Scenic Aviation has recently taken on two Pilatus PC-12 aircraft. The Swiss-based company is only too happy to promote its home country’s products, as president and manager Peter Balmer explained.

“There were a few reasons why we took on the Pilatus PC-12,” he said. “They are very economical aircraft and also spacious inside.

“They are capable of reaching impressive speeds and they are

also a Swiss product which is a definite bonus!

“I’ve been familiar with Pilatus aircraft for a long time and I’ve

always had a very good experience,” he continued. “They provide a

great service.

“From a business point of view, in case there is a problem with the aeroplane, Pilatus is only a short drive away from us. They have a really good distribution network all over the world and Pilatus service centres, which is also quite important, if you have a technical problem.

“It’s always good to have a Swiss product. I’m Swiss and we’re based in Switzerland. You may pay a little bit more money but the quality is outstanding and I know what I’m getting,” Balmer enthused.

Scenic Air will mainly be using the aircraft for corporate flying. The company did look at a King Air and equivalent small jets, but decided that the size of the cabin and the economy of the aircraft were far superior with the Pilatus aircraft. For instance, with the King Air, cabin size could be overlooked but the costs were almost double. Balmer attributes this to the fact that the other one has two engines that need to be maintained and the fuel flow is almost twice as large.

“We will mainly be flying within a two or three hour range of Switzerland.

“So that means France, Germany, Spain and Austria – central European countries,” he continued. “I have flown all the way to Dubai but that’s quite unusual.”

The company is looking at purchasing more PC-12s. The one it owns came online in September and the other has been with Silesia for about a year.