air 200.

Pressurization is 5.75 psi, adequate for an 8,000-foot cabin at FL250 or a 10,000 foot atmosphere at the airplane’s maximum altitude of FL300.

The PC-12NG is single-pilot approved, and most of the fleet is owner flown rather than professionally operated. That’s partially because the Pilatus is almost ridiculously easy to fly. Obviously, turbine systems like the Honeywell Apex are more complex, but the basic flying of the airplane is little more complex than a Bonanza.

Range with the maximum 11 seats full at high cruise is over 1,500 nm, and max range is 1,800 nm. Fuel burn is a relatively frugal 54 gph, and with tanks topped at 400 gallons, the airplane has an endurance of more than 6.5 hours at max cruise, nine hours at long-range power settings.

The airplane perches high on a sturdy trailing beam gear system that absorbs pilot misdeeds and allows the Pilatus to land and depart again from unobstructed runways as short as 1,500 feet. Part of the reason for the airplane’s minimal runway use is the unusually low stall speed, 67 knots. That’s primarily a function of the huge 70% span. Fowler flaps translate aft as the trailing edge deflects down, effectively increasing the wing chord in the process. In addition, full flaps offer an impressive 47 degrees of travel.

Though the PC-12 would be an expensive bushbird, I’ve seen the type operating out of some unlikely strips in high Colorado (I once flew an air-to-air session out of Leadville, Colo., elevation 9,927 feet MSL). The type also is popular in Alaska and northern Canada, as well as the Australian Outback.

Super Versatile Jet
Not content to simply build one of the world’s most versatile single-engine turboprops, Pilatus recently decided to enter the mid-sized twin-jet market. Last August 1, the company rolled out the prototype of the Pilatus PC-24 at its production headquarters in Stans, Switzerland.

To help emphasize the utilitarian mission of the new aircraft, and highlight its workhorse flight and loading characteristics, Pilatus had the aircraft towed out onto the Stans airport ramp using a team of 24 horses. In keeping with the penchant for using abbreviations to summarize jet capabilities, Pilatus is calling the airplane a Super Versatile Jet or SVJ.

The new Pilatus PC-24 was announced at the 2013 European Business Aircraft Conference and Exhibition (EBACE) in Geneva. The PC-24 will incorporate many of the most desirable features of the existing PC-12NG turboprop on a twin-jet platform.

Jet power for the PC-24 will be provided by a pair of new-generation Williams FJ-44-4A turbofans. The engines utilize Dual Channel FADEC and are rated for 3,435 pounds normal takeoff thrust each. They also employ Williams’ Exact passive thrust vectoring technology. This utilizes the Coanda effect to provide a three-degree vectored thrust during high-power operations. (The Coanda Effect is a phenomenon in which a jet flow of air attaches itself to a nearby surface and remains attached even when the surface curves away from the initial jet direction. NASA has used Coanda effect to improve performance on a number of exotic designs.) More than five percent additional thrust will be available through a new Automatic Thrust Reserve feature, boosting max power to 3,600 pounds.

The engines also feature Williams’ Quiet Power Mode, a self-starter that will provide limited ground power and eliminate the need for an APU. TBO has been set at 5,000 hours with an on-wing inspection of the hot section at 2,500 hours.

The Pilatus jet is partially the result of a Pilatus market survey that asked PC-12 customers what features they’d like to see in a new model. To no one’s surprise, the answers were almost universally higher, faster and bigger into the same unimproved short strips that the PC-12 uses so handily and with the same palletized cargo capability.

That’s a slightly more difficult task for a pure jet. Pilatus engineers began design studies five years ago, configuring a jet that could carry roughly the same load as the company’s premier turboprop, fly roughly 150 knots faster at flight levels as high as FL450 and land in a short distance. In this case, balanced field length is less than 3,000 feet. Pilatus calculates that the PC-24’s short and unimproved runway capability will open up something like 21,000 additional airports worldwide that aren’t currently available to other jets.

The Pilatus PC-24 was introduced to the world at the company headquarters in Stans, Switzerland, in August 2014.

The PC-24 will be certified for operation that will allow for as many as 11 passengers. The Pilatus cabin is huge, 504 cubic feet, nearly twice the size of the competition’s aft compartment. The cabin will be similar to that in the PC-12, but four feet longer. This will allow a variety of quick-change configurations, including all cargo or EMS missions.

More typical business layouts will accommodate two pilots and six to eight passengers with copious room for baggage. Cabin dimensions are 61 inches tall by 67 inches across, and as with the PC-12NG, the PC-24’s pressurized, heated aft baggage compartment will still accept a shipping pallet loaded by fork lift (with extreme care).

Pressurization differential is 8.8 psi, which will allow inflating the PC-24 to offer a sea-level cabin at 23,000 feet and an 8,000-foot cabin at the airplane’s maximum operating altitude of 45,000 feet.

