Pilatus PC-24 Jet Takes To The Skies For The First Time Pilatus Aircraft has celebrated a major milestone in their history today as the first test-bed unit in the Pilatus PC-24 jet took to the skies. The first test flight was done from the Buochs airport field on runway 07 in Switzerland where the jet climbed to around 10,000 feet to test the general handling characteristic of the aircraft. According to all accounts, the first flight, which lasted roughly 55 minutes went flawlessly. With the long awaited first flight of the aircraft dubbed the 'super versatile jet' over, the testing program can really start to pick up steam now. Today marks two years after this unique business jet was announced, with the alluring capability of operating from rougher airstrips, according to Pilatus.
The first test-bed aircraft with registration HB-VXA and designation P01 is the first of three test-beds that will be used in the two year testing campaign in the run up towards certification in 2017. The orders have flooded in for this particular business jet which stays at 82 commitments at the moment. With so many planes on order in this type, Pilatus will reopen the order book perhaps in 2019. It goes to show how popular this little jet is for the Swiss manufacturer. The certification/test campaign is expected to last 2,300 hours. For more information: Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport 11755 Airport Way Broomfield, CO 80021, USA www.pilatus-aircraft.com ***