The Pilatus PC-24 has captured a unique niche of the light jet market since it was certified in 2017. Able to operate from unpaved landing strips and match the performance of its light jet competitors, the more than 500 PC-24s delivered thus far are flown in charter operations, for single-pilot business transport, and in remote areas such as Australia where they serve patients of the Royal Flying Doctor Service. While AIN contributing writer Rich Pickett flew the earlier version of the PC-24 and reported about it in 2021, we were eager to fly the updated model and experience the changes that help make the PC-24 a top choice among light jet buyers.

For many years in the early 2000s, rumors swirled that Pilatus Aircraft was working on a special project behind closed doors at its Stans, Switzerland headquarters. While the occasional hint spread through the business aviation industry, it wasn’t until 2013 that we finally learned about the top-secret project, and it was well worth the wait for what we now know as the PC-24—or, as Pilatus calls it, the “Super Versatile Jet.” The PC-24 wasn’t just another light jet but offered performance and capabilities that weren’t available in competing jets.

The genesis of the PC-24 came from discussions with customers who liked the PC-12 single-engine turboprop but hoped for a faster airplane from Pilatus. They wanted to retain the PC-12’s signature large cargo door, but designing a twinjet with such a door hadn’t been done before and it was a challenge, according to Tom Aniello, the company’s v-p of marketing.

Engine intakes have to be protected from foreign object debris, so engine position is critical. Pilatus designers also aimed to make the PC-24 capable of landing on unpaved runways including dirt strips, and that imposed further design constraints. 

The ideal configuration would allow a forklift to drive up to load bulky material into the PC-24’s cargo compartment, so the trailing edge of the swept wing had to be straight instead of tapered. The double-slotted Fowler flaps needed to act like mudguards on truck tires to protect the engines. The nose landing gear is fitted with a removable fairing to protect the underbody from gravel damage during unprepared-surface operations.

Pilatus didn’t stop with features that make the PC-24 unique in the light jet market. For example, the jet’s right engine is set up to run in Quiet Power Mode (QPM). This allows the engine to operate in a special “sub-idle” mode on the ground to cool or heat the cabin and power other systems, eliminating the need to make room for an auxiliary power unit and saving its weight.

Because the right engine runs in QPM, raising the cargo door doesn’t affect that engine. Although there is no limit on how long the engine can run in QPM, that running time doesn’t add to the engine’s official running time towards maintenance intervals, nor does it add an extra start cycle. QPM is especially useful in remote operations where external ground power units are unavailable.

Both engines are the same, 3,600-pound-thrust Williams International FJ44-4As, but the right engine’s software enables QPM with no hardware changes. The engines normally are limited to 3,420 pounds of thrust, but an automatic power reserve mode enables the full 3,600-pound thrust capability when extra power is needed.

The PC-24’s flight controls are sophisticated for a light jet, incorporating multifunction spoilers to improve control at slow speeds and help reduce landing distance. The large Fowler flaps help slow the PC-24 down for an approach reference speed (Vref) in the low 90s, then after touchdown, the weight-on-wheels switch activates the outboard spoilers, then the inboard spoilers for lift dump, and enables anti-skid braking. At slow speeds in the air, the outboard spoilers aid in roll control when the flaps are set to 8 degrees or more. The outboard spoilers also double as airbrakes, which can be used at any speed except during a steep approach.

To keep systems simpler, the PC-24’s flight controls are actuated via pushrods and cables, while the multifunction spoilers and stabilizer trim are electrically actuated, as well as the landing gear and flaps, saving more weight and the complexity of a hydraulic system. For emergency extension, the landing gear freefalls to the down position, aided by springs and air loads.

In keeping with the Pilatus philosophy of simple, robust design and making its airplanes optimized for single-pilot operations, the PC-24 is equipped with a utility management system (UMS) that monitors and controls 28 subsystems. Developed by avionics specialist Innovative Solutions & Support, the UMS reduces pilot workload by controlling systems through the PC-24’s Honeywell avionics suite. Some functions are automatic, such as de-icing, which switches on when sensed by either or both ice detectors.

