Air Alpha to service PC-12's in Russia

The Federal Service for Supervision of Transportation has licensed the Danish AIR ALPHA MAINTENANCE A/S company to service aircraft in Russia.

The Danish company will provide line and scheduled maintenance to Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 Series aircraft. A service centre for Pilatus aircraft is about to open.

Smiling Flyer about to launch

We are a group of entrepreneurs living in Mallorca. One day we decided to take a single engine Pilatus PC-12 and travel around the world. Captain Morten Sondergaard started the planing and “The Smiling Flyer” was born.

This trip is about men, who have built their professional lives taking risk and are seeing this trip as a natural way of having fun. People have asked us why we are doing the “SmilingFlyer” and the simple answer is: “Because it can be done”.

We will be taking off from Mallorca in Spain on November 3rd 2007 and visiting the following places: Egypt – Alexandria, Dubai, New Delhi, Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Burma), Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Australia, Tonga, Fiji, Samoa, French Polynesia, Easter Island, Chile, Argentina, Uruguay, Brazil, Cape Verde, Morocco, Spain.

We plan to be back in Mallorca, Spain 21st of Februay 2008 having completed more than 60.000 km through some of the most remote areas of the world

http://www.smilingflyer.com

PT6A-67P receives certification

Pratt & Whitney Canada has received type certification from Transport Canada for its PT6A-67P engine, selected to power the next-generation Pilatus PC-12 business turboprop aircraft

A derivative of the popular PT6 family, the PT6A-67P is rated at 1,200 shp (1,824 thermal eshp). It delivers 15 per cent more thermodynamic power to the new PC-12 aircraft for faster climbs and higher cruise speeds.

"We are delighted to work with our long-time customer Pilatus to build on the success of its flagship PC-12 business turboprop with our PT6A-67P engine," said Michael Perodeau, Vice President, Corporate Aviation, P&WC. "The PT6A series continues to lead today as a result of the improvements we inject into these highly dependable engines as well as our excellent customer support."

P&WC has certified close to 70 engine models within the PT6A turboprop series and produced over 35,000 PT6A engines for applications in corporate, utility and agricultural markets around the world. The majority of these engines continue to fly today.

NBAA 07 in numbers

National Business Aviation Association’s 60th annual Meeting and Convention last week in Atlanta, Ga. attracted more than 32,000 visitors, down slightly from the 33,088 at the 2006 show in Orlando, Fla. The convention sold 5,200 booth spaces to a record 1,152 exhibitors. The static display at Fulton County Airport drew 115 aircraft.

Launch of NEXT GEN PC-12 huge success

From the opening bell the Pilatus booth at NBAA 07 saw non-stop traffic. Although the show was indeed the busiest and biggest NBAA on record, it is clear the NEXT GEN PC-12 was one of the highlights at the show. A constant flow of traffic through the booth and indeed the aircraft generated huge interest in the updated PC-12.

Press release - Fast4ward Sweepstakes

The demand for the Next Generation PC-12 is higher than ever, but you may not have to wait to fly in one. Pilatus will hold the “Fast4ward Sweepstakes” at the 2007 National Business Aircraft Association (NBAA) convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Participants at the convention will have the chance to win the use of a Next Generation PC-12 for up to 4 days in 2008.

As the latest version of the continually evolving PC-12, the Next Generation PC-12 features a number of improvements. These include a fully integrated Honeywell Primus Apex avionics system, a new cockpit designed by BMW Group DesignworksUSA, and a more powerful Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A engine.

The lucky winner will be given up to 15 hours flight time in a factory new Next Generation PC-12 and be flown to destinations of choice anywhere in the continental United States. The prize includes a Pilatus factory demonstration pilot during all four days and covers operating expenses such as fuel and airport handling fees.

To enter, participants simply fill out an entry form or drop a business card at the Pilatus booth (#757) during the 2007 NBAA convention. Due to the exclusive nature of this contest, the odds of winning are very high. See the contest details for rules and restrictions. The drawing will be held on the show floor on Wednesday, September 26 at 3:00 pm.

PC-12 at Moscow Zhukovsky Airport

Dexters PC-12 sitting on the ramp at Moscows Zhukovsky Airport, Russia. At the beginning of 2008 Dexter air taxi will launch flights to a number of southern Russian cities. Air Management Group, organizer of the air taxi project, says that the company is now purchasing several Swiss planes Pilatus PC-12.

Photo courtesy of Max Bryansky - Russian AviaPhoto Team