• PT6A-34 (PT6A-28 convertion)
• PT6A-34
• PT6A-34/36
• PT6A-65B

All engines are available ex-USA

Contact us for the Rotor Sheets, Prices and Availability

Aircraft Models

• PA-20 Pacer
• PA-31 Cheyenne
• PA-34-220T Seneca V
• J3C-65 Cub

Aircraft Models

• PC-12
• PC-12 NG
• PC-6 Porter

Data Sheets

• Airplane Data Sheets

Articles

• It’s Sweet to be Single

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• C172 Hawk XP
• R182
• C210
• C208B Grand Caravan

Aircraft Model

• P-750XL Commuter
• P-750XL Skydiver
• P-750XL Cargo Combi

Aircraft Models

• MU-2L (MU-2B-36)

Aircraft Models

• Twin Beech Model 18
• King Air C90
• King Air B200

Data Sheets

• Aeroplane Data Sheets

Helicopter Data Sheets

• Bell 206 B3 Jetranger III
• Bell 206 L4 Longranger IV
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• Bell 427
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Blackhawk Data Sheets

• King Air 200 Blackhawk XP42
• King Air 200 Blackhawk XP52
• King Air 200 Blackhawk XP61
• King Air C90 Blackhawk XP135A
• King Air C90 Blackhawk XP21
• King Air C90 Blackhawk XP28A

Pilatus Data Sheets

• Pilatus PC-12 Just the Facts
• Pilatus PC-12 NG Fact Sheet
• Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter Fact Sheet
• Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter Brochure

Pacific Aerospace Data Sheets

• Pacific Aerospace P-750 XL

Cessna Data Sheets

• Cessna C208B Grand Caravan

The Truth about Single-Engine Safety, Performance and Economy in the Pilatus PC-12

“We humans are not half as objective as we would like to be. A little well-executed slight of hand can make us believe in magic; a few squirrels in the attic convince us a house is haunted.

Despite our powers of reason, it only takes a little expert prodding of our right brains to make the smallest fear grow into great ones.

Hitchcock made us terrified of seagulls. Spielberg confined nearly half a generation to dry land…”

A Parallel exists in Aviation

We have all been talked into an irrational fear of single-engine aircraft based on the general premise that airplanes with two or more engines are significantly safer. Proponents of multi-engine superiority have so demonised single-engine planes; it’s a wonder they haven’t been systematically wiped out by the panic-stricken pilots.

A Couple of Questions…

• Why do single-engine aircraft even still exist?
• Why, for that matter, are they even considered for flight, let alone executive transport?
• Why do pilots even fly these single-engine aircraft?
• Why do top executives around the world actually trust this idea of flying in a single-engine aircraft?
• What are these crazy people in Switzerland doing?
• Has nobody told them that multi-engine aircraft are safer? Or have they just not got the picture? (It’s been over 100 years of flight!)

Or…

• Maybe, what is it that I am missing?
• Maybe they know something I don’t?
• Maybe, just maybe, are single-engine aircraft safer than we all have been led to believe?
• Have we all been living under a fictitious paradigm, an aviation parallel?

The Truth is Simpler than You Think

When we actually take the time and examine, closely and objectively the statistics of the last twenty years of flight, some compelling and shocking evidence cannot be ignored any more.

Safety and the Single-engine

The most persistent myth about single-engine aircraft is that they are far less safe than the multi-engine aircraft. This myth was created in a time when aircraft engines, reciprocating, turboprop and jets, were less reliable and less powerful. The safety net of that extra engine was welcomed in a day when aircraft were still being developed and fully understood. We have to ask ourselves, where are we now? Are we in the same position we were back then, or have we moved into a new era of aviation?

The Multi-Mindset

In the early days of aviation, engines lacked both reliability and power, and multiple engines were needed to lift the high payloads and deliver them dependably to their destinations. Failure rates were high back then. Multi-engine was not only appropriate, but it was about survival!

“The more engines, the better!”

This gave rise to the multi-engine aircraft, the B-36 and B-52, the DC-4, -6, and -7, and the Lockheed Constellation.

The Cult Thickens

With increased production of multi-engine model came new investment in aircraft development, factory tooling, and new facilities.

What was to justify this commitment to huge expenditures in this surge of production? More engines were more expensive resulting in larger sales, larger commissions and larger profits. The Multi-engine aircraft was king! The money-spinner! This superiority still reigns today, like a surviving monarchy of old having lost any remaining pretence of divine right.