The electrical system is supported by two True Blue Power TB40 lithium-ion main-ship batteries, one aft of the right wing for engine starting and one in the PC-24’s nose for systems. Both TB40s are standard and reduce empty weight by 84 pounds compared to the previous batteries.

Pilots and passengers will appreciate the PC-24’s externally serviceable lavatory and its freshwater storage tank, which is good for about 12 flushes. Single-point fueling is another convenience factor. The vapor-cycle air conditioning uses an electrically driven compressor and can be run using ground power or the QPM engine.

ACE Avionics

Pilatus chose Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2.0 avionics for the PC-24’s Advanced Cockpit Environment (Ace) flight deck. This wasn’t a surprise, given the PC-12’s adoption of a similar Honeywell suite and realizing that many PC-24 pilots come to the jet with experience in the PC-12. For pilots who grew up on Garmin avionics, the Honeywell system takes a little getting used to but it is a fully capable, powerful integrated avionics suite. If unfamiliar with Honeywell avionics, I would recommend a new Pilatus pilot spend some time on Honeywell’s excellent Pilot Gateway website and watch all the training videos before going to the training center.

In the PC-24, there are four 12-inch displays, a primary flight display (PFD) in front of each pilot, and two multifunction displays (MFDs) in the center. There are a lot of buttons in this cockpit because these aren’t touchscreen displays. However, there is a touchscreen controller (TSC) below the lower MFD, and here pilots can select active displays, tune radios and set transponder codes, access datalink communications, swap MFDs, and record events.

The TSC was adopted from its first implementation in the PC-12 NGX. Two dual-concentric knobs on the TSC generally mirror each other, and they are used for various tasks, depending on what is displayed on the TSC, such as display unit scrolling, radio tuning, radar controls, et cetera. The TSC also hosts a pop-up keyboard, which activates when the cursor hovers over a field where data entry is available. Moving the cursor is done with the cursor control device (CCD), but this isn’t a separate piece of hardware that takes up a bunch of console space; the CCD uses the TSC screen as a touchpad, activated by touching the display.

Like any modern business jet, the Honeywell Ace suite has all the modern features including LPV approaches, SmartView synthetic vision system, Honeywell Laseref IV inertial reference system-based flight path guidance, coupled VNAV, visual approaches, envelope protection, CAS-linked checklists, and Honeywell’s SmartRunway and SmartLanding, the latest version of its Runway Awareness and Advisory System. Avionics options include ADS-B In for cockpit display of traffic information, 2D airport moving maps, Honeywell RDR 7000 digital radar, satellite weather, and en route controller-pilot datalink communications.

Pilots can update PC-24 nav databases and send ForeFlight flight plans and weight and balance information directly to the PC-24 from iPads via an Aspen Avionics gateway installed in the airplane. In the recent upgrade, Pilatus added connected features so that after landing, the airplane sends fault history to Pilatus for AOG support. This is retrofittable to older PC-24s and will enable Pilatus to analyze the data to inform its predictive maintenance program. Data is sent via the cellular network or via Wi-Fi when the airplane is at a Pilatus service center.

Comparing Amenities

When Pilatus finally introduced the PC-24 in 2013, some may have wondered whether there was a large enough market for another light jet, but initial and subsequent sales have clearly answered that question. Since its introduction, one of the PC-24’s competitors—the Learjet 70/75—has ceased production, and its remaining rivals are the Citation CJ4 and Embraer Phenom 300E.

Performance-wise, the PC-24 doesn’t seem to stand out, but it more than keeps up with a much larger cabin than its competitors and a 4-foot 1-inch-wide and 4-foot 3-inch-high cargo door, which none of the others have. The PC-24’s cabin volume is 501 cubic feet, not including the cargo area, which is essentially part of the cabin and fully accessible in flight. This is significantly larger than the Phenom 300E at 314 cubic feet and the CJ4 at 293 cubic feet, but what that extra space does is provide not only more legroom between seats but also more flexibility in the cabin layout. The PC-24 is the only jet among these three that has a flat-floor cabin. The PC-24 cabin is also taller (5 feet 1 inch) and wider (5 feet 7 inches) than the 300E (4 feet 11 inches and 5 feet 1 inch) or CJ4 (4 feet 9 inches and 4 feet 10 inches).

