Aircraft of our Lives: Pilatus PC-12NG

We will be running occasional posts in a guest series entitled "Aircraft of our Lives," featuring the favorite aircraft of pilots from around the globe.  Today, Jean Denis Marcellin, a professional pilot for a major Canadian operator, shares with us his love of the Pilatus PC-12NG.  Jean Denis is interested in helping make the world a better place for his fellow pilots and is passionate about aviation and all things that fly!  Enjoy today's flight on the PC-12NG. 

So the crew fly on with no thought that they are in motion. Like night over the sea, they are very far from the earth, from towns, from trees. The clock ticks on. The dials, the radio lamps, the various hands and needles go through their invisible alchemy. . . . and when the hour is at hand the pilot may glue his forehead to the window with perfect assurance. Out of oblivion the gold has been smelted: there it gleams in the lights of the airport.

— Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, 'Wind, Sand, and Stars,' 1939.

I often relate to Saint-Exupéry because flying has always had this ‘magic’ feeling for me. Maybe it was because of reading his masterpiece ‘’Le Petit Prince’’ when I was only a boy, sharing the Prince’s awe for this strange pilot and his wondrous bird. Or maybe it was just a plane love story… but I knew it was only a matter of time before I made my own way to a cockpit. And so it was that when it came time for college, I had the amazing opportunity to complete my flight training through one of Canada’s most highly regarded aviation colleges – le Centre Québécois de Formation Aéronautique (http://www.cqfa.ca).

Acquiring my CPL and Twin-IFR there during a 3-years program, I went on the International Air Rally the summer I graduated. Crossing the Quebec province from all possible angles, the 20+ airplanes involved went from Montreal to Iqualuit, ending the trip back near Quebec City. What a blast! This opened doors, created connections, and led me to my first job in Toronto, flying charter flights in a Piper Chieftain. It was a fun airplane – a real work horse – but nothing compared to what came next!

Today I fly a Pilatus PC-12NG, doing medical evacuation missions across the province of Ontario. Although it is ‘only’ a single-engine turbine, this airplane will never cease to amaze in every way.

A recent example of what the aircraft is capable of would be my last recurrent training ride. It always starts with the push of a button – the automated system taking it from there, starting up electrical systems one after the other in sequence when the engine parameters reached their pre-set values.  The goal of the flight: test our capability to handle the aircraft – both in technical flying exercises as well as IFR procedures. Piece of cake! As we roll out from our hangar and start our taxi, the tasks are divided into configuring the aircraft for take-off and setting up the ‘FMS’. A wrong flaps or condition lever setting will own you a vocal warning from the aircraft: a loud ‘NO TAKE-OFF’ for all  to hear in the aircraft, making sure you will be so  embarrassed that you won’t miss it next time! The FMS incorporates all the legs of the flight, allowing the pilot to enter everything from the departure runway, SID, enroute airways, STAR and approach. Once all the information is in, it calculates a vertical profile and announces forecasted fuel consumption.

“Radio, Pulse 101 on the roll, Runway 03”. With that announcement, and all the checks complete, the last thing left to do is set the power. The PC-12NG boasts 1600 SHP, de-rated to 1200 SHP. You can definitely tell it yearns to fly. “Set Take-Off Power” the captain calls. “Take-Off Power Set” I answer.  Picture me jumping around in my seat with ELEVATION by U2 rocking in my head. It never fails. With that, I call “Positive Rate of Climb” and “Gear Up”. We are in business!

Quickly reaching our cruise altitude for today – a cozy 16,000 feet – we setup in cruise and prepare for some technical flying prowess. Ok I may be exaggerating. The airplane deserves most of the praises here, as the exquisitely crafted ailerons and trims take care of perfectly balancing the flight controls in the pilot’s hands. Only smooth movements are required as we roll through steep turns, stalls, and finally simulated engine out procedures.  Now onto the fun part!

Rapidly approaching the airport once more, we request an ILS approach, followed by an overshoot and a transition into another approach. Darn! As we near the beginning of the first approach, we get reminded that we also need to complete a holding procedure. No worries, the FMS has it all under control! Entering our first approach into the FMS and loading up the electronic approach plate that goes with it, the captain and me make a quick work of briefing and finally starting the approach. “Minimums – NO Contact” I announce once we reach our simulated minimum altitude. With the simple push of the “Go-Around” button, the Captain switches the FMS onto its overshoot procedure, synchronizing navigation and altitude constraints to reflect the new flight path already loaded. Smoothly applying full power once more, we climb out with no more to do than let ATC know we are back with them  for the next approach.

We still have to complete a holding procedure. But where? The airplane does not care, as it can enter a hold virtually anywhere, from any direction, by itself. So the task falls on me to decide as it’s going to be my approach. “Let’s ask ATC for a hold at our FAF, following the DME-ARC in” I decide.  But ATC throws a wrench in our well-laid plans. “Pulse 101, there is company traffic inbound with MEDEVAC priority. Maintain present radial to intercept the DME-ARC inbound, then you are clear to hold at the FAF as published. Report established in the hold”. I must admit I lost my breath trying to read back the clearance. WHAT sort of intercept is THAT going to give us? Looking at the captain, I see the same question mark in his eyes. Time to see what this computer is capable of! Swiftly entering the full approach and DME-ARC in the FMS, I setup the airplane to intercept from our present heading. 30 seconds later, the hold is also programmed and we still have a few minutes to take a breath and finally brief the procedure. Both the captain and I sit back, and monitor as the airplane intercepts, flies the arc, then enters the hold – all on its own. Never ceases to amaze!

Finally leaving the hold for the final stretch, I ask the captain to take a quick look at the wings as we are descending through icing and good winds. The approach will be the most challenging part of the day. With the de-ice system working full time, I make my way down the localizer steadily. Because of gusty cross-winds, I brief for a slightly higher reference speed over the threshold. The airplane has advanced stall protection which is not forgiving – a stall during flare would still activate the stick-pusher, ending with a hard nose-wheel at best…

“500 Hundred” – the automated callout resonates through the cockpit, informing us of the rapidly approaching runway. “Ref plus 10” my captain calls out. The last few hundred feet give us a rocky ride as the winds push us from side to side with each gust. I flare with a low wing into the wind, waiting for contact. I feel it – ever so slightly, as the trailing-link design of our main wheels absorb most of the touch-down shock. Bringing the power to full reverse, I settle us back firmly onto the runway.  “Radio, Pulse 101 is down and clear”. Another day, another flight. One always amazing airplane!