The “Sissy-Singles”

During their training years, pilots start at the bottom. They start on the little aircraft. They start on the singles. Later when they have earned their wings, pay their dues and have more flying experience, they move to the multi-engine aircraft. Why do they only move onto multi-engine aircraft once deemed to have enough flying experience? Have the pilots now moved onto a more complex machine? Of course! The “green” days are behind and the real flying has begun!

I essence the more complex multi-engine aircraft is more difficult to handle. More complex aerodynamic philosophies are at work. A heavier aircraft translates into greater sink rates and longer critical ground distances, not to mention a killer called asymmetry.

The pilots working towards a career in aviation learn to accept the higher risks of flying multi-engine aircraft. They learn to accept the higher workloads and as a result must train even harder to master the skies.

The Irony!

The concern voiced most often about single as an aircraft category is that they are inherently less safe than multi-engines.

Why do the Federal Aviation Authority (FAA), many western militaries, and most of the world’s flight schools endorse putting the least experienced pilots in a single-engine aircraft? Are single-engine aircraft better for the inexperienced?

Could it be that singles are easier to operate? Could it be that single-engine aircraft are easier to control and easier to recover in flight when a crisis occurs?

Are single-engine aircraft actually safer?

A Move to “Less is More”

Militaries have long seen the advantage of the single-engine tactical aircraft. The F-4U Corsair, P-51 Mustang, A-4 Sky Hawk and of course the great F-16 Fighting Falcon. These have the capability to carry higher payloads to gross weight than their multi-engine counterparts.

As we move into the future, the sophistication and reliability of aircraft engines have increased. Today we are seeing more manufacturers turning to fewer engines. We are seeing a movement today toward fuel conservation and toward lower maintenance costs. A move to go further with more on board, a move to increased payload/range capability. A move to get more out of the aircraft than we did so many years ago! Is the myth fading?

The trend can be seen in commercial aviation with the move from four engines to three and even down to two. The U.S. military and the U.S. Navy have both selected a single-engine turboprop platform as the basis of their Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) to replace the aging twinjet training fleets. The aircraft in question is the Pilatus PC-9. Also ordered for the same purposes by the air forces in Canada, Greece and South Africa among others. Furthermore the latest jet fighter to be entrusted with the national security of the U.S. is the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. The F-35, most likely the last manned combat aircraft, has a single-engine…

Spinning the Twin

Two important factors contribute to the greater danger in twins with a failed engine: asymmetric thrust and altitude. In twins, the engines are mounted off the centre of the aircraft’s centreline to varying degrees. When one engine fails, the ability to climb can drop by 80%, and in some atmospheric conditions and cases of loading, completely. Furthermore, the unbalanced thrust caused by the operational engine can cause the aircraft to yaw and roll dramatically. This has the potential to induce a possibly fatal spin. If engine failure occurs during take-off or at low altitudes, the pilot has precious little time to compensate for the aerodynamic changes.

An aircraft with a single-engine does not suffer from an asymmetric thrust condition in the event of power plant failure. The pilot can concentrate on a safe landing rather than on regaining control of the aircraft.

“An engine failure-related accident in a twin is four times more likely to cause serious or fatal injuries.”

R.N. Aarons, writing on single and twin comparisons for the FAA’s Accident Prevention Program

The Last Defence of the Twins

To say that twins have no advantage over twins would be misleading and the importance of multi-engine time in building a professional career in unquestionable.

Under certain circumstances, namely on transoceanic flights and during engine failure or shutdown at altitude, a second engine can provide additional options. However in the latter case of engine failure, the advantage is not what it used to be.

Today, the reliability of modern turbine engines is so high that engine malfunction is rarely the primary contributor to and accident or incident.

In fact, turboprop and let engines have advanced to the point where mechanical failures are essentially non-existent. This means any argument in favour of twins based on the presumption of engine failure is build on a false premise. In some situations, a single-engine aircraft with a power loss is arguable a safer environment than an aircraft with two engines, as we have seen in the previous paragraph.

Safety in Numbers

Enough data are available from the FAA, the National Transportation Safety Board, and other agencies interested in aviation safety to answer, once and for all, the question of single-engine safety in modern aircraft.

In 1998, in response to customer inquiries about single-engine safety, the V Kelner Pilatus Centre in Thunder Bay, Ontario, gathered the statistics published by Canada’s TSB and the U.S.’s NTSB and set out to find what the safety record really said.

Proponents of twins suggest that a second engine provides a higher degree of safety in the event of an engine failure. To find out the data supported in the hypothesis, the Kelner group look at the previous 15 years and compared fatalities in twin-engine aircraft to those in single-engine turboprops where accidents were attributed to loss of power in an engine.

