Pilatus’s first business jet, the PC-24 has made its maiden flight.

Just under 1,800 Pilatus staff, all of whom are directly or indirectly involved in the PC-24 project, were there to applaud the business jet as it taxied for take-off from Buochs airport in Switzerland on May 11.

Prototype P01 flew across central Switzerland for a total of 55 minutes and the flight went exactly as planned with no problems whatsoever, according to the Swiss firm. 

The PC-24 is capable of exceptional performance, and this maiden flight was a first opportunity to showcase some impressive credentials: the twin-engine business jet took off from runway 07 in just under 600 m and climbed to 10,000 feet (approx. 3,000 m) in around three minutes, where the two pilots completed a series of meticulously planned tests. 

The maiden flight followed a route across central Switzerland – from Altdorf to Brünig via Engelberg. 

Test pilot Paul Mulcahy, who has some 11,000 hours under his belt, flew the PC-24 as pilot in command. He has already test flown countless aircraft types and has acquired a wealth of experience on twin-engine business jets. 

“Beautiful handling – the PC-24 flies just as expected – a real Pilatus aircraft!" reported the second test pilot, Reto Aeschlimann.

Throughout the flight the PC-24 was accompanied and monitored by a PC-21. As is normal on maiden flights, the PC-24 landing gear was not retracted on this occasion. Twelve flight test engineers watched the flight from the ground as they kept an eye on a stream of real-time flight data received from the PC-24.   

In recent months, the PC-24 handling characteristics had been trialled and refined during numerous tests using simulators and models placed in a wind tunnel. As part of the development team, the two pilots were involved in these tests; and their role during the maiden flight was to verify the accuracy of the theoretical assumptions.


FIRST SWISS BUSINESS JET

"It's an emotional moment, and another major milestone in Pilatus’s and Swiss aviation history," says Oscar Schwenk, Chairman of the Board of Directors. "To see 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. 

The onlookers burst into another round of applause as the wheels of the PC-24 gently came into contact with the tarmac. Mulcahy earned more applause as he left the cockpit, saying to the crowd that this is a "real Pilatus aircraft!".

A total of three PC-24 prototypes will be built and used to complete a rigorous test programme of some 2,300 hours over the next two years. Fewer than half those hours will actually be flown in Switzerland, the remainder will be flown elsewhere. Certification and initial deliveries of the first aircraft to come off the production line are planned from 2017. 

Pilatus sold 84 PC-24's in the space of just 36 hours at last year's European Business Aviation Conference & Exhibition (Ebace).

The PC-24 is the world's first business jet to be equipped with a cargo door as standard, with take off and landing performance that allows the use of very short and even unmade runways. The jet also boasts a spacious cabin with an interior which can be customised to accommodate individual customer needs. It is billed as a “super versatile jet" – an aircraft designed for a wide variety of missions in line with specific requirements.