

PILATUS PC-12 MARKET OVERVIEW FOR JULY 2023
TRUE AMERICAN STORY
It’s our 4th of July edition of the Pulse, over one year since we launched in June of 2022! After spending a weekend celebrating what it means to be American, I have been thinking deeply about life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness…
I’ve spent the last 25+ years intimately involved with aircraft owners—with their training, aircraft, businesses, and often their personal lives. Though some share more than others, when I reflect over these relationships, they all have several things in common:
1. Every one of them places a very high value on the relationships around them. Obviously, this starts with their families, but more often than not, it extends to “work, family” and their business relationships, maybe even a demo/test pilot from Pilatus. :-)
2. They surround themselves with people that enhance their lives, and who are smarter than they are. Yes, this sounds like the obvious, but these individuals specifically “know what they don’t know…” Sure, they’re smart, but they never let their egos get in the way of acknowledging ‘what they don’t know’ and thus, they surround themselves with best CFO’s, lawyers, and managers, etc.
3. They let their passion and perseverance AND “gut instinct” guide them through their life’s journey. Yes, there were mistakes and bad decisions, but by in large, they chose the correct path the overwhelming majority of the time.
I’m sure anyone reading this can relate. In these stories of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, there are many sleepless nights along the way—times of personal or financial hardships, but, in the end, they won. They succeeded. It is such an honor to witness the result of this hard work at the finish line with a new aircraft!
That said, I’d like to share a specific moment that I will always remember. I was visiting a customer’s company headquarters in a small town in the Midwest. I walked into the wood paneled lobby decorated with some things you might expect— a few plaques, old pictures, employee of the month, etc. My host, Gary, was consumed with saying hello to the admin and other
employees that had worked there for 25+ years when I found myself drawn to one of the old black and white pictures on the wall. I asked Gary what it was and he said, “Oh, that’s my dad on the left, me sitting next to him, my brother next to me, and on the far right was Bill Johnson. Those are the four guys that started the company in 1969. That’s why the tail number on our Aircraft is N469xx.” (I won’t divulge the last two letters of the registration, but they were indicative of the company name). Wow. And there you have it!
So, fast-forward 40 years, many sleepless nights, possible bankruptcy, and over 1200 employees later, I’m at the finish line with Gary. He had a goal a long time ago. He may not have verbalized the common phrase of life liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in 1969, but he sure executed it well. Oh ya, he also raised a family, and dramatically influenced the other 1200 employee families along the way. Not bad.
This month’s cover picture exemplifies that same kind of story. Like I’ve said, these unique individuals all share a common bond and characteristics that are the backbone of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. I don’t have space here to do his story justice, but let’s just say it reads like a true American story. Starting with his grandfather immigrating from Western Russia in 1912 and starting a small five and dime store, to the third generation today with over 80 convenience stores, and an LP gas business that heats 25,000 homes each winter. Not bad Krist! You and your family earned it!
Again, many of you reading this know exactly what I’m talking about and I’m sure you have your own unique circumstances to reflect upon. Speaking of reflection, I think it would be a great idea for us all to step back and give thanks for our life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. We’ve all earned it but should never take it for granted.
God bless America, and happy 4th of July!
-BubMARKET CHANGES IN THE LAST 30 DAYS BY MODEL YEAR








$7,000,000
$6,000,000
$5,000,000
Asking Price Total Hours
Asking Price By Total Hours Under Contract No Contract
$4,000,000
$3,000,000
$8,000,000 0 2500 5000 7500 10000 12500 15000 17500
DOUBLED $2,000,000
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.

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, and thus generates a commensurate trend curve. This data provides a baseline for our aircraft evaluations.
ASKING PRICE BY MODEL YEAR
18-20 $3,000,000
$7,000,000
$6,000,000
Asking Price Model Year
PROJECTS PER YEAR. WE ARE THE WORLD WIDE LEADER OF PILATUS PRE-OWNED SALES. $2,000,000

$5,000,000
$4,000,000
$8,000,000 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015 2020 2025
Asking Price By Model Year Under Contract No Contract

TIME ON MARKET
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

AN OPERATION CONVERSATION
WITH SCOTT PATRICK, DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS AND CHIEF PILOT AT JETSWISSWe all know that operations of Pilatus or any aircraft requires more than parking a plane in a hangar. So, we asked Scott Patrick to share some tips and tricks to running a smooth operation.
What does a typical day look like for operations at JetSwiss?
While operations may vary greatly day to day depending on a project’s point in the process, there is a detailed protocol we go through with every aircraft.
With new projects, we start with inventory of logbooks, checking aircraft information. Next, we will meet with our maintenance advisor to look at the physical aircraft. After a maintenance protocol, I’ll do a test flight and we’ll put our heads together on squawks and issues. We want to know everything from the last maintenance event to a coffee stain on the carpet.
What are some important things to think about when building or choosing a hangar for your Pilatus?
If you’re building your own space, start with the location. Is it near to your office? Home? Is there access to amenities and fuel? Next consider your footprint and hangar door. You need a 60x16ft door for a PC-12, while a PC-24 requires a height of 19 feet. Then, consider the placement of your GPU receptacle. Ours lives at the front of the hangar so we can connect aircraft both inside and out. Don’t overlook your phone and internet provider. Quality internet is important for downloads on the aircraft. Call us on this topic!
On the other hand, community hangars can be nice because they have their own GPU and tugs. You can call ahead and have it ready to go. Downfalls include level of security and storage space for all the supplies for your aircraft. And don’t forget hangar rash!
What types of equipment is best to have in your hangar for a Pilatus?
If you have your own hangar, you’ll need a tug. JetSwiss has two: tractor and a Towbot. The remote control Towbot is great for getting in tight corners, starting and stopping and looking around the airplane. However, electric tugs do not operate well in snow or ice. Additionally, you’ll also
need an electric or gas GPU, and access to nitrogen and oxygen supply if not within your own hangar space. Don’t forget nav updates!
How important is keeping records?
This is probably the most time spent with aircraft operations, and it is vitally important to the operation of your aircraft. If you take an airplane in to be serviced, shops must research the logbooks. If they’re in disarray, that’s time on your clock. We estimate about 50% of the aircraft we encounter are technically illegal—arriving without every manual on the aircraft, temp revisions, etc. And that is a reason for an insurance company not to pay up in case of incident.
Tips and tricks to keeping your cockpit organized and properly stocked?
Everything has a place. Find out what works for you. If you have some downtime before or between trips, it’s a great time to organize and clean your cockpit. JetSwiss stocks our aircraft with ‘brakes-on-off’ signs, notepads, TOLD cards, flashlights, flight logs, etc. and documents binder containing hangar info, warranty info and subscriptions.
Tell us some tips for maintaining your aircraft. The single most important thing is organization—for both efficiency and safety purposes. Keep all your manuals in the aircraft and your logbooks and other information in a fireproof safe.
ALSO, SCHEDULE YOUR ANNUAL EARLY. You know when it is coming up. Consider reserving the same time every year. People often worry about working around future schedules and holidays. Instead, find a time that you can work around. We remind JetSwiss clients when they are 6 months out from their next maintenance event to get ahead of it and prevent downtime.
If Pilatus owners have questions surrounding their aircraft operations, who should they call?
Ghostbusters! Kidding. Call us any time. We love to solve Pilatus-specific challenges. Email us at pilatus@jetswiss.com