Performance will be well into the medium-jet class. Climb at the PC-24’s max takeoff weight of 17,650 pounds will be over 4,000 fpm, and an unrestricted ascent from near sea level to FL450 should require only about 30 minutes.

Max cruise is slated for 425 knots, slightly slower than the Phenom 300 and Cessna Citation CJ4, but on a typical 1,200 nm trip, the difference in time en route should be no more than 10 minutes. All three models will probably be operated at 400-420 knots, anyway.

The reality is that a drawing-board aircraft will nearly always beat a real machine in performance, so we probably won’t know for another year if Pilatus’ projections are accurate (first flight is planned for early 2015), but CAD/CAM design and computer projections are typically fairly close to reality.

The PC-24 will carry nearly 6000 pounds of fuel for long-range, light-payload missions, but it may be able to utilize out-and-back missions because of its ability to operate from abbreviated or unimproved strips where fuel isn’t available. The PC-24’s dual wheel main landing gear swings inward into uncovered wells and is designed specifically for rough runways.

jetAVIVA www.jetaviva.com
jetAVIVA CEO Cyrus Sigari taking the keys to the company PC-12NG.
We’re lucky here in Southern California to have one of the most experienced light-jet and turboprop sales organizations in the world. jetAVIVA has become something of a brain trust of knowledge, advice and practical experience on all aspects of buying, selling or training in virtually any light-jet or turboprop on the market. In the last few years, the company has done over $1.0 billion in aircraft transactions in a variety of jet/turboprop assets. The company was formed in 2006 by current-CEO Cyrus Sigari and cofounder Ben Marcus. Andrew Gallagher, sales and operations manager based in jetAVIVA’s Austin office, commented, “We serve primarily the owner-flown turbine market: all the single-engine turboprops, Embraer Phenom 100s and 300s, Citation Mustangs and CJs.” The motto at jetAVIVA is, “Life is short. Fly a jet,” and they do everything possible to bring all varieties of turbine power to the marketplace.

Assuming Pilatus meets its performance projections, it will have a pronounced advantage in short-field performance over the competition, both in takeoff and landing. The PC-24 should record takeoff distances well below 3000 feet and landing requirements closer to 2,500 feet.

Pilatus estimates the PC-24 will sell for $8.9 million in 2017 dollars, whereas that’s roughly what the Embraer Phenom 300 and Cessna Citation CJ4 cost today. For that reason, again assuming the economy doesn’t tank, it’s probably a safe bet the PC-24 will be the least expensive medium jet in the sky when the first one is delivered. To date, Pilatus has deposits on nearly 100 PC-24 jets.

If the PC-24 can even approach the level of market penetration experienced by the PC-12NG (so far, the company has delivered 1,200 of its best selling corporate turboprops), the Swiss manufacturer could indeed be building what Pilatus chairman Oscar Schwenk dubbed an SVJ, for Super Versatile Jet.

The post Swiss Heavy Hauler appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

It only takes one low-level flight through southern Utah to see why many consider it to be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. It’s not just one spot, mind you, but, the whole southern half of the state. We’re talking about Zion, Bryce Canyon, Grand Staircase-Escalante, Canyonlands, Arches, Capital Reef, the north rim of the Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, the LaSal Mountains, Kodachrome Basin and everything in between. There’s a good reason that there are five national parks, multiple national monuments, numerous state parks and a wide scattering of recreation areas in this small region. Whether the spectacular hiking, technical rock climbing, whitewater rafting, backcountry roads, mountain biking, canyoneering or raw scenic beauty draws you, there’s no better way to get around and take in the vast scenery than by airplane. So, when the invitation arrived to fly a brand-new PC-12NG around the wilds of southern Utah with Vaughn Olson of Western Aircraft (www.westair.com), I jumped at the chance to check out the new airplane while doing some sightseeing over my favorite desert stomping ground.

We agreed to meet at the Canyonlands airport (KCNY) outside of Moab. Even though the airport is non-towered, it’s served by Great Lakes airline service, and there can be a lot of traffic—particularly when the jump zone is active and sightseeing aircraft are operating. The 7,100-foot runway looks recently resurfaced and is in great shape. The friendly folks at Redtail Aviation provide fuel and parking; Enterprise offers car rentals. Just keep in mind that the airport is about 16 miles from Moab, so you’re in the middle of nowhere when you step out of your airplane. Still, Moab is the gateway to Arches and Canyonlands National Parks, as well as a common put-in for numerous white-water rafting trips on the Green and Colorado rivers. Moab can get overbooked when the weather is nice in the spring and fall, so it’s best to make reservations ahead of time—even for the campgrounds.

The PC-12NG
As Vaughn pulled onto the ramp, it was hard not to be amazed by the size of the PC-12NG—it’s indeed a great big airplane. With a wingspan of over 53 feet and a length of a little more than 47 feet, the PC-12 occupies similar ramp space as a King Air 250 or a Citation 3. The large forward airstair and high-gear stance combine to create a stately presence. Walk around the airplane, and you’ll quickly notice that there’s nothing lightweight about the PC-12NG. Everything from the trailing-link gear to the cabin doors up through the T-tail is built hell-for-stout with near-perfect fit and finish. The large 52×53-inch rear cargo door made it easy to load a full compliment of camping and climbing gear along with a couple of inflatable kayaks—just in case!