The results were startling!

The information read that found that twin-engine aircraft with a power loss in one engine were associated with 219 fatalities. No fatalities were attributed to engine failure in single-engine turbo-prop aircraft.

The bubble of the superior multi-engine safety had dramatically burst!

Going Solo

The Power of 1

The concept of outfitting a light and efficient airframe with one massively powerful engine isn’t new. It’s been done on tactical military aircraft such as the F-4U Corsair, P-51 Mustang, F-86 Sabre and the F-16 Fighting Falcon.

Pilatus borrowed this concept (and little else) when it set out to produce a “clean sheet of paper” aircraft that married state-of-the-art structural design with a powerful, turbine engine.

“Single, not Small”

When most people think of a single, they think small, two- or four-seat aircraft with a piston engine flown for training and recreation.

In contrast, a high-performance turboprop single can pack a lot of horsepower. And since it’s free of the extra weight, drag and fuel that come with twins, it can lift more of its gross weight as payload.

The Pilatus PC-12, for example, is bigger than the King Air B200 and nearly twice as large as the Citation Jet CJ1, and has a max payload with full fuel of 2,820lbs (1,280kg).

The Canadian that Could!

The Pilatus PC-12’s performance is made possible by the Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PT6A-67B engine, a powerful variant of the most dependable engine ever produced, the PT6. (The King Air B200 has the PT6-42 variants)

The -67B produces 1605 shaft horsepower (shp), but it’s flat-rated to 1200shp in the PC-12. Rating the engine at only 75% means the stresses and temperatures at was designed to withstand are never imposed on it, reducing engine wear and tear and maintenance costs as well as incorporating a large operating safety factor.

1 > 2

Born to Glide

The Pilatus PC-12 is virtually a Short Takeoff and Landing (STOL) aircraft. At maximums gross weight and a cruising altitude of 30,000ft, a PC-12 without power can continue to fly for 32 minutes and travel 89 statute miles (143 km) before landing at a slow and safe touchdown speed. What’s more, the PC-12 is even certified to land safely on dirt and grass.

The “Lesser” Benefits

In many ways, singles deliver less than twins. Fortunately, in this day and age, delivering less is the single’s most compelling quality.

In purchasing a twin, the cost of the second engine adds hundreds of thousands of dollars to the acquisition price. In operation of a twin, you burn far more fuel and log hours on two engines instead of one, so maintenance and overhaul costs double.

A single is simply less expensive to acquire, operate and maintain compared to a twin. A PC-12’s direct operating cost is about two-thirds that of the nearest comparable multi-engine aircraft and nearly half that of the nearest comparable jet.

(That’s for the accountants to record!)

A Brief Summary in Closing

1. The argument that single-engine aircraft are less safe than multi-engines is based on a presumption of engine failure.
2. However, modern turbine engines are so reliable, due to the improved designs and materials, that engine failures are rarely the primary cause of an accident or incident.
3. According to the NTSB report, when engines do fail, serious injury or death is four times more likely to occur in a multi-engine aircraft than in a single.
4. This is because multi-engine aircraft experience asymmetric thrust and a rapid loss of climb performance up to 80%, which can be extremely dangerous at low altitudes.
5. Single-engine aircraft don’t experience asymmetric thrust, and they typically have higher glide ratios (they glide further) and can land at slower speeds.
6. With an increase in reliability over the last 75 years, airlines have specified fewer engines on new aircraft designs.
7. The U.S. military continues to rely on single-engine aircraft to provide for the nations’ security.
8. Singles carry a higher proportion of their weight as useful payload.
9. Singles cost less to acquire, operate and maintain than comparable twins.

This maybe a bitter pill for multi-engine mavens, but the truth has been revealed.

Thanks to Pilatus PC-12 for the above information

www.pilatus-aircraft.com

Step 1:        Your Unique Mission Profile

If you fail to plan, you plan to fail!

Everyone is unique and all aircraft requirements differ from person to person. To start off on the right foot the client can provide a list of trips that includes departure points, destinations and frequency of travel. The route can then be calculated by your aviation consultant, with regards to distances travelled, altitudes, route times and landing and take-off conditions and all passenger and/or cargo requirements. The average and maximum numbers of people travelling and the non-stop requirement can be provided for more accurate analisys. This data is forms your unique mission profile. You may even have more than one mission profile, which will lend to good comparative analysis. The more data given and the clearer the requirements are, the better and more accurate the comparison will be. This is a valuable stage as one can clearly develop one’s needs and understanding of what is expected from your aircraft/fleet.

