Next Generation PC-12 receives EASA & FAA certification

Pilatus Aircraft is delighted to announce receipt of EASA and FAA certification for the PC-12 NG. Launched at NBAA 2006, the Next Generation program is the latest progression of the highly successful PC-12 turboprop. Pilatus engineers worked diligently over the last years in order to achieve timely certification.

European Aviation Safety Agency in addition to Federal Aviation Administration certification is a significant milestone that will allow deliveries of the Next Generation aircraft to begin immediately.

Featuring a number of significant improvements, including a fully integrated Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system, a completely new cockpit designed by BMW Group Designworks USA, and a more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine, the PC-12 once again sets the tone for the market sector.

Speaking from Pilatus headquarters in Stans, Switzerland, Thomas Bosshard, CEO of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd commented: “Since original certification was achieved, the PC-12 has proven itself as a thoroughly reliable and robust aircraft. With the arrival of the Next Generation PC-12 we are witnessing the natural evolution of a product which continues to lead the field in both operating efficiency and performance.”

With the worldwide fleet numbering over 800 aircraft the PC-12 continues to generate strong interest from operators worldwide. As businesses strive to operate as competitively as possible, the PC-12’s versatility and low direct operating costs are more pertinent than ever before.

Pilatus dealer Western Aircraft win Diamond Award

Western Aircraft has been awarded the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Diamond Certificate of Excellence for the fourth time.
The FAA Diamond award is an acknowledgement of Western Aircraft’s commitment to technical training and expertise. Brian Rehberg, Vice President of Aircraft Services stated that "it is such a great honor to have received this award for the fourth time. We are very dedicated to our customers as well as our employees."
Western Aircraft has developed a number of initiatives over the years to enhance safety and quality through aggressive training and safety management principles. The company continues to expand it’s "Western University" with formal courses in areas like Wire Termination, Engine
Run and Taxi Training (make/model specific), and safe use of equipment (fall protection, forklifts, etc.). In addition to the formal training received from Flight Safety and CAE, this training is a benefit to both the customers and the employees of Western Aircraft. This commitment to education has helped Western Aircraft develop multi-skilled technicians and supervisors, and grow to about 100 strong in the Aircraft Services Department. (800) 333-3442 / www.westair.com

Pilatus Challenge Carrera Cup - Great success

Fresh from one of his best ever performances at the opening round of the season at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Twigg took out Carrera Cup Australia’s Pilatus Challenge (which is for non-professional drivers over the age of 30) in the Championship’s second round of the season. It was a watershed round for the Melbournian, who finished in the top 10 in three of the four races to complete the weekend in 10th spot And it could have been even better, had he not incurred a Race One penalty which put him in 17th. Shaun Juniper (Juniper Development) claimed second after coming 13th overall, while Theo Koundouris (Supabarn Supermarkets) was third.Twigg said he was ecstatic with how his weekend went. “If it wasn’t for that spin in Race One I would have had top 10 finishes in every race so I’m certainly happy with that,” he said. “I was a lot more focused and determined this weekend and it seemed to pay off. “In the past I would be good for one or two races, but this weekend I really concentrated on my consistency and not making mistakes. I went in with a plan to do the same thing every single lap and it worked.” Pilatus Australia CEO Sebastian Lip, who was in Melbourne to watch the Carrera Cup action at the Grand Prix, was enthusiastic about the results. “The level of competitiveness within the Pilatus Challenge is obvious,” he said. “With Max’s fastest lap time not far from the winners, the Challenge drivers are really stepping it up a level and I think most of them are capable of regular top 10 finishes by the end of the season.”

PC-12 pilot encounters F16 at close range

The FAA says it will likely investigate the complaints of a couple of pilots who say they were intercepted and shadowed, at close range, by an F-16 over Arizona earlier this month. Pilatus PC-12 pilot Patrick McCall and Beech Premier pilot Scott Laromee have both filed near-collision reports with the agency after they say they were aggressively pursued by an F-16 on March 21 in the Gladden Military Operations Area, a training area used by pilots from Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix. The area is open for use by civilian aircraft. In a podcast interview with AVweb, McCall said that when his TCAS activated about 10 a.m. that day while he was cruising at 16,500 (VFR with flight following) he ended up having to dive his aircraft as the target kept closing on him. The target followed him in the dive and when McCall leveled at about 14,000 feet, he was amazed by the view from his side window. “I then looked to my left side of the aircraft and saw an F16 aircraft off of my left wing,” he said in a written report sent to the FAA. “The F16 was no more than 20 feet off of my left wing.” AVweb contacted the media relations department of Luke Air Force Base on Friday and provided copies of both McCall’s and Laromee’s complaints but military officials did not respond to our request for comment by our deadline on Sunday.

Great story in the british financial times about the PC-12

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/2/4d10c53a-f4fc-11dc-a21b-000077b07658.html

PC-9 low and fast

Canadian fractional orders 10 PC-12's

AirSprint, a fractional aircraft operator headquartered in Toronto, Canada, placed orders for 23 new airplanes with an aggregate retail value of $116 million with Cessna Aircraft and Pilatus Aircraft. Under terms of the agreements, AirSprint – which currently operates 10 PC-12 single-engine turboprops and five Citation XL/XLS twin turbofans – will take delivery of three more XLS/XLS+ jets and threeadditional Pilatus PC-12/47E “Next Generation Pilatus” models over the course of the next 24 months. Timing of the delivery of the rest of the newly ordered aircraft will depend on customer demand. AirSprint began business in the spring of 2000 in Calgary, Alberta. It has bases in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Kitchener/Waterloo, Edmonton and Calgary, and officials say they have sold just under 100 aircraft interests. The company also provides management services for a number of privately owned aircraft. AirSprint revenues have grown from more than $16 million in fiscal 2005 to an estimated $47. million in fiscal 2007.

B/CA Mar 08

PC-21 to enter Swiss service this month

Switzerland's selection of six PC-21s (first example pictured above) represented the first success for the new model. Assembly is now complete, and the air force has almost finished training syllabus development and qualified flying instructor conversion work at Pilatus's Stans production facility near Lucerne. Operations will shift next month to support training activities from the service's Emmen and Sion air bases.

Flight Global Mar 2008

Bright times ahead for Pilatus trainers

Consultancy Forecast International projects that manufacturers of military fixed-wing trainers will deliver 1,550 new aircraft from 2008 to 2017, reaching around $17.1 billion total. More than half (784) of these new trainers will be turboprop powered, with jet trainers accounting for nearly all of the rest (748). The market for piston powered military trainers is “dying out” and will account for only 18 aircraft during the same period, FI says. Overall, annual production will reach a high of 212 units in 2009 before gradually falling.

Pilatus assembly hall on track.

Some interesting facts:
$22.5 million investment
80,000 sq. ft.
13 month construction program.
Assembly area ready by mid May 2008.
Used for PC-12 production.
Timber used for primary structure of hall and annex.
Concrete floor, pilings, and stairs.
60 meter span of hall bridged by 16 large timber beams.
No supporting posts needed.
State of the art eco compliant heating and ventilation.