The Pilatus PC-12 is a remarkable airplane, so I was eager to try it out on a sightseeing run. Whether you need to get to a distant business meeting or into the backcountry with four friends, a couple of mountain bikes and supplies for three weeks, the PC-12 can make it happen in style. This Swiss-made overachiever is built to handle the rigors of short dirt strips in the backcountry and yet mix it up with jet traffic back in the city. With a single, highly reliable Pratt & Whitney PT6 turboprop engine, the speed, range, load-hauling capability and operating economics of the PC-12 are hard to match. Still, Pilatus has taken the new PC-12NG to a new level of performance and capability with the addition of even more horsepower and the SmartView synthetic vision system.

Cabin size and versatility have certainly played a key role in the success of the PC-12. Pilatus offers multiple seating and cargo configurations, and the brand-new airplane we flew is equipped with the six-seat executive configuration. Six widely spaced, large leather seats, five with foldout tables, provide unsurpassed comfort. Each seat is on a swivel and can slide sideways so that it’s easy to get comfortable and stretch out. While it’s not quite a stand-up cabin, the 330 cubic feet of space feels quite spacious with tasteful wood trim, recessed lighting and window shades. Each seat is equipped with a backlit entertainment system outlet. The size, fit and finish of the cabin is on par with the highest-level business jets—many costing more than the $4.6 million price of the Pilatus. The large netted baggage area in the rear of the fuselage can accommodate up to 40 cubic feet and 400 pounds of baggage. As an added bonus, the newest /47 series of the PC-12NG now boasts a 530-pound increase in useful load over the earlier /10 series models. Immediately behind the cockpit, there’s a full-width lavatory that’s handy on longer flights.

The capability of the Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system provides features found in many business jets. WAAS, synthetic vision, keyboard input, trackball cursor control, charts, data link weather and multiple screen redundancy make data management easy. The executive cabin option features a spacious interior with a flat floor and six large leather seats that can swivel and slide to the center of the cabin for increased shoulder room.

As Vaughn closed up the doors, I moved into the cockpit and took the front left seat. It felt like I was settling into a transport category jet—it’s huge! The cockpit has plenty of shoulder and headroom with excellent forward visibility. The Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system features four 10.4-inch diagonal high-resolution screens—two PFDs and two vertically arranged MFDs. Gear enunciation is displayed on the lower MFD, and engine gauges and comm frequencies appear on the side of each PFD. The center console contains a data-entry keypad, flap controls, power levers and a hand rest with a trackball cursor control device. With two main ship batteries, starting the big turboprop engine couldn’t be easier. Simply throw the starter switch, and when the gas-generator speed (Ng) passes 13%, put the condition lever into ground idle, and that’s it. All the avionics stay on during the start. There’s no prop RPM control lever, so it’s a single power-lever operation eliminating the need for any run-up.

The PC-12NG boasts the new P&WC PT6A-67P engine with 1,744 thermodynamic hp, flat-rated to 1,200 hp. It’s important to understand that turboprop engines work like non-turbocharged piston engines, losing power as they climb. By limiting or flat rating the engine to a power well below the maximum possible power, it’s possible to produce full flat-rated power during the climb.

Most turboprop engines are limited by maximum torque values at low altitudes but become temperature limited during the climb as the engine has to work harder to compress thinner air. The new -67P engine features single crystal alloy turbine blades with higher temperature limits for increased thermodynamic power. This provides additional power during the climb and during cruise over the previous -67B engine. At gross weight, the NG climbs at over 1,900 fpm and boasts a maximum cruise speed of 280 KTAS. Climb to FL 300, and at maximum power, you can cover 1,560 nm with NBAA reserves. Slow down to around 250 KTAS, and you can go nearly 2,000 nm on a full tank of 402 gallons of Jet A. For our mission, this kind of range makes it easy to hop between numerous unattended fields all over southern Utah before even coming close to running low on fuel.

PC-12/47NG takeoff and landing performance is remarkable. At max gross weight, the takeoff ground roll is only 1,450 feet, and a 50-foot obstacle is cleared in only 2,650 feet. At max landing weight, only 1,830 feet is required to clear a 50-foot obstacle and get stopped. With reverse and maximum braking, the landing ground roll is an astonishing 945 feet.

Steering the PC-12NG on the ground is completely conventional through the rudders, and taxiing felt completely familiar, though I was careful to watch those long wings. As we lined up on the centerline of runway 21 and brought the power lever all the way up to the stop, things began to happen fairly quickly. The amount of right rudder needed to keep the roll straight seemed considerably less than other single-engine turboprops I’ve flown. We did a short-field takeoff, and it was amazing to see firsthand how effortlessly the airplane flies off at very low airspeeds—we were airborne at around 70 KIAS. That just seems way too slow for an airplane of this size; but the PC-12 handles it quite easily.

