Class Of Its Own

No other single-engined turboprop is capable of hauling such a heavy load (or nine passengers) or flying over 1,800nm – from a short, unprepared runway.

As the propeller blades slowed, feathered and stopped I couldn’t help but be impressed. I’ve done quite a lot of gliding over and around mountains, but never in an aircraft with a MTOW of 4,740kg! The Swiss have always had a reputation for quality engineering, and as Pilatus production test pilot Jan Schatteman and I walked around the gleaming PC-12 NG Icould see immediately that it was beautifully made.

Starting at the spinner, it is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A‑67P turboprop. This engine can produce up to 1,845shp (1,346kW), but is flat rated to 1,200shp (882kW). All the power is converted into thrust via a fourblade aluminium Hartzell prop, which is both fully feathering and reversible.