Altitudes Europe #51

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By Ivan Veretennikov

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Universal Soldier

Pilatus PC-24 Fly out of your local airport, just yourself at the controls. Land at a remote unpaved runway in a picturesque location. Take your motorbike out of the baggage compartment and go for a ride... Sounds like a nice weekend opportunity, made possible by the new Pilatus PC-24.

They don’t call it the Super Versatile Jet for nothing.

From the description, it sounds like the SUV class finally has a counterpart in business aviation. A twin-engine jet with a separate cargo door, sturdy gear and superior runway performance. Featuring a modern avionics suite, single-pilot certified, with a luxurious interior and a nice flight range. This isn’t your typical combination, and it’s exciting to know such a model is now offered.

On the other hand, is there really a big market for a business jet that has

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Pilatus asked owners what they wanted. Answers included versatility of a turboprop with short takeoff, landings and can tackle unpaved runways but with more speed and better range some of the benefits of a turboprop, at the expense of having some of its drawbacks? If this was a product coming from a start-up manufacturer, back in the VLJ era of pre-2008, there would be many doubts. Pilatus, however, is a company with a history of success. Their reasoning is sound, and the reaction of the market was positive.

Who is the PC-24 aimed at? First of all, the 1200 plus owners of the hugely successful single-engine turboprop series PC12. Before starting work on the new project, Pilatus contacted owners to find out what they wanted. Overwhelmingly, the response was to keep the versatility of the turboprop (short takeoff and landing field length, readiness to tackle unpaved runways) while adding speed and range. This the manufacturer did, announcing an aircraft capable of speeds up to 787 km/h, covering distances of 3610 km. What’s more, it requires just 820 metres of runway to take off (compare that to the 956 metres of the Embraer Phenom 300, the second-best performer in this category) and unlike any other jet doesn’t need a paved surface to operate. This opens up almost 10000 extra airfields around the world, especially in Africa

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Large windows ensure plenty of natural light while Quiet Power Mode allows air-con and electricity to function on the ground even when no power units are available

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The interior boasts a flat floor with six well-designed chairs, mood lighting and is finished in premium woods and leather.

and Oceania, and means the owner can on most occasions arrive within a stone’s throw from the place they need to be.

Apart from just being convenient, compared to congested international and business airports this would save time on approach and landing procedures, as well as formalities on the ground.

Let’s take a look at the aircraft itself. Presented at EBACE in the form of a mock-up, it gave the impression of a spacious and well-designed machine, but did not paint the full picture.

Images of the PC-24 are a better guide. The beautiful blue and white livery highlights the streamlined nose, and the whole front section is a mix of very familiar lines that don’t quite add up to any of the existing aircraft. Something from the Embraers, a little of the Challenger 300 and SJ30, a touch of Hawker 4000... going on to the unswept wing, however, we see a big difference. This is what gives the PC-24 excellent runway performance and rate of climb, but also where it loses a little in cruise speed. Note the proportionately very large cabin windows. These will flood the interior with natural light and offer great views to passengers. A pair of Williams FJ44 engines are the ones that once made the VLJ revolution pos-

sible, and are known for their efficiency and compact size. A new feature, the Quiet Power Mode, will ensure PC-24 operators always have electricity and air conditioning on the ground, even when no power units are readily available. And this power will be generated in a very economical fashion. A T-tail crowns the PC-24 with a “big plane” look, especially taking into account its fine proportions overall.

In the front, a new Advanced Cockpit Environment (ACE) awaits pilots, based on the Honeywell Primus Apex and Epic suites. The SmartView Synthetic Vision System (SVS), autothrottles, Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS) II and a number of other innovative features all come standard, which is a great deal for an aircraft priced at $8.9 million. What’s more, Pilatus aims to have the PC-24 certified for single pilot operations, meaning pilot-owners wouldn’t need anyone else to fly at their heart’s content. For medevac, cargo, and regional carriers, on the other hand, this would mean lots of money saved on salaries.

Speaking about cargo, the specialty of the new Super Versatile Jet is a separate cargo door measuring 1.3 x 1.25 m in the back, allowing access to the 2.5 m3 compartment – unless

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you want to take all of the chairs out and use the whole 14.2 m3 of the cabin. Which you can, unlike any other aircraft. The versatility of the PC-24 is such that any combination of passengers, baggage, and cargo will do. And obviously, this aircraft will be indispensable for certain special missions.

This is no army jeep, however. In the executive configuration, this is a cabin with a 1.69 x 1.55 m cross-section, all finished in premium woods and leathers with Swiss accuracy and attention to detail, boasting a flat floor, six well-designed chairs, mood lighting, and even a fully enclosed lav. Visiting a factory in Siberia or going on safari in Africa, the PC-24 owner will do so in great comfort.

The maximum range of 3610 km is enough to reach Turkey, India, and almost any part of Kazakhstan from Dubai, or the whole of Europe (well into Russia) and a good part of North Africa from Geneva. And one thing is for sure: this is the only aircraft for the money that offers business jet speeds and comfort, turboprop versatility, Swiss reliability, and throws in single-pilot operations and a baggage compartment that can hold a motorbike as a bonus.

With this in mind, it’s easy to see why the new offering from Pilatus is very different from the unsuccessful VLJ attempts of the past. When deliveries start in 2017, the PC-24 will create a class of its own. And a class that would arguably at■tract plenty of customers from around the world.

Pilatus is aiming to certify the PC-24 for single pilot operations while the cockpit includes the latest equipment based on the Honeywell Primus Apex and Epic suites

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