In summary, provide the following to start building your Mission Profile:

1. Budget constraints (discuss this aspect with chosen financial institutions for a clearer and more accurate measure of your price bracket)
2. Departure points
3. Destinations
4. Time constraints
5. Average and maximum number of passengers
6. Cargo requirements
7. Preferred routes
8. Non-stop requirements
9. Specific commercial/business requirements to meet company policies (for example: multi-engine/two crew minimum)
10. Personal preferences of aircraft

Step 2:        The Aircraft Comparison

Know your strengths and weaknesses, carefully consider all your options

During this stage, possible and probable aircraft choices are sorted from the requirements discussed during the previous stage. In-depth comparisons of the short listed aircraft will be done and insist on presentation of the data for a personal review or presentation to the investors board. This stage of the decision will increase your understanding of how the aircraft can perform and how it will meet your mission requirements, as well as how it will affect your books at the end of the day.

These comparisons should include the following:

1. Range Analysis
2. Cruise Speeds
3. Rate of Climbs
4. Balanced Field Lengths and Landing Distances for airfield compatibility
5. Payloads for Max Range and Full Fuel Scenarios
6. Range to Payload Analysis
7. The Mission Flight Times at average cruise
8. Utilisation of the Aircraft (i.e. the time and distance flown per year)
9. Pilot requirements and Passenger Accommodation for the Mission
10. Total Operational Cost analysis taking into account Depreciation of the Aircraft (i.e. How much is this aircraft actually going to cost you or your company and how much will it be worth to you?)

Step 3:        The Aircraft Appraisal

Set the record straight according to your the standards

Any accessible tool such as the Aircraft Blue Book provides an aircraft cost evaluation. The Aircraft Bluebook is a digest that identifies and prices more than 3,000 used general aviation and helicopter models available in the USA. Coverage includes aviaonics, airworthyness, common conversions and upgrades and overhaul usage limits.(http://www.aircraftbluebook.com/)

However, a professional aircraft appraisal is different in that it results in an accurate assessment of aircraft value that is recognized by financial institutions and legal agencies.

The Purpose of an Appraisal

1. Determine the present fair market value on an aircraft to be sold/bought
2. Determine the value of an aircraft to be renovated or modified
3. Determine the aircraft value as a safeguard against excessive taxes
4. Verify damage claims resulting from fire, hail, accidents, and other disasters
5. Assist an aircraft purchaser in obtaining financing or insurance

The Benefits of an Appraisal

For the Buyer

The appraisal is an impartial professional opinion as to the value of the particular aircraft they are planning to purchase.

For the Seller

The appraisal provides the fair market value of their aircraft and more realistically sets the buyer’s expectations. The buyer’s initial impression will be that the aircraft is accurately represented.

For the Financial Institution

The appraisal provides an unbiased evaluation of the aircraft condition and worth, therefore supporting the collateral value in the aircraft loan.

Inclusions in the Appraisal

The qualified assessor will perform the appraisal, which should include the following:

1. A detailed examination of the airframe, engines, props, instrumentation, avionics and all relative systems
2. An in-depth review of aircraft log books, airworthiness directives, inspection status, service release forms, time critical components, and other pertinent data
3. A computer analysis of aircraft make and model, installed equipment, avionics, condition of exterior and interior, age of engines and other life limited components
4. A financial history and “Title Search” should also be carried out at this stage in conjunction with the financial institution and your local aviation authority, to verify the owner histories. This is a very important investigation as to ensure no legal anomalies are present in the history of the aircraft.
5. A final report and certificate for personal and legal records

Appraisal Cost

Fees will vary depending on the size of the aircraft and the length of time involved in completing analyses of all relevant data. The appraisal is often mandatory for legal and financial institutions. Although this may be a costly exercise, however, the money is well spent and can be the small price paid to avoid the possible catastrophic costs later in the ownership!

Appraisal Duration

A typical appraisal will take between three and five business days, depending on the aircraft make, model, and age.

Step 4:        The Purchase Agreement

There is power in agreement!

If your future aircraft has been found and that you are certain if meets all your Mission requirements, make a verbal offer backed by the following elements in a written offer.