From the beginning, a unique safety feature of the PC12 has been the use of an angle-of-attack (AOA) indicator. The Honeywell Primus Apex system makes it particularly easy to fly optimum AOA for each phase of flight by simply lining up indicator carrots. If you like, you can forget about recommended airspeeds and simply fly AOA to achieve the proper airspeed for any weight and configuration. If you really aren’t paying attention and you do manage to get close to stalling the airplane, the PC-12 is equipped with a stick shaker and pusher to help even the most inattentive pilot keep the AOA within safe boundaries. So as we climbed out, I merely held the AOA at the optimum value for the climb.

In a few minutes, we leveled off at 10,000 feet, and in cruise, the airplane is a delight to fly. With the NG model, Pilatus has added servo tabs to the ailerons to improve the heavy roll forces characteristic of the older PC-12s. This change helps produce much more harmonized controls. Still, it takes more than a light touch to move the controls, but that’s pretty normal for an airplane in this category.

There’s no need to sacrifice speed and comfort to have some serious fun—this is close to a “take-it-all” airplane. The PC-12/47NG can accommodate bicycles, motorcycles, jet skis, kayaks, and of course, gobs of camping gear.

From Canyonlands, we headed to the nearby unattended Green River Municipal Airport for some practice landings. If good landings are how your passengers judge your skills, you’ll look like a superstar in the PC-12. Add the first notch of flaps, lower the gear, go to full flaps, open the inertial separator, and you’re ready for the approach. The beefy trailing-link gear makes for a smooth arrival with only a small flare. Even though the winds were howling across the narrow runway, my first touchdown still felt smooth and under control. The brakes are conventional without anti-lock, so it’s important to be careful about touching the pedals while the plane is still light on the gear. We had plenty of runway, so I lifted the throttle past the gate and applied reverse to slow our speed before touching the brake pedals. As with all turboprops, some care is needed to avoid kicking up ground debris into the engine, so it’s best to use wheel braking below about 40 knots.

As we pulled to a stop, shut down and stepped outside, empty desert stretched to the horizon. Which brings up a point about being prepared when flying into the backcountry in this part of the U.S. This is the desert, and it’s essential to have an adequate supply of water and to let folks know where you’re headed in case you get stuck somewhere. Don’t forget that density altitude can become a huge factor in the summertime, so a little planning goes a long way.

A Little Sightseeing!And Terrain Avoidance
After some photo work on the ground, we departed for some airborne sightseeing. We stayed low to weave our way through the wide, rugged canyons carved by the Green River as it winds its way south toward Canyonlands, where it joins the Colorado before entering Arizona and the Grand Canyon. In the distance, the snow-covered peaks of the LaSal Mountains sparkled in the late afternoon sunlight. The Green River looked a bit like it sounds—a grey-green color with banks lined with ribbons of green trees that contrast with the red canyon walls.

It was late in the afternoon, and desert thermals made for a bumpy ride, damped somewhat by the high wing loading of the big Pilatus. Still, it was a good opportunity to see how the new SmartView synthetic vision system performed as we wound our way through the twists and turns of the canyon. One unique feature of the SmartView system is that it displays path-based flight information referenced to a zero-pitch reference line, which makes it easy to achieve level flight at all times. To test the synthetic vision system, we leveled momentarily the see the zero-pitch reference line showing where we would impact the far wall if we maintained the present altitude. It was an impressive demonstration of the capability of the new synthetic vision system and the improved situational awareness it can provide with respect to terrain and any desired flight path.

Even with all the cool equipment in the cockpit, it was hard to keep my eyes inside. The scenery in the area was just too spectacular to miss. With the sun sinking low in the west, we finally turned back toward Canyonlands airport, where we planned an evening camping under the stars just outside of Moab. Sightseeing over southern Utah in any plane, not to mention a brand-new PC-12NG, is a trip you’ll never forget. It just doesn’t get any better than this.

