PC-24 Touches Down On Australian Highway Pilatus PC-24 recently landed on an Australian outback highway. It is the first time that a PC-24 has landed on a highway according to Pilatus. It should be clear that the event was a simulation ran by Royal Flying Doctors Service in Australia to test their response to a road accident in more remote areas. The highway was closed for the simulation and a touchdown zone painted on the highway to help guide the pilots.
The Pilatus PC-24 Super Versatile Jet name is making its name with the increasing capabilities of the aircraft. It has been able to land on grass runways like in the case at the Venice-Lido airport becoming the first jet to do so. It has unproven strip certification, that is: Rough-field operations under the certification is grass, wet earth and snow and it also can land on gravel and dry sand. Landing on a narrow road is now the latest feather in the cap of the PC-24.
Of course with the aircraft landing on the highway, it had to depart as well. The departure was smooth with no incident. The simulation was important as the highway is located in Glendambo in South Australia and runs for some 1,740 miles (2,800 km). Despite this huge area and servicing approximately 2.1 million people there are only 5 hospitals within the general vicinity. Compare this to Switzerland which is significantly smaller. Pilatus says, "in comparison, Switzerland is 56 times smaller and has approximately 276 hospitals. The RFDS plays an essential role in enabling communities to exist in such remote areas." For more information: Pilatus Aircraft Ltd Stans, Switzerland www.pilatus-aircraft.com ***
