We Fly: Pilatus PC-12 Pro

‘Everybody’s Everything’ earns its place as the single-engine turboprop that can do it all.

Rick Durden

Monday, December 15, 2025 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Travis Tingle

The PC-12 series has a reputation for a long center of gravity range...unless you’re carrying gold bricks in weird locations, it’s difficult to load the airplane out of CG. [Credit: Pilatus Aircraft]

Key Takeaways:

The Pilatus PC-12 Pro is the latest iteration of the highly versatile PC-12, incorporating years of operator feedback and subtle but meaningful airframe and cabin refinements.
Its most significant upgrade is the integration of the cutting-edge Garmin G3000 Prime integrated flight deck, customized for Pilatus, which enhances automation, connectivity, and pilot support.
The G3000 Prime introduces advanced safety systems, including Safety Autoland, Emergency Descent Mode (EDM), and Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP), making the aircraft more resilient to emergencies and pilot incapacitation.
Beyond avionics, the Pro model also features increased useful load, faster cruise speeds, refined interior elements, and quick-release seating for unparalleled mission flexibility, from luxury transport to cargo hauling.

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In the more than 30 years the Pilatus PC-12 has been in service, its unique combination of speed, load-carrying ability, massive cargo door, large, flat-floored cabin, operating flexibility in high-density terminals as well as the backcountry, and fuel efficiency has caused it to acquire several flattering nicknames, including, and perhaps most accurate, the “Flying Turbine Suburban.”

However, after two days of flying the recently released PC-12 Pro, with its new Garmin G3000 Prime integrated flight deck (customized for Pilatus) and another 100 pounds of useful load, I came away unable to stop thinking of the title of Carlos Santana’s 1971 hard-driving rock song, “Everybody’s Everything.”