Story ID: 859 PilatusMilestone.doc
PC-12 Tops 5 Million
By: Kerry Lynch
Caption: More than 1,300 Pilatus PC-12 are accumulating more than a half a million hours per year, culminating in the 5 million flight-hour mark.
Word Count: 117
The Pilatus PC-12 fleet has topped the five million flight-hour mark, a milestone reached a little more than 20 years after the first of the single-turboprop aircraft entered service. Pilatus Aircraft handed over the first PC-12 in October 1994, and the fleet now has grown to more than 1,300.

“The fleet is extremely active, accumulating over half a million hours per year, with some individual PC-12s flying more than 2,000 hours annually,” said Ignaz Gretener, vice president of the General Aviation business unit of Pilatus. The aircraft have been operated for a range of missions, including executive transport, special missions, air ambulance, surveillance, airlines, cargo, fractional ownership, law enforcement, charter, fire spotting and relief aid roles.