Summary

• The Pilatus PC-12 is the world's best-selling pressurized single-engine turboprop, with over 2,000 aircraft built.
• The PC-12 was designed to operate in harsh climates and can take off and land from rough landing strips.
• Most PC-12s have been sold in North America, primarily as business aircraft.

The lifetime of commercial aircraft models is usually defined by a rise to prominence and a subsequent fall to obscurity. When introduced, a new commercial jet is often seen as the pinnacle of current aerospace innovation, but over time will grow out of favor due to the presence of newer aircraft, which have usurped their spots as the most modern.

As a result, manufacturers will keep aircraft in production for a number of years, but will eventually shut down on account of a lack of interest. With commercial airlines operating on such thin profit margins, improvements in efficiency from new aircraft models can make or break an airline's bottom line.

In general aviation, however, aircraft models can achieve more sustained success over longer periods of time, with the most popular single turboprop aircraft of all time being among the best examples of this. In this article, we will take a deeper look at the story and commercial achievements of the Pilatus PC-12.

An impressive aircraft

The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop developed and manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The aircraft was designed as a large utility aircraft featuring an aft cargo door and a main passenger door. Introduced in 1994, the aircraft is used by various individual owners, private jet management companies, fractional owners, and charters.

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With more than 2,000 aircraft built, the Pilatus PC-12 is the world's best-selling pressurized single-engine turboprop. This article looks at the history of the aircraft and its continuous success in private aviation.

A unique design

The plan was to build a single-engine plane with a sizable cabin capable of flying long distances at speed. Work on the project started in the late 1980s, and a prototype was completed before the plane was announced at the 1989 annual convention of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA).

The aircraft's certification was delayed, but by May 1, 1991, Pilatus had two prototypes, with the maiden flight taking place on May 31, 1991. Despite the flight going well, they decided to increase the size of the wings and add winglets. This delayed the aircraft's Swiss certification until March 30, 1994. Approval by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) soon followed on July 15, the same year.

The initial Pilatus PC-12s were powered by a single Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67 engine and offered a performance equal to twin-engined planes. According to Aerospace Technology, a newer "PC-12NG" (Next Generation) aircraft with a more powerful Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67P engine came along in 2006. The addition of the new engine gave the PC-12 a better climb rate and an increased maximum cruising speed of 280 knots.

The PC-12 was designed to operate in harsh climates

The Pilatus PC-12NG featured an Apex glass cockpit from Honeywell, automatic pressurization control, and cursor-controlled inputs to the navigation system. The PC-12 NG winglets were also modified from the original version of the plane. When designing the PC-12, Pilatus wanted the plane to be able to take off and land from rough landing strips and operate in harsh environments like those found in the Australian outback.

The interior cabin of the Pilatus PC-12 was designed in conjunction with BMW's Designworks division and features materials you would expect to find in a high-end luxury car. The PC-12 cabin can accommodate nine passengers and features a refreshment center and an enclosed toilet. Other plane configurations include an executive arrangement with less seating and an air ambulance version with room for two patients and three medics.

When fitted out as a non-passenger aircraft, the plane saw service with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, and as an airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance aircraft for the United States Air Force.

The majority of PC-12s have been sold in North America

Most orders for the PC-12 came from North America, where they were sold primarily as business aircraft. In 2014, Los Angeles-based airline Surf Air placed an order with Pilatus for 15 PC-12 NGs with an option for 30 more.

The Southern California airline charges its customers a monthly subscription fee for unlimited travel between Hawthorne Municipal Airport (HHR) in the Los Angeles metropolitan area to the following airports:

• Oakland International Airport (OAK)
• San Carlos Airport (SQL)
• Santa Barbara Airport (SBA)
• Truckee Tahoe Airport (TRK)

Portsmouth, New Hampshire-based fractional aircraft ownership and private flight company PlaneSense operates the most significant number of PC-12 aircraft, with 36 PC-12s in its fleet. Compared to similar turboprops or business jets, the Pilatus PC-12 retains 80% to 85% of its value after ten years of use and sells 40% faster than other second-hand business aircraft, according to an analysis of the plane from Sherpa Report.

Success in versatility

The long-term sales success of the PC-12 can be directly tied to the plane's impressive versatility, and the plane itself has come to serve as the ideal utility aircraft. By nature, a utility aircraft is meant to serve a number of different purposes, but across the board, none have been able to effectively cater to such a large number of markets as the PC-12, even being dubbed the "Swiss Army Knife of the Sky," according to manufacturer Pilatus.

Today, the plane remains in operational service across the globe with a broad array of companies, performing every kind of task from regularly scheduled cargo flights to military operations. The United States Air Force is one of the plane's primary non-civilian operators, with the organization operating the aircraft with the name U-28A Draco. For the Air Force, the plane serves mostly as a combined reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft.

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