Flight International - 5 June 2018

fiightglobal.com 5-11 June 2018 | Flight International | 35

SINGLE-ENGINE TURBINES

❯❯ US-based training organisation Flight-
Safety International – which dedicates a great
deal of its training capacity specifically for the
business aviation industry – provides training
for PC-12 pilots, with full-flight Level D
qualified simulators for the PC-12NG, PC-12
Legacy and new PC-24 twin-engined jet at its
centre in Dallas, Texas.
Operators “from around the world”, it
notes, are taking advantage of these pro-
grammes – but at present it has no plans to
place a PC-12 simulator in Europe. Mean-
while, Austin comments, UK operators can, if
their training needs dictate, practice high-
altitude engine-out glide approaches in a
PC-12 into fully capable but low-traffic air-
ports such as Inverness in Scotland.
Although it is clear from Auterinen’s ex-
perience that there are clients that do not shy
away from machines with propellers, or
with only a single engine, there are some
who will not accept either. This factor adds
to the business risk hurdles facing someone
like Austin when considering investing in
an AOC for even a sophisticated, pressurised
single-turbine like the PC-12, with a large,
comfortable cabin. But another advantage a
turboprop can offer over a twinjet is better
short take-off and landing performance,

which opens up for access airfields jets can-

not use. He offers Courchevel in the French

Alps as a typical example.

However, voicing his awareness of other

hurdles to achieving a viable SET-IMC opera-

tion, Austin lists restricted airfield opening

hours at the smaller aerodromes, fire/rescue

cover, and airfield lighting as just some of the

issues. For PC-12s operating at night it would

be desirable to have more aerodromes that in-

stalled pilot-controlled airfield lighting, so the

crew can switch on the runway lights when

they are approaching the circuit.

The future may hold other delights like

remote tower operations to enable small

airfields to provide a service out of hours,

but nobody seems to be talking about that

much yet. ■

Daher

Daher models offer high speed

performance with six passengers

To understand why securing an air operator

certificate (AOC) for single-engined turbine

passenger operations in instrument meteoro-

logical conditions (SET-IMC) in Europe is not

simple, it is worth reprising the local regulator’s

demands.

Previously, commercial SET passenger op-

erations had been permitted in Europe, but

only in daylight visual meteorological condi-

tions (VMC). In addition, a few European carri-

ers operating turbine singles in areas of

relatively flat terrain and low population den-

sity were awarded SET-IMC exemptions for

defined operations.

It all boils down to the simple fact that if a

single-engined aircraft suffers engine failure,

REGULATION

How EASA was convinced risk of instrument-only operations was manageable

The technical advances that have permitted

the European Aviation Safety Agency to ap-

prove SET-IMC in Europe’s airspace include

increased engine reliability, boosted by en-

gine/gearbox health monitoring systems. But

no matter how low the probability of an engine

failure, the aircraft and crew are required to be

able to cope with it – and in IMC or at night.

The factors that impressed EASA include the

fact that a pressurised single like the Daher

TBM series or Pilatus PC-12 has a high cruising

altitude, therefore a considerable glide dis-

tance, making diversion flight planning and

risk management easier.

A much more powerful battery system to

power full avionic capability during the descent,

plus a powerful landing light to illuminate the

final approach to a forced landing, are essential.

Advanced avionics and flight management sys-

tems play a major part. For example, the

Honeywell avionics suite in a SET-IMC-

approved PC-12 can allow the pilot, in the event

of engine failure, to select a diversion airport

and runway in use within glide range, and the

autopilot will fly the aircraft to arrive over the

threshold at 50ft on its radar altimeter.

But the aircraft also has to have a crew that

can manage such a descent, glide approach

and landing: not a scenario that is part of recur-

rent training for multi-engine airline pilots. ■

the pilot’s only option is to glide to a forced land-

ing. If this happens at night or in poor visibility, a

forced landing in an aircraft without special

equipment is likely to be fatal for the occupants

and for anybody in the aircraft’s path. In North

America and Australasia, for example, population

density is relatively low, but Europe has nearly

four times the population density of the USA, and

an even greater multiple compared with Canada

or Australia, so the risk of a blind forced landing

to the population on the ground – as well as the

aircraft occupants – was judged unacceptable.

This risk was seen as particularly significant in

areas like England’s southeast, with its many

urban centres, and where even the countryside

is well populated.

Hendell Aviation

PC-12’s avionics allow pilot to select

diversion airport within glide range