THE SUPER VERSATILE JET
More payload, greater range, and improved comfort—without compromising its core strength: the ability to take you anywhere, from major airports to remote airstrips. Pilatus returns with its most updated flagship ever
Sergio Barlocchetti - Pho courtesy by Pilatus Aircraft
Above: A glimpse of the cabin with one of the seats fully reclined. The seat configuration allows the first-row seats to rotate, creating the classic “club” layout with four seats facing each other. Opening page, a PC-24 landing on an unprepared runway. Opposite page, the cockpit with
Landing anywhere, from major international air-ports to unpaved runways, has always been the hallmark of the Pilatus PC-24, the light jet certi-fied in 2017, which we covered a few years ago. We are revisiting it now, as it has received sig-nificant upgrades. In less than a decade over 500 units have been delivered for corporate, charter, and air ambulance operations worldwide, earn-ing it the title of “Super Versatile Jet.” This ver-satility stems from its cargo door—derived from its single-engine sibling, the PC-12—and its high-mounted engines, whose air intakes are protected from debris kicked up during takeoff and landing. This is further aided by Fowler flaps that shield the intakes from tirethrown de-bris and a removable nose gear guard that pro-tects the lower fuselage. One feature I particular-ly appreciated is that the starboard engine can operate in Quiet Power Mode, running below idle to maintain cabin air conditioning without requiring an auxiliary power unit (APU), which is typically bulky. This function does not impact the maintenance intervals of its Williams Interna-tional FJ44-4A engines, which provide
3,600 pounds of thrust. Additionally, the aircraft fea-tures advanced flight controls and optimized aerodynamics that allow for reduced approach speeds (around 90 knots), as well as external and internal spoilers that help decrease wing lift during landing, complemented by an anti-skid braking system.
But leaving aside pilot-specific details, another standout feature of this aircraft is its luxurious interior. The lavatory is accessible for maintenance from outside the fuselage, and its fresh water tank supports a dozen uses per flight. As for maintenance, Pilatus has introduced a new function where, upon landing, the aircraft trans-mits fault history to Pilatus for support. This technology is also available as a retrofit for earli-er models.
In terms of comfort, the Pilatus PC-24 surpasses competitors like the Brazilian Phenom 300E and the Cessna CJ4 in cabin dimensions. It offers more legroom between seats and greater flexibil-ity in cabin configuration. The second-row seats can rotate 180 degrees, allowing
integrated digital instrumentation. The instrument panel features only eight physical levers and buttons, with all other controls integrated into the screens. The system, that allows the right engine to remain running in “Reduced Idle” mode to keep the air conditioning system operational, is a noteworthy plus
passengers to easily switch from a club configuration to a for-ward-facing arrangement even during flight. The most popular interior layout among buyers is a six-seat executive configuration, which can be expanded to eight seats by adding two chairs at the expense of a pair of low storage cabinets. There is now also a three-seat divan that extends into a bed, measuring just over six feet in length, with integrated drawers for pillows and blankets. Each individual seat is crafted from over 80 pieces of hand-selected leather, meticulously in-spected to ensure flawless quality before assem-bly by skilled artisans.
Buyers have a wide range of upholstery and tex-tiles colors to choose from. The style remains distinctly European, even though the seats are manufactured in Broomfield, Colorado, while the aircraft itself is built in Stans, Switzerland. In 2021, Pilatus introduced a forward galley posi-tioned behind the pilot’s seat, offering space for a microwave or coffee maker. Opposite the en-trance door is a sink, and there is storage space beneath the lavatory, enclosed by rigid doors at the front and rear. A forward lavatory
layout en-sures that cargo space remains uncompromised. In 2024, Pilatus announced the first major up-date to the aircraft, increasing its range to 2,000 nautical miles and its payload capacity to 3,100 pounds. Achieving this required over 700 struc-tural modifications and 1,000 total updates, re-sulting in a 160-pound reduction in empty weight and a 440-pound increase in maximum takeoff weight. The new in-flight entertainment system, developed by Lufthansa Technik, fea-tures a 10-inch touchscreen display, a 3D mov-ing map, four cabin speakers, ambient lighting, multiple USB ports, and expanded media stor-age. Traveling in such comfort at a cruising speed of 440 knots (Mmo .72 at FL450) is un-doubtedly a pleasurable experience, even though some jets are 20 to 30 knots faster. However, for typical 2,000-nautical-mile routes, the speed difference is not particularly significant. Now, for the price: the base cost starts at just over $12.1 million, but a fully equipped model can reach $13.5 to $14 million. Delivery times are currently estimated at around two years. pilatus-aircraft.com