A PC-12 NG with special Formula 1 livery showing the Sauber C31 racing car, will fly the Sauber F1 Team direct to the racetracks of Europe in 2012.

The PC-12 NG took off on its first mission last weekend, flying the eight-man team, plus team manager Peter Sauber, to the first race in Spain. The PC-12 NG landed in Sabadell, a small aerodrome with a 1000 m runway, just a few kilometres from the circuit.

Peter Sauber sums things up nicely: “One of the best features of the PC-12 is its ability to land on, and take off from, very short runways. It leaves us free to avoid the big, inefficient airports. We were back at the aircraft within a few minutes of the race finishing and airborne shortly afterwards, thanks to the smooth air traffic control service. We really can save a lot of time, and that obviously means greater efficiency and a better quality of life for our top management and chief engineers.”

The single-engine turbine-powered PC-12 NG offers a cost-effective solution for a wide range of transport tasks. An attractive purchase price, low operating costs, spacious cabin, large freight door and ability to operate in and out of very short unmade runways really set the PC-12 NG apart from jets and twin-engine turboprop aircraft.

“Sauber Motorsport AG is the perfect partner for Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. Both companies work with high-tech products and embrace Swiss values”, says Fred Muggli, Head of Sales & Marketing PC-12 at Pilatus. “With its outstanding features and flexible operating parameters, we are confident that the PC-12 NG will provide a comfortable, safe, fast means of flying Peter Sauber’s team to races right across Europe. We’re delighted that the team has chosen Pilatus.”

Source and photo: Pilatus