Southern Utah Flying Adventures
Moab Area If you’re interested in camping in the Moab area, the BLM provides a website with a list of maintained campsites at www.discovermoab.com/campgrounds_blm.htm. The hiking and scenery at Arches National Park is unforgettable, and be sure to take the drive out to Horseshoe Point in Canyonlands National Park. The view over the confluence of the Colorado and Green rivers is one of the most spectacular in the world. Owned by Rod and Paula Tangren, Caveman Ranch Resort (www.cavemanranch.com) is 20 miles down the Colorado River from Moab and features a 3,000-foot gravel airstrip. Ground-based activities include river-jet boat rides, Jeep tours, skeet shooting and gold sleuthing. Bryce Canyon National Park The picturesque Bryce Canyon Airport (KBCE) is the closest airport. Jet-A and 100LL are available. The runway is 7,395 feet long and at an altitude of 7,590 feet, so watch the density altitude. Rental cars are available with prior arrangements. The folks at the Best Western Ruby’s Inn (highly recommended) will pick you up at the airport, and free park service shuttles are available for transportation within the park. Summertime temperatures can be quite warm, so bring water, sunglasses and a hat. A winter visit with snow on the ground is especially spectacular and mostly uncrowded. Numerous moderate hikes are available throughout the canyon with absolutely spectacular, world-class scenery. While you’re there, you’ll discover that you’re also close to the Grand Staircase-Escalante Monument and Kodachrome Basin, which are also both well worth a visit. Zion National Park The closest full-service airport is St. George, Utah (KSGU.) Both Jet A and 100LL are available. The runway is 9,300 feet long at an altitude of 2,884 feet. Rental cars are available. The drive to Zion will take about 1:15. The town of Springdale near the entrance to the park is full of enchanting restaurants and resorts with spectacular views in all directions. This is the place to arrange your mountain biking, rock climbing or canyoneering adventure with one of the many professional outfitters. Once you get to the park, an efficient shuttle bus system will quickly get you anywhere you want to go. Zion has some of the best scenery, hiking, mountain biking, canyoneering and long technical rock climbs in the world—so there should be something for everyone.

Western Aircraft | www.westair.com
In addition to providing first-class FBO services, Boise-based Western Aircraft is an FAA-certified service station and has been an authorized Pilatus PC-12 dealer and service center since 1996. In 2004, Pilatus Business Aircraft named Western as the “Dealer of The Decade” for selling more PC-12s than any other PC12 dealer in the first 10 years of PC-12 production, and in 2005 as the “Service Center of The Year.” In 2005 and 2006, Western was the top PC-12 dealer in the U.S. The company has delivered over 165 new and 30 pre-owned PC-12s. The PC-12 experts at Western can arrange demo flights, answer questions and arrange service for existing owners.

The post Big-Time Adventure appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

One trip I sincerely regret missing out on entailed taking a new Pilatus PC-12 from Connecticut to Ulan Bator—yes, I had to look it up. Turns out it’s the capitol of Mongolia, and the trip was supposed to take place in the early summer of 2001. It was planned for a far northern, semi-great-circle route, about 6,000 nm, with refueling stops in Churchill, Manitoba, Canada; Fairbanks and Nome, Alaska; Petropavlovsk, Kamchatka, Russia; and probably someplace else with a name I can’t spell. For a combination of reasons, the ferry flight never happened. Spilt milk, I guess. Trips such as that don’t come along very often.

With a max payload of 2,866 pounds, the PC-12 NG can carry up to nine passengers or fill the huge cargo area, accessible via a forklift-loadable door in back.

So here I am in Broomfield, Colo., seven years later, snug in the left seat of the newest PC-12 NG with Peter Duncan, chief pilot for Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd., North America, riding shotgun to protect me from evil. In truth, there really isn’t any evil associated with this airplane. It’s comfortable, totally without artifice or deception, friendly in every mode and an easy machine to transition into. It’s about as close as you can come to a giant panda with wings. Pilatus Manager Mike Haenggi and Pilot Journal photographer Jim Lawrence luxuriate in the back in a vain attempt to bring gross weight closer to some representative number.

Though this is a finished airplane, most of the PC-12s in residence in Broomfield aren’t. The planes are flown in “green” from Stans, Switzerland, sans paint and interior; they’re then configured to customer demands in Colorado.

Before our flight, Duncan and I walked around the airplane, discussing the old and the new of Pilatus’ corporate turbine single. There was plenty to discuss. The new PC-12 is a much improved version of the airplane I flew for this magazine’s premier issue in 1999. That model was a capable load hauler, but the new version is better in a variety of ways, and only one of those improvements is the new, all-glass Honeywell Primus Apex avionics.

Still, Apex is perhaps the most impressive aspect of the new airplane. Pilatus looked at a variety of options before choosing a glass panel for the PC-12, and the Apex is indeed talented, playing through four 10.4-inch displays. This is more typical of a midsized jet system than a turboprop single.

Describing an avionics operating system in print is a little like trying to learn brail by reading about it, but the Apex is about as intuitive as they come. This is avionics by computer, and if you have a semblance of computer smarts, you’re bound to catch on quickly. Electronic charts, XM Weather, synthetic vision and the gamut of readouts make the Apex multi-capable. Entries are through a keypad and transferred to the specific box. If you have even modest facility with the Garmin G1000 system, Apex won’t present any special challenge.

Considering the limitations inherent in FAA-certification requirements, the changes labeled “Next Generation” on the 2009 PC-12 represent a veritable thunderclap of innovation. Pilatus apparently listened to its customers and made enough improvements to make the PC-12 NG a different airplane in essentially the same skin.

Typical of so many Swiss products, the PC-12 is beautifully constructed, exquisitely appointed and heroically designed. If you have any engineering experience, you can’t help but shake your head in wonder at the airplane’s remarkably intelligent systems design.

