Pilatus is pleased to announce that noted philanthropist and leading general aviation advocate Thomas Haas has recently taken delivery of a factory new PC-12 NG.
Widely recognized in aviation circles, Mr. Haas is a current Board Member of the Air Safety Foundation for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. This well known non-profit foundation works to improve aviation safety, preserve community airports, and to encourage people from all walks of life to get involved in aviation and learn to fly.
Mr. Haas plans to use his new PC-12 NG for a range of charitable foundation work as well as personal and business travel. In addition to his work at the Air Safety Foundation, Mr. Haas also serves as Chair of The Corporation of the William Penn Foundation, an organization dedicated to improving the quality of life in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Speaking from his New Hampshire base, Mr. Haas was clearly impressed with the scope and variety of mission capabilities that his new PC-12 NG offers, “During our evaluation, my team and I examined critical factors including performance, safety record, direct operating costs and environmental impact. The PC-12 NG quickly moved to the front of our short list as no other aircraft could accept the key conditions we placed upon this aircraft acquisition. We look forward to a long relationship with Pilatus Aircraft and the team at Pro Star Pilatus Center”.
Thomas Bosshard, President and CEO of Pilatus Business Aircraft, added “We feel very fortunate to have Mr. Haas as our customer, and are especially proud to know his
PC-12 NG will be supporting his generous charitable work and general aviation advocacy in the years to come.”
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
PC-12 NG to Fly Wolves Across USA
Philanthropist Thomas Haas wasted no time putting his new PC-12 NG to work, using it to help out the National Zoo in Washington to fly three endangered Mexican wolves from Manassas Regional Airport in Virginia to a protected wildlife area outside of Albuquerque, N.M.. Haas and crew will return with another Mexican wolf, an injured female that lost her pups in California wildfires and her mate to cancer. Haas is donating his plane, the fuel and his time on his first mission for LightHawk, a nonprofit organization of American and Canadian pilots who champion environmental causes. Haas joined the board of directors this year. "It's just a real pleasure to help repopulate some of our endangered species," said Haas.
Thursday, December 3, 2009
UAE Selects Pilatus PC-21 Training System
Pilatus Aircraft Ltd announced that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) Air Force & Air Defense (AF&AD) has entered into a contract in excess of $500 million to procure a fleet of 25 PC-21 turboprop aircraft, together with an integrated ground based training system and comprehensive logistics support.
The UAE is now the third country after Switzerland and Singapore to contract with Pilatus for turbo-trainers Delivery of the aircraft and the complete training system is scheduled to begin in 2011, with basic and advanced flight training in the UAE to be in line with the 4th generation equipment already in service in the front line squadrons.
The decision to select the PC-21 training system was made after a thorough evaluation by the UAE, which looked at all available options. Pilatus considers the contract a major success for the company in the Middle East, and hopes it will encourage other forces in the region and beyond to take a close look at its pilot training program.
As a partner to the UAE AF&AD for more than 25 years, in supporting the existing fleet of PC-7 trainer aircraft, Pilatus says this contract shows the confidence and trust its customer has bestowed on the company for their basic and advanced flight training requirements.
The UAE is now the third country after Switzerland and Singapore to contract with Pilatus for turbo-trainers Delivery of the aircraft and the complete training system is scheduled to begin in 2011, with basic and advanced flight training in the UAE to be in line with the 4th generation equipment already in service in the front line squadrons.
The decision to select the PC-21 training system was made after a thorough evaluation by the UAE, which looked at all available options. Pilatus considers the contract a major success for the company in the Middle East, and hopes it will encourage other forces in the region and beyond to take a close look at its pilot training program.
As a partner to the UAE AF&AD for more than 25 years, in supporting the existing fleet of PC-7 trainer aircraft, Pilatus says this contract shows the confidence and trust its customer has bestowed on the company for their basic and advanced flight training requirements.
U.S. BLM Selects PC-12
Pilatus Business Aircraft, Ltd. announced that the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has taken delivery of its first Pilatus PC-12. The aircraft will be put to multirole use performing cargo, passenger, smokejumper, air tactical, aerial supervision and lead plane fire-fighting missions.
BLM said it selected the PC-12 because it is the only aircraft that meets all the mission requirements, and will provide it with significantly enhanced capability at the least annual program cost. BLM estimates that ownership of this aircraft will reduce the direct cost to the government by $1.5 million per year as opposed to contracting for a similar aircraft.
The BLM’s multirole PC-12 features the unique Utility Door option. Capable of being opened in flight, this inward-opening door is mounted within the PC-12’s standard cargo door and enables the aircraft to depressurize and perform specialist parachute work or drop supplies or relief materials, and later re-pressurize and return to high speed cruise at
altitude.
