You'd be hard pressed to find very many half-century old aircraft designs here at EBACE, though the rugged Pilatus PC-6 just celebrated 50 years in the sky.The PC-6 recorded its maiden sortie 4 May 1959 and Pilatus has seen nearly 1000 airframes built for service all over the planet.
Pilatus hopes to deliver its 1000th PC-6 sometime in 2012, with between 5-10 built per year.
The 963rd PC-6, on display here at the show, will end up in the hands of Kathmandu, Nepal-based Yeti Airlines. Yeti placed an order for two of the type for cargo services, as well as business and tourist flights in the mountainous Himalayan region.
Pilatus says the aircraf's short take off and landing capability makes it ideal for the unfinished airfields, requiring as little as 50 to 100m (164-326 ft) for a take off roll.
After the show, the aircraft will be handed over to Yeti for a ferry marathon flight from Pilatus' nearby Stans facility to Kathmandu, with stops in Italy, Greece, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Pakistan.
Pilatus customer support manager Thomas Henzi says that Yeti made its final fleet selection after watching two skydivers take a PC-6 above 29,200 feet (8,900 m), abeam with Mt. Everest after departing a nearby rugged airstrip in Shiangboche, Nepal 13,024 feet (3,970 m) above sea level.
Photo Credit Billypix
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