Pilatus PC-12
 Pilatus PC-12. Photo: Air Force Special Operations Command, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Pilatus |
|---|---|
| Model | Pilatus PC-12 |
| Type | Passenger and cargo aircraft |
| Country |  Switzerland
|
| First flight | 31 May 1991 |
| Built | 1991–present |
| Status | In production |
| Number built | 2,000 () |
| Registered in the US | 1,440 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1 or 2, 6 to 9 passengers seats |
| Engine | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P, 1200 shp |
| Cruise speed | 528 km/h (PC-12NG)
|
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The Pilatus PC-12 is a pressurized, single-engine turboprop airplane built by Pilatus Aircraft of Stans, Switzerland, since 1991. It was designed as a high-performance utility airplane with a large rear cargo door beside the main passenger door. Its main use is corporate travel, but it also flies for fractional owners, small regional airlines, air ambulance services and government agencies such as police and armed forces. Pilatus delivered the 2,000th PC-12 in May 2023.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,440 with a valid registration.[2]
History
Pilatus announced the PC-12 at the National Business Aviation Association convention in October 1989, after working on it in secrecy; assembly of the first prototype had already begun. Pilatus believed it would be the first single-engine airplane with a large cabin able to fly fast over long distances. The two prototypes were finished on May 1, 1991.[1]
It is powered by one Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67. Early models use the PT6A-67B; the later PC-12 NG uses the more powerful PT6A-67P, flat-rated at only 70% of its maximum power. It is one of the few pressurized turbine airplanes able to use rough strips, such as in the Australian outback.[1]
In 1994 the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia became the PC-12's launch customer; it flies 32 PC-12s to bring medical care to remote areas. In 2007 Flying called the value retention of used PC-12s "unbelievable".[1]
Versions
The PC-12/41 (1994), PC-12/45 (1996), PC-12/47 (2005), the PC-12/47E or PC-12 NG, and later the PC-12 NGX and PC-12 PRO. The PC-12/47E is the most common on the U.S. register.[1][2]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,440 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| PC-12/47E | 830 |
| PC-12/45 | 384 |
| PC-12/47 | 125 |
| PC-12/47G | 67 |
| PC-12 | 34 |
Specifications (PC-12NG)
| Item | PC-12NG |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 or 2 |
| Passengers / capacity | 6 to 9 passengers seats |
| Length | 14.4 m |
| Wingspan | 16.28 m |
| Height | 4.26 m |
| Fuel | 1226 kg / 1521 L |
| Engine | Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67P, 1200 shp (turboprop engine) |
| Propeller | Hartzell Propeller composite |
| Cruise speed | 528 km/h |
| Stall speed | 124 km/h |
| Range | 3,417 km |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Pilatus PC-12 cabin interior. Photo: JetRequest.com, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Pilatus PC-12. Photo: Curimedia, CC BY 2.0 -
Pilatus PC-12. Photo: NMOS332, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
2007 Pilatus PC12/47 (s/n 686 / N686PC panel (my office) photo Don Ramey Logan. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY 4.0 -
Finnish air force Pilatus PC-12NG (PI-02) on ground display in Turku Airshow 2015. Photo: MKFI, Public domain -
Pilatus PC-12. Photo: U.S. Air Force, Public domain -
Pilatus PC12 NG blended winglet at AERO Friedrichshafen 2018. Photo: Matti Blume, CC BY-SA 4.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Pilatus PC-12
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Wikipedia, "Pilatus PC-12", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.