Pilatus PC-12 PRO unveiled

 A few minutes ago the live stream has ended - watch it on the YouTube Channel of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd

Presentation of the Pilatus PC-12 PRO with a new Cockpit and the Safe-Landing-Button 👍

(screencrabs of the youtube-film)

As I am not a specialist about Business Aircraft, I am not worthy to write very much about this new evolution. But I think there where some very good engineers at it and Pilatus will sell many, many more of the famous Pilatus PC-12 aircraft.

Airshow Neuchâtel - July 05th, 2025

One of the interesting shows not only for the program, but also for the landscape at the biggest lake of Switzerland (completely in Switzerland) this summer

- Patrouille Suisse (remember, our F-5E/F Tiger Jets will be end of life in 2027)

- Classic Formation 

- PC-21 Display

stay tuned 

30 years of SPORTHILFE

Another view into my archive ... this time nearly an quarter of an century back in the summer of 2000. There I've loaded my bicycle with my photo gear (main gear that time was an Nikon F4S and Sigma's 170-500mm lens) and rode about 2 hours from Emmen Airfield to the Bürgenstock mountain. No radio scanner available - just waiting for the show going on.

Parts of my gear back then - the beloved Cannondale 3T700 was stolen one year later and never came back

There was an celebration for the 30th anniversary of Switzerland's Sporthilfe (Swiss Sports Aid), an private Foundation and one of the most important sports organizations in the country. The official announcement was about 300 Top Athletes, multiple sport disciplines for testing (BMX Parcours, those where the days) and the famous Swiss Air Force Display Team Patrouille Suisse.

1st surprise where the two flybyes of Airbus A321 HB-IOC (the olympic one - International Olympic Commitee, nice preparation for an sports event) of Swissair, 2nd Surprise was an power demo of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd's flagship back then, the famous Pilatus PC-9.  Other participants like the mixed Pilatus formation, the two Junkers Ju-52 and the Super Puma Display Team where also not known to me as I'm remember. The Patrouille Suisse was no Surprise, but a nice catch anyway.

 

ProAero JULA'19 - Youth camp of swiss aeroclub organisation

Some impressions of my participation (as leader of an french group) on the youth camp near St. Moritz

Helping the aviation interested teenagers to build aircraft models, missiles, balloons and further more in company of many experts. And yes, some interesting visitors where also there - and an airshow !

Join us: www.jula-proaero.ch

Swiss Air Force's fastest Recce - the IAI/RUAG ADS-95 RANGER drone

Since the end of the Mach2 Mirage III RS 'AMIR' in 2003, our fastest Recce is 4.61m long, has an wingspan of 5.71m and has an Vmax of 220km/h ! The quality of the pictures are lower than those on the Mirage, but available in real time and with a range of 4 hours.

Swiss Army uses the Israeli-Swiss drone IAI/RUAG ADS-95 for reconaissance missions. The drone costs about 2.5 Mio SFr ($1.9million), 27 systems (including mobile equipment for command and control) where delivered beginning in 1999. An flighthour costs about 7300 SFr and about 40-60 flights are made for Swiss Border Patrol (Grenzschutz) each year.
The AufklärungsDrohnenSystem 95 is the evolution of the ADS-90 with increased range and charge.

ADS-90

Based on the IAI Ranger and built by F+W Emmen, this 1st drone of the Swiss Air Force had an MTOW of 270 kg with an maximum charge of 41 kg. With 240 km/h maximum speed a bit faster than the ADS-95.

Prototype XP-01 on a poster

 D-101 due Armeetage'99, Frauenfeld

ADS-95

The modified version of the ADS-90 with a MTOW of 275 kg and a maximum charge of 45 kg. Updated Sensors and support vehicles.

 Sometimes (sh)it happens - but without incident on humans/animals - see here for example

Production of ADS-95 systems for Finnish and Swiss Air Force

Here some video pictures published by the Swiss Air Force a couple of years ago:

With those little birds, the pictures are quit nice. German Luftwaffe published some actual footage of there sensors on Tornado aircraft, also capable for live-streaming to the headquarter:

Photo taken by the infrared sensor of the TORNADO:

 Photo edited by fusion of infrared and normal photo taken by TORNADO: 

Source of the German Air Force Tornado Pictures


ADS-15
After an evaluation of multiple modern systems (Long List included five systems, Short List and tests in Switzerland with two systems), Elbit won the competition with the Hermes 900. 'Swissification' consists of a motor change to Diesel and - due that change of gravity - longer wings. Swiss Air Force Insiders hopes the changes/tests in RUAG wind tunnel are paid by Elbit according an article in the NZZ newspaper of September 04th, 2016.


Official site of the Drohnen-Kommando 84

Swiss Air Force will receive Pilatus PC-24 Businessjet in December 2018

Due an Interview with the Handelszeitung, Oscar Schwenk (CEO of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd) announced an delivery to the Air Force at the end of this year.
Four of Pilatus's first jet aircraft are already delivered, 84 on command. 1st customer Planesense used there aircraft 240 flight hours in just two months for pilot schooling. 2018 will see 23 PC-24 manufactured, next year 40 and 50 aircrafts in 2020.
Source


Pilatus PC-24 - The Super Versatile Jet

home of the Pilatus PC-24

Max Cruise Speed(FL 280)	815 km/h
Max Range 4 Passengers(363 kg payload, NBAA IFR reserve, LRC, single pilot)	3,769 km
Max Range 6 Passengers(545 kg payload, NBAA IFR reserve, LRC, single pilot)	3,400 km
Max Altitude	13,716 m
Take-Off Balanced Field Length(MTOW, ISA, sea level, dry paved runway)	856 m
Landing Distance over 15 m Obstacle(MLW, ISA, sea level, dry paved runway)	718 m
Rate of Climb(MTOW, Sea Level)	21,10 m/s
Time to Climb Sea Level to FL 450(direct climb)	24.4 min
Stall Speed(MLW, ISA, Sea Level)	149 km/h

Max Ramp	8,195 kg
Max Take-Off	8,150 kg
Max Landing	7,520 kg
Max Zero Fuel	6,300 kg
Usable Fuel(888.5 U.S. gal)	2,705 kg
Max Payload	1,144 kg
Max Payload With Full Fuel	334 kg

 PC-24 due certification tests