test programme, not to mention the
complexities involved in certifying a brand
new aircraft, the company was able to
hand over the irst aircraft within a couple
of months of the target.
This was quite an achievement, given
the norms of the aerospace industry, which
usually counts its missed milestones in
years rather than months.
Fractional ownership company,
PlaneSense, became the launch customer
for the PC-24. It has a long relationship with
Pilatus, operates the largest civilian leet
of PC-12NGs (35 in service at the start of
this year) and while it committed to ‘just’ six
PC-24s in 2013, it plans to increase that
number when the manufacturer reopens
the order book.
AMERICAN MARKET
The irst production aircraft (HB-VSB, c/n 101)
completed its maiden light on December
12, 2017, ive days after certiication, before
departing for Rocky Mountain Metropolitan
Airport in Broomield, Colorado, where Pilatus
Business Aircraft has its North and South
American completion, sales and support
headquarters. The facility has performed
inalisation work on more than 1,000 PC-12s
at the site since 1996.
In July 2016, work began on a new
118,000sq ft (10,962m²) building on the west
side of the airport to cater for the additional
work generated by the PC-24 and consolidate
it with that for the PC-12 under one roof.
HB-VSB was ferried from Colorado, via Fort
Wayne in Indiana, to PlaneSense’s home
base at Portsmouth International Airport
at Pease in New Hampshire, arriving on
February 7 this year. It was re-registered as
N124AF on March 13.
The United States is the major market
for the PC-12 and Pilatus expects it to be
the destination for a large percentage of
the PC-24s that will be built at Stans. This
is relected in the regional breakdown of
the 84 ordered in 2013; 38 are destined for
American customers.
To promote the new aircraft in the North
American market, the second production
aircraft (HB-VSC, c/n 102) was allocated
to Western Aircraft of Boise, Idaho, an
authorised sales agent for the Pilatus range.
The jet left Stans on March 14 this year,
and was ferried via Prestwick, Scotland;
Reykjavík, Iceland; Søndre Strømfjord,
Greenland; Iqaluit and Thunder Bay in
Canada; before arriving three days later at
Broomield for attention by Pilatus Business
Aircraft. On March 23 it was lown to Boise
and re-registered to Western as N224WA on
April 18.
Pilatus Business Aircraft received its own
PC-24 on April 27, when HB-VSD (c/n 103)
landed at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan
Airport. It was registered to the completions
centre as N84KE on May 1.Peter Brabeck-Letmathe, the former
chairman and chief executive officer of the
Nestlé Group, received Europe’s irst PC-
24 on May 22, when Oscar J Schwenk
handed him the keys to the aircraft during
a ceremony at Stans. The jet (HB-VSE,
c/n 104) will be operated by Brabeck-
Letmathe’s company, Brabair SA, and
made available to members of Flying
Club 24, a new membership irm based at
Sion, Switzerland. In service, it has been
registered in San Marino as T7-LCE.
By the end of May, at least two other
PC-24s had been completed. Both c/ns
105 and 106 (HB-VSF and -VSG) were
noted outside at Stans in early April in
the colours of the Royal Flying Doctor
Service (RFDS) of Australia, as VH-VWO
and -KWO. The RFDS uses a variety of
aircraft, including PC-12s and Beech King
Air 350s, to provide 24-hour aeromedical
emergency services throughout Australia. It
is famous for serving isolated communities
within the interior of the country. As such, its
aircraft need to be capable of operating from
semi-prepared airstrips, with cabins that
can accommodate medical equipment and
personnel, and having doors large enough
to allow stretcher loading – exactly what the
PC-24 was designed for. The interior of the
RFDS’s aircraft will be itted out by Aerolite
prior to delivery.NEXT STEPS
In-service data from the early deliveries
will be examined to see whether any
improvements are needed. At the same time,
production of the FJ44-4-QPM powerplant will
increase to meet demand.
According to Pilatus, new orders are
likely to be accepted from 2019 which will
give a good indication of how ubiquitous its
SVJ will become.http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 31
PC-24 IN NUMBERS
Wing span 17m (55ft 9in)
Length 16.85m (55ft 2in)
Height 5.40m (17ft 4 in)
Wing area 30.91m² (332.7sq ft)
Empty weight 4,970kg (10,956lb)
Max taxi and ramp weight 8,300kg (18,300lb)
Max take-off weight 8,300kg (18,300lb)
Max landing weight 7,665kg (16,900lb)
Max zero fuel weight 6,450kg (14,220lb)
Max fuel weight 2,705kg (5,964lb)
Max payload weight 1,134kg (2,500lb)
T-O balanced ield length 893m (2,930ft)
Max rate of climb 1,242m/min (4,070ft/min)
Max operating altitude 13,716m (45,000ft)
Cruising speed 815km/h (506mph)
Range with max payload 2,189km (1,182 miles)
Landing ield length 893m (2,930ft)One of three PC-24s ordered by Australia’s Royal Flying Doctor Service. This aircraft has since been registered VH-VWO.