Swiss manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft has completed the delivery of the 1000th PC-12 at a special ceremony at its wholly owned subsidiary Pilatus Business Aircraft, Ltd. in Broomfield, Colorado.
Having a record year in 2009 with 100 PC-12 NG deliveries, Pilatus celebrated the delivery of the 900th PC-12 just last year. Since its introduction in 1994, the PC-12 has steadily grown in sales to become one of the top selling turbine-powered business aircraft in the world.
The versatile PC-12 is capable of performing many roles including executive transport, commuter, air ambulance, police and border surveillance, cargo, incident response, military liaison, and regional airliner. The PC-12 fleet has amassed more than 2.6 million flight hours of operating experience, including thousands of hours in some of the harshest environments.
“The traditional Pilatus qualities of high performance, rugged durability, versatility, and superior operating economics have been the foundation of every PC-12 we build,” Chairman and CEO of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Oscar J. Schwenk, said as he marked the significance of the 1000th PC-12 delivery.
“Today's PC-12 NG, represented by the 1000th example here, is generations ahead of the first one Pilatus delivered back in 1994. But it still holds to these same principles that have made the PC-12 program such a great success.”
The milestone aircraft was handed over to its new owner, David Fountain from Halifax, Nova Scotia, who is now a three-time PC-12 owner. A private investor by trade, he plans to fly his new PC-12 himself as he has done with his two previous PC-12s.
"There is no other aircraft in the world like the PC-12,” Fountain said. “The size, speed, range, and the Swiss quality of the aircraft are exceptional, and it is a joy to fly.”
The Pilatus PC-12. (Pilatus Aircraft Ltd).
