Tag Archives: PilatusAircraft
Pilatus PC-12 Fleet Surpasses Ten Million Flight Hours
The global fleet of more than 1,900 Pilatus PC-12s cruises past the ten million flight hours milestone since delivery of the first model. Pilatus leadership sees even greater future sales opportunities for the “World’s Greatest Single”.
Pilatus is proud to announce that with almost 2,000 PC-12s delivered, the global fleet of the popular single-engine turboprop has officially accumulated more than ten million flight hours. The fleet leader, based in Canada, has flown more than 35,000 hours, while 71 PC-12s have logged over 20,000 hours of flight time. As a whole, the PC-12 fleet has recorded more than 9.3 million landings, with four aircraft reporting over 50,000 landings.
The market leader
“When the PC-12 was launched, this milestone seemed light-years away in the future,” said Ignaz Gretener, Vice President of Pilatus’ Business Aviation division. “You must give credit to the engineers who designed this incredibly robust airframe, the production team that builds outstanding quality into each unit, the sales team that found so many markets eager to adopt this versatile aircraft, and the support team so dedicated to keeping them in the air. We are especially grateful to our ownership base for trusting in Pilatus and helping us continuously improve the PC-12 so that it leads the market in sales year after year.”
Latest version PC-12 NGX
Pilatus delivered 80 new PC-12s in 2022, and plans to increase production to meet demand in 2023. The current model, the PC-12 NGX, is the third major variant of the type and differs significantly from the original PC-12. Over the history of PC-12 deliveries, engine power and speed have been increased, new executive cabin interiors have been introduced, gross weight and payload capacity were increased, and in 2019 it became the first business turboprop to incorporate Pratt & Whitney’s innovative Electronic Propeller and Engine Control System (EPECS) for its steadfastly reliable PT6 powerplant.
Pilatus Chief Executive Officer Markus Bucher stated: “The PC-12s past, present, and future success boils down to its appeal to a wide range of operations, its solid reliability, and its proven outstanding safety record. As an additional benefit, these attributes have resulted in PC-12 owners enjoying one of the highest levels of value retention among all business aircraft.”
The PC-12 is currently being utilized by corporate flight departments, individual owner-operators, fractional and charter companies, air ambulance service providers, and in special mission roles at the local, state, and national levels. The aircraft’s large cabin, standard cargo door, docile handling characteristics, and low operating costs offer significant appeal to nearly any type of operation.
Flexible and efficient
With sustainability near the top of nearly every business aircraft operator’s priority list, the fuel efficiency of the PC-12 offers immediate and major reductions in carbon emissions as compared to midsize and larger business jets not optimized for all missions. Pilatus officials note that the global network of Pilatus sales teams are receiving increased interest in the PC-12 from flight departments looking for ways to continue to support their operational requirements with much greater efficiency.
Gretener concluded: “The secret to the PC-12’s success is really no secret at all. We continuously listen to our customers and strive to provide them with features, capabilities, and technologies to support the missions which are critical to them. With each aircraft and every individual owner and operator of a Pilatus aircraft, our goal is to become incrementally better.”
Platoon Aviation Receives Their Sixth PC-24
Once again Pilatus and Platoon Aviation can celebrate this year the handover of two more PC-24 aircraft. With the handover of Super Versatile Jet, serial number 306, the German charter operator has grown its fleet to six PC-24s within just three years.
At the AERO Friedrichshafen aviation show, Deniz Weissenborn, Managing Director of the Hamburg-based company, emphasised the unbroken demand for fast, direct connections to all European destinations: “Besides business travel, holiday destinations in the south such as Nice, Olbia or Paris are particularly popular in the summer. Our strategy of providing first-class service and the most spacious, most comfortable jet in its class, is a complete success.
“Our customers appreciate the cabin size, otherwise only available in mid-size jets, and the comfortable, individually adjustable seats in the eight-person Executive configuration. The PC-24’s generous cargo hold and large cargo door are a huge plus, especially for holiday travel. They allow cases and sports equipment to be easily and safely stowed in the cabin”.
At the same Aero Friedrichshafen event Ignaz Gretener, VP General Aviation at Pilatus, was looking forward to expanding the business relationship further in the near future: “With its Europe-wide charter operation, Platoon offers a service which only the PC-24 can provide to perfection. The ability to land at small, remote airfields with very short runways means faster, more direct travel and massive time savings for customers. Transfer times to the final destination can be significantly shortened.”
Successful Business Jet Operator
The charter company’s excellently trained and above all young team achieved another important milestone in the company’s as yet brief history when certification as an independent air operator (AOC) was obtained in December 2022. Since its founding in March 2021, the German business jet operator has grown to 50 employees and has 35 pilots under contract.
Chief of The SAAF Lieutenant General Fabian Msimang Retreat Parade
A rather sad day to be at Air force Base Swartkop on the afternoon of the last day of September 2020,cuddled around a number of cumulonimbus clouds kept their distance as a final retreat parade could take place with a magnificent background as the Chief of the South African Air Force retired.
Lieutenant General Fabian “BlackHawk” Zimpande (Zakes) Msimang,a former operational helicopter pilots on various types of SAAF Helicopters he flew during his time,including MI8,MI25,Alouette III and Oryx Helicopters just to name a few.