The second row of executive seats can swivel 180 degrees so, even in flight, passengers can easily switch from a club to a forward-facing configuration. The typical interior layout selected by buyers is the six-seat executive, and this is easily expanded to eight by adding two commuter-style seats, which are categorized as loose equipment for easy swapping in and out.

The cargo area shrinks and expands with the number of seats. In the six-seat layout, the cargo volume is 90 cubic feet, and that drops to 51 cubic feet with eight or 10 seats installed.

An option introduced in 2021 is a forward galley on the left side behind the pilot’s seat. This offers space for a microwave oven or coffee maker.

Opposite the entry door is a sink, and underneath is a stowable vacuum-flushing toilet that is externally serviceable. Privacy is provided by hard doors forward and aft. The big benefit of the forward lav is that it doesn’t take up any cargo space, leaving room for up to pallet-size payloads to be loaded via forklift.

All three jets are not far off in speed capability: the PC-24’s high-speed cruise is 440 knots, although the competitors are faster. The CJ4 cruises at 451 knots and the Phenom 300 at 464 knots. Range is just over 2,000 nm for the three jets, and they share the same FL450 maximum altitude.

Current retail pricing for the PC-24 is $12,150,000 at base level or $13,510,000 typically equipped.

In-house Completions

Like other business aircraft OEMs, Pilatus is highly vertically integrated, manufacturing most of the airframe at its Stans, Switzerland headquarters and employing a team of skilled craftspeople to make interior components and paint the airplanes at both Stans and at its U.S. Pilatus Business Aircraft base at Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport (KBJC) in Broomfield, Colorado.

Seat work for all PC-24s is done in Broomfield. A huge Zünd Systemtechnik leather-cutting machine cuts the 82 to 84 pieces that make up a PC-24 seat in an optimal pattern that maximizes the output from a hide of leather. Before the cutting, a Pilatus expert marks up the leather with a special pen to identify any defects on the hide, and the Zünd eliminates these from its output. Defects might include barbed-wire scars on U.S. leather or mosquito bites on European leather (barbed wire isn’t used in Europe).

Once cut, the pieces go to skilled craftspeople at the sewing and stitching station, then they are placed on the seat frame. Pilatus employs a quilting machine that does stitching, embossing, and debossing (indented designs).

Cabinetry comes as part of a kit from F/List in Austria, simplifying the interiors completion process.

Pilatus opened a paint shop at KBJC in 2022, which greatly sped up completions. The PC-24 comes either coated in primer green or with a base coat from Stans. The paint shop’s seven bays run seven days a week to keep up with demand.

Last year, Pilatus announced the first major upgrade to the PC-24, wrapped around a payload range increase program. This included structural changes that resulted in a 600-pound payload increase to 3,100 pounds and range with six passengers growing to 2,000 nm.

There were more than 700 structural changes to the airframe, some as small as shaving off a few grams, and 1,000 total changes to achieve an empty weight 160 pounds lower and an increase in mtow of 440 pounds. Some of these include modifying wing spars and ribs, changing how the nose landing gear is machined, and switching the spoilers to carbon fiber from aluminum. Deliveries of the upgraded PC-24 began in 2024.

A new in-flight entertainment system from Lufthansa Technik is now standard, with a 10-inch touchscreen display and 3D moving map, four cabin speakers, mood lighting, more USB ports, and dedicated media storage. A three-seat divan that is 6 feet 6 inches long and can convert to a bed is a new option. Drawers under the divan can store pillows and blankets.

A Telluride Trip

My flight in the PC-24 was in serial number 503 with Pilatus Business Aircraft chief pilot Gerard Lambe. This PC-24 had all the latest upgrades introduced in 2023 but not the optional divan. We started with a walkaround where he pointed out the PC-24’s aforementioned features.

Both True Blue Power lithium-ion batteries are used to start the Williams FJ44-4A engines. Each engine’s starter generator is supported by a power conversion unit, which converts generated power to 28 volts DC. The electrical system is managed and protected by four electrical power distribution units, which provide secondary power distribution, utility management via the two data concentration and processing units, over-current protection, and automatic load-shedding to reduce pilot workload during a generator failure.

