Pilatus has handed over a PC-12 to the Technical and Airworthiness Centre for Aircraft and Aeronautical Equipment of the German Armed Forces (WTD 61). This versatile single-engine turboprop will be stationed at the Ingolstadt/Manching air base in Germany, where it will be used for training test pilots and transporting personnel and material.

Cost-effective to operate and flexible in use, the PC-12 will provide the German Armed Forces with a high-performance aircraft that will considerably strengthen the service’s operational readiness. With its reputation as a reliable and thoroughly proven platform in both civilian and military aviation, the PC-12 will now support standardisation training for the test pilots of the German Armed Forces, as well as logistical transport operations.

Barbara Reinhold, director of WTD 61, explains the importance of the new aircraft for the German Armed Forces: “The PC-12 will help us to perform our training and transport tasks efficiently and safely.”

Ioannis Papachristofilou, vice president government aviation at Pilatus, comments: “We are convinced that the outstanding versatility, modern avionics and proven reliability of the PC-12 make it optimally suited to meet the requirements of the German Armed Forces. The PC-12 is set to make a major contribution to the performance of challenging tasks.”

The handover marks the start of a promising partnership between Pilatus and the German Armed Forces, in which the provision of technical and logistical support will provide the foundation for long-term success over the coming years.