Behold the magical, multitasking, new and improved Next Generation Pilatus PC-12 turboprop.

The Pilatus PC-12 is the Apple Computer of the aviation world — a brand whose niche is so specific it arguably has no direct competitors. But where Apple succeeds by bringing targeted products to extremely narrow markets, the PC-12 has long staked its claim on trying to be all things to all people . . . and succeeding. It’s a pressurized (read: comfortable), large-cabin-volume (read: spacious), high-powered (read: fast), single-engine (read: affordable) turboprop, one optimized to operate out of small and rugged strips while still posting respectable speeds when cruising high in pressurized comfort.

And now, with the new Next Generation PC-12 poised to debut later this year, comes a more advanced and powerful version of the same.

For the deal pro seeking a deal on a plane that can serve his many needs — cross-country transport for ­hostile takeovers; a flying family truckster for more friendly affairs — this new PC-12 is thereby unrivaled. But what, you ask, about the interiors? You can’t ­exactly shuttle around your traveling takeover team (or hold recalcitrant CEOs hostage at 30,000 feet) in a cabin like the cargo bay of a military transport.

Again, the new PC-12 delivers. Its six- to eight-seat executive interiors (all of which include a fully enclosed lavatory for your more private meetings) are conceived by BMW Designworks and are as beautiful as they are functional. It’s a bizjet-sized cabin on a turboprop budget. They ­feature full-leather reclining seats with footrests, individually adjustable eyeball lighting and a digital, dual-zone climate-control system.

So what can’t the plane do? For one, it won’t win any bikini contests. For a single-engine plane, the PC-12 is a bit of a whale, with a cargo door wide enough to load a pallet and enough storage to fit your stuff — skis, golf bags, a herd of alpacas — with ease. And it hauls a lot. With full fuel and the pilot onboard (it needs only a single pilot), it can carry more than 1,000 pounds of passengers and cargo on long flights. Leave out some fuel for shorter trips (and put your pilot on the Scarsdale Diet), and you can fill the seats, all nine of them in shuttle layout.

As for how long those longer trips are, the PC-12 can travel more than 1,800 statute miles on a single tank, allowing it to fly between any two points in the United States with a single stop into all but the worst headwinds. And the PC-12’s upgraded, 1,200-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT-6 turboprop engine allows a faster rate of climb — a boon in the mountains — and cruise speed.

Speaking of which, it’s no surprise that the North American headquarters of Swiss-based Pilatus are ­located in Colorado, since the PC-12 is as well-suited for flying in the Rockies as it is for flying in the Alps — the mission for which it was originally designed. I recently flew a PC-12 from Albuquerque into the cozy strip at Angel Fire, New Mexico, a ski area surrounded by 10,000-foot peaks. In a car, the trip would have been a grueling three-hour drive on winding mountain roads — and if it were snowing, forget it. In the PC-12, it took less than 30 minutes. I didn’t even get to finish my hot chocolate.

If it all sounds good to you, well, you’re not the only one. Over the past 13 or so years, Pilatus has delivered more than 750 PC-12s. And for the Next Gen, whose first deliveries will come sometime this year, the ceiling seems even higher. When the new plane was announced last fall at the National Business Aviation Association ­convention, Thomas Bosshard, CEO of Pilatus, said, “Even before we had released many details about the aircraft, orders began to pour in.”

The current price of the Next Gen PC-12 hovers right around $4 million, which is a steal if you figure you’d need two or three different planes to do the jobs the PC-12 can do by itself. But if you’re looking to get into a PC-12 without buying the entire plane, Planesense (planesense.org) offers one-eighth shares for around $540,000, with monthly management fees of $7,894 and an occupied hourly flight-time fee of $691 per hour. The plane is also widely available for charter, starting at just over $1,000 an hour.

Or you could always just try to take over the company yourself. Then, presumably, you’d get to fly this exceptional plane for free. 

Due Diligence

Next Generation Pilatus PC-12
Range 1,800 statute miles
Maximum Speed 322 mph
Maximum Altitude 30,000 feet
Maximum Takeoff
Weight 10,450 pounds
Engines One Pratt & Whitney PTA-67P turboprop, with 1,200 shaft horsepower
Cabin Length 16.9 feet
Cabin Height 4.8 feet
Cost to Buy $4 million
Cabin Technology 1 out of 5
Speed 4 out of 5
Comfort 3 out of 5
Range 3 out of 5
Wow Factor 3 out of 5
Cockpit Technology 5 out of 5
Cost of Operation 5 out of 5
Flexibility 5 out of 5
Reliability 5 out of 5


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