Pilatus PC-12 Production Sold Out Through 2001

When you are selling all the airplanes you can build, it is possible to concentrate on refinements rather than radical change. That is the happy position where Angelo Fiataruolo finds himself as the new CEO of Pilatus USA. "We're not a company that provides all products to all people," he says. "But if there is a problem, it's that we're not making enough aircraft."

Early this year, Pilatus delivered the 200th example of its unique PC-12, a single-engined turboprop that is bigger in its cabin than many twins and costs about as much as some jets. It sells, says Pilatus, because it is versatile, roomy, easy to fly and has a longer range than comparably priced jets -- reducing their speed advantage on long trips.

More than 80 percent of those aircraft have been delivered in Fiataruolo's territory, North and South America. PC-12 sales and deliveries are increasing steadily-on current plans, it will be the Swiss manufacturer's all-time top-selling aircraft by 2002-03. By the end of the year, 270 PC-12s will be in service, and the production line is sold out through 2001.

The profile of the PC-12 customer is consistent, says Fiataruolo. "In the Western Hemisphere, they're predominantly sold to individuals, small companies and owner-operators." Most U.S. customers take the executive interior; Canada has more commuter operators. Utility users are more likely to be found in Europe, Asia and Australia, and the type has had some success in South Africa. The PC-12 buyer is attracted by its "user-friendly" features, says Fiataruolo. "The buyer is more likely to be an aviation person. They're not concerned about the fact that it's a turboprop. They're buying the aircraft for a mission. We won't sell an aircraft to someone who's fixated on jets."

The quality of support is important. "We sell this aircraft to a discerning buyer who expects it to fly," says Fiataruolo. "He's spent $3 million and doesn't want to hear about why we don't have a certain part." On the other hand, PC-12 buyers are also computer-literate. The company is developing Web-based support tools to augment service to their tight and homogenous market, but will not use them to replace the 24/7 technical support that it supplies today.

Surveys of the customer base show that changes to the PC-12 should be "evolutionary," says Fiataruolo. "There may be some enhancements in the cockpit, or some new interior options."

Pilatus will build 70 aircraft in 2000 and 80 in 2001 -- all of them already sold. The target for 2002 is 100 aircraft. "We'd like to get there faster, but the problem in aviation is that you don't get anywhere quickly." Pilatus is a 60-year-old independent company, Fiataruolo notes, not an industry giant, and its owners do not want the problems that can come with over-enthusiastic expansion.

One emerging issue affecting the PC-12 is a potential change to European airworthiness regulations, reducing the restrictions on the use of single-engine aircraft in public transport operations. The PC-12 would be the biggest beneficiary of such a change. "It would be wonderful news," says Fiataruolo, "but it would mean more arm-wrestling with Stans (Pilatus' headquarters) to get airplanes."

By John Morris