PILATUS MARKET: NATIONAL AVIATION DAY THE PILATUS WAY
NATIONAL AVIATION DAY THE PILATUS WAY
History Lesson
Orville Wright made the first flight on the Outer Banks at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina on December 17th, 1903. In honor of this, President Franklin Roosevelt declared in 1939 that August 19, Orville’s birthday, would be National Aviation Day – an annual occasion to celebrate the importance and development of aviation.
The Story of Pilatus
Interestingly, in the same year that National Aviation Day was declared (1939), deep in the heart of Switzerland, close to Mount Pilatus, a small maintenance facility was started to service the aircraft of the Swiss Air Force. This company from Stans, Nidwalden, would go on to become a respected world leader in aviation, known as Pilatus Aircraft.
Fun fact: When Pilatus was founded, World War II was looming on the horizon. The founders were simply looking for a location as remote as possible and away from the borders. There had to be enough space to build an airplane factory as well as an airfield next to it. As the story goes, initial plans were to build aircraft in the caverns inside the mountain next to the airfield. It was decided that this would take too long, so they took the more conventional route.
Swiss Design at its Finest
The Swiss attention to detail and precision engineering did not stop at watches. When the PC-12 made its debut in 1995, the plan was to deliver just 250 aircraft in the first 10 years–the Swiss culture dictates quality over quantity. Small batch production is a result of pride in craftsmanship. Obviously, the plan did not go accordingly. The 500th PC-12 was delivered in 2004, a little over ten years after the first production year of 1995. In 2010, six years later, the 1,000th PC-12 was delivered.
Today, there are over 2,500 PC-12 aircraft performing worldwide. Even with the unforeseen uptick in deliveries, Pilatus’ ultra conservative, low-risk, and quality-driven business plan, has ensured that demand remains high. Just ask someone today on when they can take delivery of a new Pilatus. The answer is anywhere from two to five years out.
What does all this mean for you?
We can all agree and say that with historically high demand, resale values also remain high. As a prospective consumer or existing owner, here are three simple suggestions for moving forward:
1. Do Your Homework
If you are a potential seller, learn the market landscape. If you’re a potential buyer, learn the market landscape and determine what your Pilatus dollars will get you.
2. Consider the Landmines… and Air-Mines
There are a lot of moving parts at play when buying or selling an aircraft. Contrary to popular belief, it’s nothing like a used car. One detail can be costly. It’s important to know where the landmines are.
3. Make an Expert Decision
There’s an expert for everything. We are the one and only expert in pre-owned Pilatus. Our clients know what they don’t know, and that’s what makes them an expert at decision-making. Leave the Navigating to Us®
And with that, let’s nosedive into the current market!
After a relatively flat June, July showed a serious shift in movement. To state the obvious, the return of 100% Bonus Depreciation has reenergized buyers and sellers who were previously on the sidelines due to uncertainty surrounding the new economic policy.
We are most certainly seeing this shift at our headquarters. July saw nearly three times as many Pilatus aircraft flee the market compared to June. However, prices are steady across the board–a reflection of the consistent residual value and resilient demand of Pilatus aircraft.
For August, we expect continued buzz as buyers act to capitalize on the reinstated depreciation benefits and as sellers work to stay ahead of upcoming fourth-quarter competition. That is not to mention the deliveries of the new Pilatus PRO in Q4 of this year. This will likely bring in a wave of inventory to the market. Current Pilatus owners with 2025 PRO delivery slots will be motivated to sell their existing aircraft (if they have not done so already) and close before year-end!
What’s on your agenda before year-end? We’ll be around, working like busy bees. Give us a call if you have any questions regarding Pilatus.
