Story ID: 694pilatusf1
Sauber F1 Team
By: Neelam Mathews
Caption: 
Word Count: 154
A Pilatus PC-12NG with special Formula 1 livery showing the Sauber C31 race car, will fly the Sauber F1 Team direct to the racetracks of Europe in 2012. On its first mission last weekend, it flew the eight-man team, plus team manager Peter Sauber, to the first race in Spain landing in Sabadell, a small aerodrome with a 3,300ft runway, close to the Barcelona circuit.
  
“One of the best features of the PC-12 is its ability to land on, and take off from, very short runways,” said Sauber. “It leaves us free to avoid the big, inefficient airports. We were back at the aircraft within a few minutes of the race finishing and airborne shortly afterwards, thanks to the smooth air traffic control service. We really can save a lot of time, and that obviously means greater efficiency and a better quality of life for our top management and chief engineers.”