Updates start with the new Pratt & Whitney Canada turbine engine. It represents a significant improvement on the same basic design. The new PT6A-67P enjoys the same power, 1,200 shp, but it’s now continuous rather than limited to five minutes. That’s because the new mill features higher heat tolerances, owing to better compressor and turbine-blade design.

Max cruise power is still 1,200 shp, and the engine maintains it to a higher altitude, resulting in better cruise numbers. At just under 10,500 pounds max ramp weight, the PC-12 is far from overpowered. Rather, the match of horsepower to airframe seems about right.

If you compare the old PC-12 with the new, you’ll notice the winglets are notably different. Pilatus optimized the tips, switching from the first-generation, tall, vertical winglets of old to the newer, shorter, angled, blended shapes that integrate nicely with the radar dish out on the right wingtip.

Inside the cabin, the new interior is the result of a collaboration between Pilatus and BMW DesignworksUSA. As you might expect in a $4 million airplane, the interior is about as luxurious and comfortable as it’s possible to make. There’s plenty of room for passengers to unwind in back. The cabin is five feet wide, broader than in some medium jets, and you can choose from a variety of wood veneers, fine leathers and audio/video options to suit any taste.

Flying from Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport on a warm afternoon, density altitude was probably at least 8,000 feet, yet the PC-12 settled easily into an 1,800 fpm climb at 140 knots. ATC stepped us up to altitude so we couldn’t time a continuous climb, but the book boasts of 30,000-foot climbs in 26.5 minutes in ISA conditions, and I believe it. (All PC-12s are RVSM ready, by the way, though few pilots operate above FL280.)

Max cruise numbers sometimes mean more to piston pilots than to turboprop and jet aviators, primarily because the fuel burn can be disproportionately cheaper on turbine engines at lower power, and the difference in cruise numbers may not be that significant. Level at FL270 with everyone breathing 8,500-foot air (max pressurization differential on the PC-12 NG is 5.75 psi), we saw 275 knots, about five knots better than book, meanwhile burning 375 pph. That’s slightly faster than book speed on less than book fuel burn, a combination that’s hard to beat.

One of the new PC-12’s main assets is its state-of-the-art, four-screen Honeywell Primus Apex avionics panel. The two PFDs and two MFDs integrate flight information, engine monitoring, aircraft configuration, pressurization and environmental controls. Flight and weather data, charts, aircraft system information and trip-planning functions are also incorporated into the system.

The PC-12’s POH suggests the airplane will manage to touch 280 knots at 20,000 feet while guzzling 491 pph. With 2,704 pounds of fuel aboard, that means you’ll be looking for a place to land within about four hours on an IFR mission. At 28,000 feet, the airplane’s range is nearly 1,500 nm at 260 knots.

Range/payload is where the PC-12 truly shines. This is a long-range airplane by any definition, with or without a big cabin payload. When I was considering the solo flight to Mongolia, it was encouraging to know the 402-gallon fuel capacity was more than adequate for the long legs involved.

If you’re willing to settle for 218 knots at the 30,000-foot service ceiling, you can enjoy a burn of only 279 pph. Your endurance at FL300 is nearly eight hours plus reserves, worth almost 1,700 nm between pit stops. That’s a 22% reduction in cruise speed in exchange for a 43% improvement in fuel burn. That should make sense to any executive with an eye on the bottom line.

All the same, time is money in this airplane, and many PC-12 pilots think nothing of loading up with six to nine passengers and then choosing a setting halfway between the two extremes above; they’ll still enjoy block speeds of 230 to 240 knots in exchange for perhaps 350 pph. In piston speak, that’s 52 gph, about 4.5 nmpg, but you could be transporting the entire first-string Los Angeles Dodgers plus a batboy in the bargain. It’s true the PC-12 isn’t exactly “bonkers fast” like the TBM 850 (310 knots cruise) or Epic Dynasty (330 knots cruise), but those are pure six-seaters. What you sacrifice in pure speed, you more than make up for in payload.

Whatever the weight, the PC-12 handles it better than ever before. That’s because Pilatus has made a major improvement in roll response. When I flew the original airplane a decade ago, I felt that aileron effectiveness was somewhere between heavy and ponderous. It’s true the Pilatus is a large machine that doesn’t lend itself to light controls, but the current PC-12 handles far better than the original, with anti-servo tabs on the ailerons providing significantly lighter roll forces and what at least feels like a quicker rate. There’s certainly no question you’re directing more than five tons of airplane around the sky, but the PC-12 NG nevertheless maneuvers with panache.

That becomes especially significant when it’s time to return to earth. As with most turbines, the trick is to stay as high as possible for as long as possible, then descend with dispatch. That often means with the thrust lever at the backstop and nose pointed downhill at 1,500 fpm. The PC-12 doesn’t employ speed brakes, because it doesn’t need them. Simply reduce thrust to idle, and the big single will descend like a falling Baldwin. Planning pattern entry or joining an ILS is no tougher than programming a Mirage or P210 for landing. Prop rpm remains 1,700 for the entire flight, and you need merely adjust the thrust to home in on the proper power setting.