On 28 September 2012,Msimang was appointed the new Chief of the South African Airforce as Lieutenant-General Carlo Gagiano retired from the SAAF.
As we all know,Covid-19 has all hit us all hard,this cancelling a number of events such as airshows in the aviation industry and most important celebrating the SAAFs centenary,with the cancellation of Africa Aerospace and Defence (AAD2020),we could not have a 100 year celebration airshow taking into consideration of being the world’s second oldest air force after the Royal Airforce (RAF).And yes the Chief and the Deputy Chief Major General Innocent Buthelezi mentioned we are the second oldest air force in the world!
By 5pm a number of SAAF aircraft including helicopters and fixed wing assets took to the skies around the Pretoria area.Before the outgoing Chief opened the flypasts flying the Alouette III part of the South African Air force Museum.
The next elements of the flypast columns included the De Havilland Vampire T55,flown by Rama “Dynamite”Iyer and Vladimir “Spoetnik” Schultz.The Museums Aerospatiale Puma SA330 and Alouette II closely followed behind.
The big chopper formation was soon over Snake Valley led by a 16 Squadron Rooivalk Attack Helicopter,flanked by various helicopters from squadrons across South Africa,including two Lynx Mk 64 Helicopters all the way from AFB Ysterplaat in Cape Town,A number of Agusta A109LUHs and Oryx Helicopters also formed part of the formation.
The former school master of the sky the Harvard formation including Two Museum Harvards and two Harvard Club aircraft were next over the podium.
The Lycoming formation were next with a Cessna C185,a Kudu and a Bosbok making up for the taildragger aircraft in the museum fleet.41 Squadron put on a tight formation with a leading Pilatus PC12,Two KingAirs and five Cessna 208A Caravans.
Pelican Formation was next with a 35 Squadron C47TP Turbo Dakota,while a 44 Squadron Casa 212 kept tightly behind the Daks 6 o’clock position.Open the gates its 28 Squadron with Two C130BZ Hercules Transport aircraft in formation with four Central Flying School Pilatus PC-7 MKII ab initio trainers.
The last flypast was the combat formation consisting of two 2 Squadron JAS39 Gripens and four Hawks from 85 Combat Flying School.The formation was led by Major Geoffrey “Spartan” Cooper.
As the parade continued with a change of command tradition,a flag setting.
The South African Air Force band entertained the VIP Guests and members of the SAAF and Media. The surprise flypast of a Gripen from, behind the seated guests pitched up into the dark sky while releasing flares.Surely presented the chief with a final loud and spectacular goodbye.
Attending the after function,where we were kindly invited by the outgoing chief,it came time to give one final speech with tears in his eyes “he mentioned to be in an Air Force that Inspires Confidence we need to be confident in ourselves.Since I started here,I have always believed that you,each of you,are more capable.I believed and still do that you have the capacity to make this organisation into something bigger than what it was.”
We were treated to a delicious dinner and cold beverages before leaving the base,well done to all involved in making the final event for the chief a success.
We would like to wish the former chief of the South African Air force all the best for his future and a restful retirement,we’d like to take the time to thank you for making the time for us and giving us the opportunities that some didn’t have.
We thank you sir.
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Pilatus Strengthens Its Board of Directors With Two Top Swiss Entrepreneurs
Extraordinary General Meeting saw shareholders elect two new well-known members to the Board of Directors – Hansueli Loosli and Lukas Gähwiler. Both have an outstanding track record, making them the ideal persons to continue building a sustainable and strategically successful future for the Swiss aircraft manufacturer.
Hansueli Loosli, Chairman of the Board of Directors at Coop and Swisscom, will join the Pilatus Board of Directors as a new member. Loosli has already won the “Entrepreneur of the Year” award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in the past. He is a full-blooded entrepreneur right down to the last fibre and a perfect fit with Pilatus.
Lukas Gähwiler was also elected as a new member of the Board of Directors. He has been in office as Chairman of the Board of Directors at UBS Switzerland AG since 2017. Before that, he spent over six years as a member of the UBS Group Executive Board. He has acquired exceptional expertise in the field of finance in particular. His professional experience makes him an ideal addition. Gähwiler also is a member of the board of the media company Ringier and brings with him an extensive network of contacts with actors in Swiss economy and politics.
Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of the Pilatus Board of Directors, comments on the two new members:
“I’m truly proud to have won two such well qualified members for our Board of Directors. Our Swiss colleagues have all the experience required for the task and will assist us in developing and carrying forward into the future our strategy as an independent Swiss aircraft manufacturer. Together, our goal is to reinforce our commitment to Switzerland as a workplace and strengthen our uncompromising focus on the customer, thereby safeguarding over 2000 jobs at the site in Stans.”
The two outgoing Board members, Gerhard Beindorff and Bernhard Müller, did not stand for re-election for reasons of age. Pilatus thanks both gentlemen for their valuable work on behalf of the company over the past decade and wishes them all the very best for the future.
The new Pilatus Board of Directors will therefore be composed as follows:
Oscar J. Schwenk (Chairman), Gratian Anda (Vice Chairman), Dominik Burkart (member), plus the two newly elected members, Hansueli Loosli and Lukas Gähwiler.
Pilatus plans to add further members to the Board in the coming year.