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We Fly: Pilatus PC-12 Pro

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

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]
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]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The Pilatus PC-12 Pro is a significant evolution of the versatile PC-12, offering enhanced performance, an increased useful load, and refined cabin features for multi-mission adaptability.
  • Its most substantial upgrade is the new Garmin G3000 Prime integrated flight deck, which introduces cutting-edge automation, a streamlined user interface, and a comprehensive suite of advanced safety features, including Safety Autoland.
  • The aircraft maintains its exceptional flexibility for various roles, such as luxury passenger transport, medevac, and cargo hauling, making it a highly capable and adaptable single-engine turboprop.
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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.” 

Rick Durden

Rick Durden has written for Aviation Consumer since 1994 and specializes in aviation law. He is an active CFII and holds an ATP with type ratings in the Douglas DC-3 and Cessna Citation. He is the author of The Thinking Pilot’s Flight Manual or, How to Survive Flying Little Airplanes and Have a Ball Doing It, Volumes 1 & 2.

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