Lambe explained that the PC-24 has a rudder bias system that senses an engine spooling down and applies rudder using autopilot servos to mitigate the resulting yaw. After the large yaw caused by an engine out on takeoff, the automatic yaw trim system takes over and maintains coordinated flight. To ensure this system is primed in case of engine failure, it’s important to follow the procedure to engage the yaw damper after takeoff.

Contributing to the PC-24’s takeoff performance is another unique feature: passive thrust vectoring. The FJ44-4A engines’ exhaust nozzles have a curved ramp on the top section, which creates a Coanda effect that keeps exhaust airflow attached to the nozzle and flowing slightly (3 degrees) upward at slow speeds such as during takeoff. The result is a thrust component that pushes the tail down and helps the PC-24 rotate. At higher speeds, the exhaust flow straightens and there is no drag penalty.

We planned an IFR flight to Telluride, Colorado, with five occupants and carrying 3,220 pounds of fuel and 50 pounds of cargo for a takeoff weight of 16,136 pounds, 2,604 pounds below mtow. We had to manually input the WNGSS ONE departure because SIDs and STARs don’t come through with the flight plan uploaded via ForeFlight. 

To prepare for engine start, we ran the electronic checklists using a dedicated button on the yoke. Where applicable, a synoptic page opens to show system status related to the checklist item. For starting, we needed to verify that the state of charge indicator was green because voltage is not a good indication of the charge on the lithium-ion batteries, Lambe explained.

There are just eight physical circuit breakers in the PC-24 with the rest in electronic form. All electronic circuit breakers (ECB) are accessible on the ground, which makes sense because some may need to be deactivated when flying with inoperative equipment. In the air, only ECBs needed while in flight are accessible.

After starting the right engine, Lambe showed me the QPM. Fuel flow was 118 pph with power at 19.7 N1; this contrasts with the normal idle of 25.1 N1 and 146 pph. There is a noticeable difference in noise in QPM, and it is much quieter than idle power.

With flaps set to 8 degrees, V1 was 96 knots and rotation speed 97 knots. The PC-24 automatically compensates for configuration changes, so I could see the trim adjust as the flaps extended.

Lambe ran the TCAS II system test and showed me how the Honeywell Ace avionics draw a simple green command box to highlight the target area to fly to during a resolution advisory. “Now you’re just pulling to the green,” he explained. “It’s super simple.” This works no matter which kind of flight director cue is selected.

Taxiing the PC-24 in tight spots is easier with the free castoring mode, which is engaged by pushing the inboard rudder pedal and brake and adding power to the outboard engine. It’s important, however, to keep moving when transitioning out of free castoring, then apply opposite rudder, brake, and power to get back to direct steering mode.

We selected the initial altitude of 8,000 feet and checked the FMS speed setting. The final step was to push the takeoff/go-around button on the left throttle.

After lining up on KBJC’s Runway 30L, I advanced the throttles to the takeoff detent, being careful not to push them into automatic thrust reserve, which provides more power for engine-out or other emergencies. Avoiding the thrust reserve mode when it isn’t needed is important because using it adds extra engine cycles, according to Lambe.

He had advised me to give the yoke a fairly strong pull at rotation speed, and when I did, the PC-24 lifted promptly off the runway. After retracting the landing gear and flaps, I followed the flight director’s guidance and turned to the north while climbing to avoid terrain to the west.

After briefly leveling off at 8,000 feet, we continued climbing with the autopilot on, eventually leveling off at the PC-24’s maximum altitude of FL450 where cabin altitude was 8,000 feet. During the climb, we watched the RDR 7000 weather radar automatically scan for weather forward and to the side and display some buildups that were forming.

Level at FL450, I kept the power set to max continuous, and the PC-24 accelerated toward the Mach .73 Mmo barber pole on the airspeed tape. At the speed limit, the auto speed protection (ASP) system kicked on and instructed the autothrottles to reduce power to prevent overspeeding. ASP will also help prevent low-speed problems by adding power, and it works whether or not the autothrottles are switched on. The high-speed activation happens at Mmo plus one knot calibrated airspeed, and it deactivates at Vmo minus 2 knots true airspeed or the Mmo equivalent.

