A Pilatus PC-21 aircraft, HB-HZD, has just arrived back in Switzerland after completing an extremely successful demonstration tour through the Middle East, Asia and Australia from November 2009 to April 2010. The tour included a lap of Australia from 11th February to 16th March.
 
The PC-21 was away from its home base of Stans Switzerland for 5 months and flew 144 flying hours, much of this unsupported. The PC-21 visited 13 countries and participated in Airshows at Dubai, Al Ain, Singapore and Point Cook. The ferry flights from Switzerland to Australia and return, accomplished using external tanks, involved a total of 34 flights and was completed on schedule and with no problems.

The Australian Tour Statistics
During the Australian sector of the tour the single aircraft:

• flown by 2 pilots,
• supported by only 3 technical staff,
• over 4 weeks,
• flew 6 aerobatic displays (including Lake Burley Griffin, Pt Cook Air Pageant and the World Superbike Championship race at Phillip Island),
• visited 11 defence bases,
• provided 51 demonstration flights,
• completed over 60 hours flight time,
• flew a total of 70 flights (an average of 3½ sorties per flying day from one aircraft), and
• completed 142 landings.

All with 100% availability. 

PC-12 Support
The PC-21 trainer was also supported in Australia by a PC-12, which was in the “combi” configuration to transport the technical staff and all spares and support equipment. This was aided by the large freight door, which is a standard fit on the PC-12, and the Class-Leading payload, range and economy combination.

The Pilatus Pilot Training System
The PC-21 tour provided the Australian Defence Force with the opportunity to experience some key elements of a modern, purpose designed and harmonized Pilot Training System – allowing project officers, stakeholders and decision makers to become more informed for the forthcoming aircrew training projects.

The PC-21 aircraft and training systems can provide a single aircraft training solution across the current pilot training spectrum. By then combining the PC-21 with a PC-12 fleet and the complementary synchronized modular training system, the Pilatus system can also provide flexibility to expand into any planned, or unforeseen, aspects of Defence Force aircrew training such as Air Combat Officer training, either in the classroom, in the rear cabin of a PC-12 or, for Super Hornet Air Combat Officers, in the rear seat of the PC-21. This combined training system effectively reduces three aircraft types to two whilst also augmenting a fourth type.

The Pilatus solution will provide the Defence Force with the tools needed for Forward Air Control (FAC) and Joint Terminal Air Controller (JTAC) Training, the elementary phases of Lead In Fighter course, cost effective initial training for multi crew aircraft types, light transport capability and allows the Lead In Fighter aircraft to mature upwards into the void which could exist between the current top end of Lead In Fighter capability and the demanding entry point into the Joint Strike Fighter.

The PC-21 is the only completely new training aircraft in this market and hence has the highest degree of flexibility and integration opportunities to allow it to occupy the space of several of the key components of the current ADF pilot training spectrum. The aircraft was designed to provide a complete training system, and not to be a standalone platform that the training system needs to be designed around. This is essential to satisfy the complex and challenging requirements of a tri-service Defence Pilot Training system.

Additional Pilatus PC-21 information
Pilatus, as a world recognized specialist in military training aircraft, has an excellent reputation both in Australia and in the international pilot training field. Also, the PC-21 was designed to meet the rigorous capability and efficiency demands of a modern Air Force. Aerodynamically, the PC-21 has a higher specific excess power than any of its turboprop competitors. This enables it to fly at over 320 kts at low altitude and dive at 370 kts. It also climbs faster than its competitors. The high wing loading gives it a more representative handling characteristic, both in ride quality and in turn rates for tactical formation training. Unlike competing aircraft that outsource their avionics system, Pilatus has full control over the training capabilities of the PC-21 because the avionics and training system was developed as an integral part of the aircraft design. There are three large 6in x 8in displays in each cockpit. Two of the displays are devoted to mission system training, such as navigation, air to air radar and air to ground radar training. The centre Primary Flight Display is backed up by two standby instruments for redundancy. In addition to the integrated mission system, the PC-21 has an option of twin civil Flight Management Systems and an autopilot. It also has HOTAS, a head-up display and all instrumentation is night vision goggle compatible. Computer-based training, cockpit procedure trainers and an operational flight simulator have been developed to support training. This was instigated alongside the aircraft development programme to provide the end-used with a fully integrated training system.

The PC-21 was designed, from the initial concept stage, to provide flexibility to the curriculum developers and training schools, both in the use of the aircraft and systems, but also in the ease of changing software and displays.

The engine is a Pratt and Whitney PT6A-68B, developing 1600 SHP. It has a unique power management system that regulates power as a function of airspeed. This improves the handling characteristic of the aircraft for students in the early phase of training.

Source: Pilatus
Picture: Rob Vogelaar, ZAP16 Group