Offer to purchase the aircraft for a specified sum subject to the following conditions:

1. Free and clear of all liens and encumbrances.
2. The aircraft must be in an airworthy condition with the following;
   1. Required maintenance performed
   2. Airworthiness directives complied
   3. Mandatory service bulletins performed
   4. Time critical components within the Time Before Overhaul (TBO)
   5. All systems, installed equipment, avionics, propellers, and engines in good operating condition (Note: All of the above supported with original logs, record, and maintenance and flight manuals)
3. Sale to be complete with funds exchanged on or before [date].
4. An agreed refundable deposit in escrow will be credited against the purchase price of the aircraft. This deposit is refundable, subject to pre-purchase inspection and point 7 below.
5. A pre-purchase inspection will verify the aircraft is as represented. Pre-purchase inspection, at the expense of the buyer, will take place at a mutually agreed facility, or location, to confirm that the Aircraft is as represented with the above conditions being in compliance.
6. The closure of a current aircraft sale by a certain date.
7. In the event that the buyer, elects not to purchase the aircraft after having the per-purchase inspection performed:
8. The buyer shall notify the agent or seller within one (1) business day of the inspection.
9. The escrow will return my deposit, less the cost of moving the aircraft (fuel and oil) for the purpose of the inspection.
10. This Sales Agreement will then be declared null and void with no further liability whatsoever between the parties.

Some tips

• Use a title company or a bank to broker the transaction.
• Combine the pre-purchase inspection with any other conformity inspections required by the local or international aviation authority, if there are plans to charter the aircraft. This may reduce costs and risk associated with the later inspection.

Step 5:        The Pre-Purchase and Conformity Inspection

Gather qualified opinions and clearances before closing

A combined pre-purchase inspection may be with the local aviation authority’s aircraft conformity inspection. Find out from the local aviation authority if this is possible. This may be of value, as the seller may have to pay for any airworthiness discrepancies and the conformity inspection, required for charter aircraft, gets the local aviation authority involved to help ensure aircraft compliance with regulations.

Aircraft-Specific Document Review

The following documents are associated with the aircraft and are required for both private and charter operations:

1. Registration Certificate
2. Airworthiness Certificate
3. Radio Station License
4. Aircraft Logbooks
5. Time Critical Component List
6. Minimum Equipment List
7. Maintenance Training Program
8. RVSM Manual
9. Maintenance Program
10. Major Alternations and Certifications thereof
11. Aircraft Inspection Program
12. CAMP (10+ Passengers)

The Maintenance History

The local aviation authority is particularly interested in assuring that no time critical component (or life limited component) exceeds the manufacturer’s recommended time between overhaul (TBO). They will inspect the maintenance records to assure that all airworthiness directives and mandatory service bulletins have been addressed. All aircraft inspections must be within time limits. These and all items above are examined during the document review.

Timeline

The pre-purchase and conformity inspections take no less than a week (consult the local aviation authority for an accurate estimation). Additional time is required if any of the above items must be repaired, overhauled, or replaced. Combining these inspections result in the shortest time to charter readiness.

Once the pre-purchase inspection is completed and all the papers are in order we are finally ready to move onto the final step.

Step 6:        Your new investment

Once steps 1-4 are completed satisfactorily, it will be time to enjoy your new investment.

In closing, remember to always work closely with your broker/agent and even closer with your financial institution of choice. Always keep your Mission requirements in sight and always know that with aviation come endless opportunities.

Only you can realise your dreams!

 ”Great navigators see the whole trip in their minds before they leave the dock.   They have a vision for their destination, they understand what it will take to get there…and they recognize the obstacles long before they appear on the horizon.”

- J.C. Maxwell

Your Finance and Budget

Your Departure Points

Your Destination Points

Your Preferred Routes

Your Route Time Constraints

Your Passenger Requirements

Your Cargo Requirements

Your Aircraft Preferences

Your Company Policies (i.e. Insurance Requirements)

Please attach any additional information you think will be of importance

Year of Manufacture

1959

Serial Number

BA-428

Airframe Total Time

10, 470 hours

Engine Details

Propeller Details

Installed Options

• Full Standard Co-pilot Instrumentation Artificial Horizon and DG
• Dual Heated Windscreen
• Factory Installed Engine Fire Extinguisher
• Plus Many More

Exterior

• Polished Aluminium
• Replica Amilia Earhart colours

Interior

9 Leather Passenger Seats

Notes

• She’s a movie star! Recently used for the upcoming Hollywood feature film “Amelia”, starring Hilary Swank as Amelia Earhart.
• Hamilton long nose baggage modification
• Two stretchers
• Many other spares and accessories
• Pristine condition
• Above Information as of 11/2008

Location

Johannesburg, South Africa

Price

Request