Until then, fly safe, Your Friends at JetSwiss Aviation
MARKET CHANGES IN THE LAST 30 DAYS BY YEAR MODEL
1996, 2001, 2005, 2007, 2007, 2008, 2013, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2021, 2022, 2022
2002, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2017, 2018*, 2019, 2019, 2020, 2020*, 2020*, 2020, 2022 2 From Last Month
11 From Last Month
0-30 Days on Market
31-60 Days on Market
61-90 Days on Market
4-6 Months on Market
7-12 Months on Market
1-2 Years on Market
AVERAGE PRICE BY QUARTER 2020-2025
$6M
AVERAGE LISTING PRICE PAST 6 MONTHS
$8,000,000
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$2,000,000
$1,000,000
$1M $3M $4M $5M $6M $7M $8M $0
Pilatus Appraisal Report (PAR),
Asking Price By Total Hours
$8.0M
$8,000,000
AIRCRAFT
ASKING PRICE VS. TOTAL TIME
$7.0M
$7,000,000
$6.0M
$6,000,000
$5.0M
$5,000,000
$4.0M
$4,000,000
$3.0M
$3,000,000
Similar to the Asking Price vs Model Year chart, this information helps our clients determine “the mileage on the car” for their specific budget. Want to own a low time aircraft? This chart will give you an indication on what you will spend. Note: aircraft under 1,000 hours total time historically yield much higher prices.
$2.0M
$2,000,000
$1.0M
$1,000,000
This chart reflects the current market for Pilatus PC-12 aircraft that are on the retail market. Want to know how much your Pilatus dollars will buy? This is a great place to start! As you can see, the aircraft model year plays a key factor in pricing of the aircraft–thus generates a commensurate trend curve. This data provides a baseline for our aircraft evaluations.
This information helps our clients determine “the mileage on the car” for their specific budget. “Want to own a low time aircraft?” This chart will give you an indication on what you will spend. Note: aircraft under 1,000 hours total time historically yield much higher prices.
$11.0M $13.0M
$9.0M
$7.0M
$5.0M
$3.0M
This chart reflects the current market for Pilatus PC-24 aircraft that are on the retail market. Want to know how much your Pilatus dollars will buy? This is a great place to start! As you can see, the aircraft model year plays a key factor in pricing of the aircraft–thus generates a commensurate trend curve. This data provides a baseline for our aircraft evaluations.
PC-24 BY THE NUMBERS
THE PILLARS OF PILATUS
In honor of National Aviation Day (August 19th), we’re spotlighting the remarkable journey of Pilatus and the company’s impressive accomplishments over the years.
1939
Pilatus is founded by Emil Georg Bührle
1942
Official company inauguration
2004
Pilatus reaches 1 million PC-12 flying hours
The 500th PC-12 is delivered
2008
The PC-12 NG hits the market
The PC-12 NG is certified by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the FAA
1994
The PC-12 approved by the Swiss Federal Ofice for Civil Aviation (FOCA)
The PC-12 is approved by the American Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
1998
PC-12 sales and service network is expanded around the world
2010
Delivery of the 1,000th PC-12
2013
Pilatus unveils the PC-24 at the EBACE
The PC-24 is the first business jet worldwide with the ability to use very short runways, paved or unpaved, and a cargo door as standard.
2014
Pilatus’s order book opens and sells all the PC-24s scheduled to come off the production line during the first three years & Don Peterson starts JetSwiss Aviation
2017
The PC-24 is certified by EASA and FAA
2020
First PC-12 NGX aircraft deliveries to customers in the United States and Europe
2021
Pilatus delivers the 100th PC-24 and the 1800th PC-12
2018
The first customer delivery of a PC-24 goes to PlaneSense based in the US
2019
The brand-new PC-12 NGX is unveiled at the NBAA-BACE
JetSwiss Aviation leads the world in more pre-owned Pilatus projects than anyone else that year
2023
Delivery of the 2,000th PC-12
Pilatus takes over the Southeast U.S. territory (formerly Epps Aviation), and folds this sales and service into the Skytech company
2025
Pilatus launches the Pro with improvements such as 100 additional pounds of useful load and new Garmin G3000 Prime avionics system with emergency autoland.
TAIL FOR SALE
We’ve got tail for sale, and it’s moving fast! PC-12s are flying off the shelves. As the worldwide leader in Pre-Owned Pilatus, JetSwiss combines a series of diligent processes and over 20 years of experience to provide confidence, clarity, and results. If you’re looking for a Pilatus before year-end, you’re in the right place. For more information on our aircraft, visit JetSwiss.com.
We appreciate your feedback! Please send any feedback to Pilatus@jetswiss.com. Sign up to receive this publication to your inbox at jetswiss.com/pilatus-pulse.
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