The first Pilatus PC-24 business jet has been delivered to New Hampshire-based PlaneSense. The fractional company has ordered 10 of what Pilatus has termed its “super versatile jet” for its ability to use unimproved runways. It already has 34 PC-12 turboprops so its relationship with Pilatus is substantial. The company bought four Nextant XTI jets to get all the operating certificates for jet operations and will eventually replace those aircraft when it has enough PC-24s to meet jet demand, according to Robb Report.
PlaneSense CEO George Antoniadis told the magazine that the PC-12s will continue to be the foundation of the company’s business but it was missing a market segment with the turboprop. “Some people just straight out prefer to be in a jet, or some people need to cover longer distances more quickly,” he told Robb Report. The PC-24 was built in Switzerland and was prepared for delivery by Pilatus’s Broomfield, Colorado, facility. The PC-24 seats up to eight passengers, has a top speed of 500 mph and a range of 1,900 miles and needs only 2,700 feet of runway.