If patterns are relatively idiotproof, landing characteristics are even more benign. Vso at max takeoff weight is a low 66 knots, and that means you can trundle down a VFR final at 80 knots without violating the 1.2 Vso rule. Veteran PC-12 pilots like Duncan report that 100-knot approaches work perfectly in the clag. The flare is easily predictable, and you can plant it on the mains and stop in a hurry, with or without help from beta.

Pilatus worked with BMW DesignworksUSA to equip the PC-12 NG with an ultraluxurious cabin.

The trailing-beam gear is famous for cushioning the most ham-handed efforts, and even without finesse, the airplane will grind to a stop in less than 2,000 horizontal feet. If you do use beta, it’s considered poor form to maintain it below about 40 knots. Above that speed, there’s almost no possibility of ingesting any FOD material, even on a rough gravel strip.

The day after our evaluation flight, it was time for the air-to-air photo session, and mine was the cushy job, especially in view of the PC-12’s improved aileron response. We flew to Leadville, the highest municipal airport in America. Leadville is 10,000 feet closer to the sky than the sea, technically perched 9,927 feet tall in the Colorado Rockies. Our photo ship was a defenseless Skylane RG, 30 feet ahead at two o’clock, with our photographer pointing his Canon in my direction as we gradually lofted above the big rocks. The long, hot climb wasn’t a problem for Duncan and me with 1,200 hp out front, and pressurization, air-conditioning and peeled grapes in the back. Fortunately, I only write the stories these days. I no longer have to shoot them as well.

The PC-12 NG is targeted at companies or individuals who need a choice of lots of seats, seats and cargo, or a huge cargo area (along with a forklift-loadable door in back), 270-plus-knot speeds and the reliability of Pratt & Whitney’s near-legendary turbine engine. So far, some 200 folks have anted up for the newest PC-12, roughly $800 million worth of airplanes.

It’s true there’s only one turbine out front, but in the case of the PC-12 NG, that’s all you need.

The post Second-Generation Pilatus PC-12 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

2009 Pilatus PC-12 NG
SPECIFICATIONS
Base Price:	$3.8 million
Engine make/model:	Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P
Shaft Horsepower:	1200
Max Takeoff Weight (lbs.):	10,450
Max Payload (lbs.):	2866
Seats:	6–9
PERFORMANCE
Rate Of Climb (min.):	26.5 to FL300
Max Certified Altitude (ft.):	30,000
Max Cruise Speed (kts.):	280
Fuel Flow @ Max Cruise (lbs./hr.):	491 (73 gph)
Takeoff Distance Over 50 Ft. Obstacle (ft.):	2650
Source: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd.

42/IAS

The post 2009 Pilatus PC-12 NG appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

The single-engine Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 has room for about 1,000 pounds of gear after the seats are full. Even more impressive, the 1,200-shp turbine can leave its Denver, home and fly anywhere in the country on a single tank of gas, landing and taking off again anywhere there is 1,700 feet of available runway.

“I tested that 1,700-foot takeoff distance at a 2,000-foot grass ultralight strip outside of Naples, Fla.,” remembers Schneider. “I landed and took off with plenty of runway to spare.”

Versions of the big single earn their living as commuter airliners, air ambulances and heavy-haulers. Ninety-five percent of them that leave Colorado’s Jeffco Airport for new homes go configured as executive airplanes with plush leather seats and exotic woodwork. But these aren’t your typical corporate aircraft delivered to the hands of corporate flight crews. “More than three-quarters are owner-flown,” says Pilatus manager of marketing projects Mike Haenggi.

And that’s because the Pilatus PC-12 is designed for single-pilot operation. “It’s very easy to fly,” says Pilatus company-pilot Shane Jordan. “I come from a flight-instructor background and throughout my years of teaching, this is, by far, the biggest airplane I’ve ever flown.”

Pilots don’t have to push the airplane to compensate for out-of-the-ordinary situations. “If you’ve got a 727 ahead and 747 behind, and the tower says, ’Can you keep your speed up?’ Well, you’ve got your gear down, flaps at 15 and you can still go all the way to 163 knots. That’s usually higher than their vRef. And when a Cessna 152 cuts you off, you go full flaps and you can fly all day at 75 knots,” explains Schneider.

Despite the big size and hauling capabilities of the PC-12, the skinny dirt strip at Whitmore International Airport was no challenge.

While buyers can choose from a plethora of avionics systems, the panel comes standard with a Bendix/King EFS40/50 EFIS, KLN90B GPS, KFC325 autopilot and RDR2000 weather radar system. But dual Garmin 530s and a KMD850 multi-function display are popular options and typically connected to traffic and ground proximity warning systems. If that’s not enough, a GNS-XLS flight management system is also available. With a NEXRAD subscription, the pilot can download real-time weather images, TAFs and METARs. On several occasions, Schneider has even requested IFR diversions from ATC to avoid nasty weather, and he’s heard airline pilots and military pilots follow his lead. “Sometimes, I wonder if I should charge those guys for the service,” he jokes.