Leonard Luke, Vice President of Homeland Security and Government Business at Pilatus added, “The PC-12 has become increasingly popular as a cost effective multirole solution for government agencies. Strong performance, fuel efficiency, and a rugged airframe suitable for military missions make it the ideal special mission platform for today’s government and law enforcement agencies.”
The BLM is responsible for the management and conservation of resources on 256 million surface acres in the United States. These public lands make up about 13 percent of the total land surface of the country and more than 40 percent of all land managed by the U.S. government. The PC-12 will be based at the BLM’s Fire and Aviation Directorate and National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
BLM said it selected the PC-12 because it is the only aircraft that meets all the mission requirements, and will provide it with significantly enhanced capability at the least annual program cost. BLM estimates that ownership of this aircraft will reduce the direct cost to the government by $1.5 million per year as opposed to contracting for a similar aircraft.
The BLM’s multirole PC-12 features the unique Utility Door option. Capable of being opened in flight, this inward-opening door is mounted within the PC-12’s standard cargo door and enables the aircraft to depressurize and perform specialist parachute work or drop supplies or relief materials, and later re-pressurize and return to high speed cruise at
altitude.
Leonard Luke, Vice President of Homeland Security and Government Business at Pilatus added, “The PC-12 has become increasingly popular as a cost effective multirole solution for government agencies. Strong performance, fuel efficiency, and a rugged airframe suitable for military missions make it the ideal special mission platform for today’s government and law enforcement agencies.”
The BLM is responsible for the management and conservation of resources on 256 million surface acres in the United States. These public lands make up about 13 percent of the total land surface of the country and more than 40 percent of all land managed by the U.S. government. The PC-12 will be based at the BLM’s Fire and Aviation Directorate and National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho.
McClellan: The Eternal Turboprop
Mac McClellan extols the virtues of turboprops in his “Left Seat” column in Flying magazine, saying “The fuel efficiency margin is particularly great for the turboprop in the crowded coastal airspace corridors where air traffic control constraints prevent the jets from reaching high fuel efficiency altitudes quickly, or even at all. In other words, a turboprop in real world flying can come closer to its perfect day brochure performance numbers than most jets.” Read the whole thing.
Skytech Expands, Opens New Service Center
Skytech, Inc., one of the world’s premier authorized dealers for new and pre‐owned, high‐end, owner‐flown and business‐level aircraft, has opened a new state‐of‐the‐art, Baltimore‐Washington metro area facility to serve a rapidly expanding customer base.
The new 10,000 square‐foot Service Facility is technically considered a “highly‐renovated” site –given that Skytech kept the original cement floor and existing steel substructure. But aside from that, most everything else is new, including an attached 7,000‐square‐foot Service building that houses the avionics department, back shops for parts, sheet metal work, battery rooms, aircraft interior storage, service offices and employee locker rooms/lounge.
Meanwhile, the Aircraft Sales Department is housed in another 12,500‐square‐foot, fully renovated 10‐year‐old hangar that features heated floors and a private ramp. The FBO, itself, features a newly renovated (again, Skytech kept the original cement and – in this case – the steel roof) and furnished passenger and pilot lounge, weather briefing facility with WSI, Conference Room, and pilot “quiet” room. The FBO includes two storage hangars totaling 20,000 square feet and is capable of housing larger jets from the Cessna / Gulfstream / Bombardier / and Dassault product lines.
The new 10,000 square‐foot Service Facility is technically considered a “highly‐renovated” site –given that Skytech kept the original cement floor and existing steel substructure. But aside from that, most everything else is new, including an attached 7,000‐square‐foot Service building that houses the avionics department, back shops for parts, sheet metal work, battery rooms, aircraft interior storage, service offices and employee locker rooms/lounge.
Meanwhile, the Aircraft Sales Department is housed in another 12,500‐square‐foot, fully renovated 10‐year‐old hangar that features heated floors and a private ramp. The FBO, itself, features a newly renovated (again, Skytech kept the original cement and – in this case – the steel roof) and furnished passenger and pilot lounge, weather briefing facility with WSI, Conference Room, and pilot “quiet” room. The FBO includes two storage hangars totaling 20,000 square feet and is capable of housing larger jets from the Cessna / Gulfstream / Bombardier / and Dassault product lines.
Skytech Appoints Michael Myers, Director of Service
Skytech has appointed Michael Myers as director of service for the company’s Baltimore-area maintenance location. Myers comes to Skytech with more than 30 years of experience in the aviation maintenance field, most recently serving 15 years as director of maintenance for Landmark Aviation in Leesburg, Va. In addition, Myers has held positions with the former Beech Aerospace Services, as well as with various Cessna, Piper and Mitsubishi dealerships.
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