After 11 years of development, Pilatus has received type certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the FAA for its PC-24 “Super Versatile” jet. Three prototype aircraft flew a combined 2,205 hours around the globe prior to certification. “The PC-24 is the first ever Pilatus business jet. Naturally, the requirements associated with obtaining certification for this sort of aircraft are extremely rigorous, and I need hardly mention that we faced some big challenges. In 2013 we announced that the PC-24 would be ready in 2017, and now, shortly before the end of the year, we have achieved exactly that. And all performance data promised to our first 84 customers have been achieved or even exceeded,” says Oscar Schwenk, Chairman of Pilatus.
The company says the first PC-24 will be delivered in January to PlaneSense, the East Coast-based fractional operator now flying one of the world’s largest fleets of Pilatus PC-12s. The PC-24’s claim to fame is its ability to operate from shorter and more primitive strips than are typically demanded by business jets. The advertised takeoff distance for the PC-24 is only 2,810 feet. It is also equipped with a large cargo door, useful for medevac or other special missions where the company hopes the PC-24 will create new markets previously unserviced by small, civilian jet offerings.
