Pilatus PC-12 Versus the World

Isabel Goyer

Tuesday, June 25, 2013 at 10:14 PM ET

Verified

** Photography by John Dibbs**

Key Takeaways:

The Pilatus PC-12 NG is lauded for its exceptional versatility, serving diverse roles from rugged adventure transport and cargo hauling to sophisticated business travel, primarily due to its combination of robust design, pressurization, range, and a spacious, reconfigurable cabin with a large side door.
It holds a unique market niche by offering an unparalleled balance of features that no single competitor can match across the board, despite other aircraft potentially excelling in individual aspects like speed or initial cost.
The "NG" (Next Generation) model incorporates significant enhancements, including a more powerful 1,200 shp engine, aerodynamic improvements, and advanced Honeywell Apex avionics, providing a sophisticated "air-transport" level cockpit experience.
Despite being a single-engine, single-pilot turboprop, the PC-12 NG is built with comprehensive, turbine-class systems and offers impressive performance, including strong climb rates and efficient cruise, making it a highly capable and desirable aircraft.

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“This is what flying is all about,” I thought to myself as we sped along the surface of the Willamette River, the beyond-crisp western Oregon air rushing past. Our trusty fishing guide extraordinaire, Chad Wiest, from On the Line Guide Service, directed our boat by intuition, through the near darkness to a spot that promised to contain the treasure we were seeking: spring Chinook salmon. Our chariot to this spot was the Pilatus PC-12 NG, and back at the cozy little GA airport in nearby Scappoose, the big single was stuffed to its gills with gear for this ultimate long weekend. We had packed bikes, coolers (in optimistic anticipation of our legal take of Chinook), golf clubs and, thanks to an afternoon sortie the day before, several cases of Willamette Valley wine.

It had already been a good trip. Twenty minutes later, it started to get a lot better, as first I landed a 20-pound hatchery Chinook (a keeper), and then my buddies Aaron and Jed followed suit, each taking a big (though not quite as big, I reminded them) salmon over the next few hours.