The panel may seem daunting at first glance, but, once the systems are ingrained, they greatly simplify the pilot’s workload. The EFIS can be customized based on the pilot’s needs at any given time, displaying more or less information on the screen.

One of the PC-12 underappreciated assets is its large cargo door, which measures four feet and five inches by four feet and four inches. The Swiss made the door in such a way so that it opens easily and closes electrically, allowing quick access to the aircraft’s huge load-carrying capabilities. If space becomes tight, seats can be removed in a matter of minutes. Literally. Schneider, Haenggi and Jordan did exactly that and loaded a factory PC-12 with camping gear, mountain bikes and rock-climbing equipment, and left on a “business trip.” The mission? To see for themselves just how well the Pilatus could go!recreational.

Schneider set down at Whitmore International Airport, a dirt strip on the North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Despite its isolation, the tiny, sloping runway is far from quiet. Thousands of Colorado river-rafters make their way up by helicopter from the canyon floor for an airplane ride home, and the runway is the first stop for private pilots who arrive for a one-of-a-kind stay at the Bar 10 Ranch.

The Bar 10, a working-cattle-ranch-turned-guest-ranch, is owned and operated by the Heaton family. Heaton patriarchs Tony and Ruby built a lodge in the early 1980s and began offering lunch, dinner and a place to stay for the wet, tired rafters. Little by little, they added their own activities to entice visitors to linger longer. Four thousand to 5,000 guests a year do just that, staying either in the lodge or the cozy Conestoga covered wagons tucked into a grove of trees. While Schneider, Jordan and Haenggi unloaded the PC-12 and established a “base camp” next to its wing, the lure of the Bar 10 was hard to ignore.

The Bar 10 Ranch is reminiscent of the movie City Slickers. While clients may not get to herd cattle, they ride horses, learn to rope, tour the high desert in ATVs, climb rocks, shoot guns, enjoy river-rafting, hike and play billiards, table tennis, horseshoes or volleyball. In the evenings, the ranch hands entertain the guests with jokes, music, singing, roping and a genuine cowboy shootout. Although guests now provide the bulk of the Bar 10’s income, the Heatons and their three sons, Kirk, Kelly and Gavin, still run about 500 head of cattle. The ranch employs seven full-time hands and 15 part-time workers through the summer months.

ATVs are fun alternatives to horseback riding when exploring the beautiful sagebrush-covered valley (above).

Gavin is the head manager at Bar 10. He, his wife, Andrea, and daughter, Hailee, spend five days a week there on the North Rim, then travel for a day’s work at a cattle ranch in Penguich, Utah. The trip takes about four hours each way on the barely improved roads of northern Arizona. “It would be nicer if we had a plane,” smiles Gavin at Schneider as he eyes the PC-12.

The Pilatus team, like other pilots who fly into the Bar 10’s runway, are hard-pressed on what to do first. The ranch’s helicopter provides bird’s-eye views of the 217-mile-long, 6,250-foot-deep Grand Canyon. Mountain bikes triple the amount of the sprawling desert you can cover by foot, or the Bar 10’s ATVs can take you to the petroglyphs and cliff dwellings of Anasazi Indians who inhabited this area thousands of years ago.

Although the PC-12 had packed in plenty of food for its “business trip,” the team could smell the Bar 10’s cowboy-style buffet dinner next door. “Y’all hungry?” a ranch hand asked as the group approached on their bicycles. “These cooks sure know how to ruin a good appetite.”

Like so many trips, it was over much too quickly. At 270 knots, the PC-12 was back home in well under two hours, coming and going on a single tank of gas.

“Business or pleasure?” one of the line crew asked.

“This airplane was working,” pipes the Pilatus team. They know that all flying is serious business.

Must Have Contacts:

Pilatus Aircraft
(800) PILATUS
www.pilatus-aircraft.com

Bar 10 Ranch
(800) 582-4139
www.bar10.com

The post Going Recreational In A Pilatus appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.

Pilatus PC-12
Base price:	$2,700,000
Engine make/model:	Pratt &Whitney PT6A-67B
Horsepower (max/continuous):	1200/1000
Max ramp weight (lbs.):	9965
Useful load (lbs.):	3600
Wing loading (lbs./sq. ft.):	35.7
Power loading (lbs./shp):	8.2
Fuel capacity (gals.):	402
PERFORMANCE
Max cruise speed (kts.):	270
Max range (nm):	2172
Max certified altitude (ft.)	30,000
Best rate of climb (fpm):	1680
Takeoff distance (ft.):	1475
Landing distance (ft.):	945
Source: Pilatus Aircraft

The post Pilatus PC-12 appeared first on Plane & Pilot Magazine.