I flew two sets of left then right steep turns, and the PC-24 pirouetted smoothly with zero buffet at that high altitude. I did have to add a good dose of back pressure to stay level in the turns. Lambe showed me the PC-24’s bank limit protection feature, which adds a tactile feedback force to lateral control when the bank angle approaches or exceeds 51 degrees at low roll rates or 49 degrees at high rates of roll, pushing the angle back to 31 degrees before deactivating. If ASP is active, bank limit protection is 20 degrees lower, activating at 31 degrees and deactivating at 11 degrees. The tactile feedback can be overridden using the touch control steering button on the yoke.

At ISA +5 and with autothrottles and autopilot on, the PC-24 settled at Mach .719 and a true airspeed of 416 knots burning a total of 924 pph. 

Descending toward Telluride, we set up a VNAV-direct to Cones VOR for the RNAV Y approach to Runway 09. The moving map and vertical situation display clearly depicted the high terrain around the airport as we crossed the VOR at 13,000 feet and then followed the 3.69-degree glide path from the final approach fix. The synthetic vision showed the runway centerline extending from the runway outline well before we could see the runway perched on a mesa visually, and the autothrottles smoothly followed the speed schedule down to 135 knots as we crossed the final approach fix to 105 knots on the glide path then to the 94-knot Vref as we neared the runway.

I switched off the autopilot but kept the autothrottles on until short final, then eased the power off as the PC-24 floated over the numbers for a smooth touchdown. Lambe recommended maximum braking, and the PC-24 stopped with 3,500 feet of runway remaining. The multi-purpose spoilers all deployed in their scheduled sequence for lift dump; to retract them I had to move the throttles out of the idle position.

Side Trip to KCOS

We added more fuel, and weight for this leg was 16,173 pounds, about 500 pounds more than the previous flight. On the way back to KBJC, we paid a visit to Colorado Springs (KCOS) for some touch-and-goes.

Terrain dictates taking off to the west on Telluride’s Runway 27 and climbing to cross Cones VOR before turning east. The PC-24 easily outpaced the terrain after takeoff, then we climbed to FL330 for the short flight to KCOS.

While descending, I tried out the airbrakes by switching off the autothrottles and reducing power to idle. With airbrakes set to the half position, I could feel no rumble, and at full there was an almost imperceptible vibration. The airbrakes retracted automatically when I pushed the power levers back to max continuous power.

Lambe wanted to demonstrate a single-engine go-around, so we continued south to Pueblo, Colorado (KPUB) and flew the RNAV Runway 17 approach. As we neared the airport, he set the flaps to 15 degrees, lowered the landing gear, and retarded the right power lever. I could feel the automatic trim adjusting the rudder to compensate for the thrust differential. After the go-around, he demonstrated a slow-speed recovery, allowing the airspeed to bleed off until the autothrottle engaged to add power as the PC-24 slowed to 112 knots.

Back to normal, we proceeded to KCOS and Runway 17, where winds were gusting to 17 knots and a rainshower slowly passed over the airport. We slowed down to line up with other traffic that was waiting for the rainshower to move on, then did another single-engine go-around, this time with the left engine at idle. The autothrottle smoothly advanced the power on the right engine as the PC-24 overflew the airport.

I enjoyed some good gusty wind practice during two touch-and-goes at KCOS; the PC-24 handled precisely in the squirrely conditions, and touching down smoothly proved no problem. We used just 15 degrees of flaps to make the touch-and-goes simpler and safer.

Returning to KBJC, the passengers had to endure a bit of bouncing around as we stayed low and maneuvered between the Rocky Mountains and some more rain showers. The wind was blowing straight along Runway 30L and gusting to 33 knots. With full flaps, on short final it looked like the PC-24 was pointing down steeply and that the nosewheel would hit first, but that wasn’t the case.

I just had to give the yoke a small tug to pull the nose up slightly as we neared the runway and the PC-24 touched gently on the main wheels and then the nosewheel followed. Thanks to the strong wind and the spoilers, I hardly had to use any braking.

The PC-24 was one of the few jets I had never flown, and I’m glad I waited so I could see the new features and get a better perspective on how it compares to the competition. It’s no surprise that Pilatus Aircraft has sold so many PC-24s, and if ordering one today, a buyer would have to wait about two years for delivery.