Pilatus much-anticipated versatile jet, the PC-24, made its maiden flight in Switzerland earlier this week.
Prototype P01 took off from Buochs Airport at 10.00 am on 11 May and flew for 55 problem-free minutes. The aircraft used about 600 m of runway to get airborne and was at 10,000 feet three minutes later.
Test pilots Paul Mulcahy and Reto Aeschlimann flew the aircraft, with Aeschlimann reporting from the cockpit that the prototype flew just as expected and described the handling as "beautiful ... a real Pilatus aircraft!"
"It's an emotional moment for sure, and another major milestone in the Pilatus and Swiss aviation history", said Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "Seeing our new business jet take off on its maiden flight is something we've worked very hard for, and dreamt about for a long time. Today, at last, that 'Swiss Dream' became a reality!“
Three PC-24 prototypes will be built and used to complete a rigorous 2300-hour test program over the next two years. Fewer than half those hours will be flown in Switzerland, with the remainder elsewhere.
Certification and initial deliveries of the first aircraft are planned from 2017.