Pilatus PC-9

The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, low-wing tandem-seat turboprop training aircraft designed and manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. Developed as a more refined evolution of the earlier PC-7, the PC-9 features an enlarged cockpit and a ventral airbrake while possessing only a low level of structural commonality with its predecessor. During May 1985, the maiden flight of the prototype PC-9 was conducted; four months later, type certification was received and permitting deliveries to commence that same year. The PC-9 was designed to function as both an ab initio and advanced trainer without the need for an intermediate stage.

Production of the PC-9 has continued into the twenty-first century and in excess of 250 aircraft have been produced across five different variants. One of these variants, the Beechcraft T-6A Texan II, has been produced under licence by the American firm Beechcraft in the United States; the PC-9 has also been assembled by the Australian company Hawker de Havilland. The PC-9M is an upgraded variant with large primary and secondary flight displays that transform it into a true glass-cockpit trainer. The PC-9 has been employed by a number of military and civilian operators around the world, including the Swiss Air Force, Croatian Air Force, Royal Thai Air Force and the Irish Air Corps. It has been flown by aerobatics teams, like the Royal Thai Air Force's Blue Phoenix and the Royal Australian Air Force's Roulettes, and has occasionally been involved in combat operations. The PC-9 has established itself as the leader amongst military trainers in its class.

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Jim Goodrich

Jim Goodrich is a pilot, aviation expert and founder of Tsunami Air.

What is the Pilatus PC-9?

The Pilatus PC-9 is a single-engine, tandem-seat, low-wing turboprop training aircraft, designed and manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The Pilatus PC-9 offers a broad training spectrum, modern cockpit design, agility, and engine performance. It is a more robust evolution of the PC-7, featuring an enlarged cockpit and a ventral airbrake, while possessing only a low level of structural commonality with its predecessor.

The PC-9M has been produced since 1997. The PC-9M has a bigger back wing, updated avionics, and a different motor. Its avionics includes a glass cockpit with multiple screens, a Head-Up Display, and digital cockpit instruments. Ireland operates eight PC-9M aircraft for pilot training; they entered service in 2004. The PC-9A, built under license in Australia, has ejection seats and is spacious. The PC-9A replaced the Winjeel as the Forward Air Control training aircraft in the early 1990s. The PC-9 has six hardpoints for weapons, three under each wing. Each hardpoint can hold 250 kg (551.16 lbs). The aircraft has two places for bombs and two gas containers.

The PC-9 operates as a trainer, but also for filmmaking with a special movie camera at speeds up to 320 knots. Germany uses the PC-9B target towing variant, which has more gas space and winches. It pulls two targets at a distance of 1.8 to 3.1 miles (2.9 to 5.0 kilometers).

What are the specifications of the Pilatus PC-9?

The specifications of the Pilatus PC-9 are given in the table below.

The Pilatus PC-9 has an empty weight of 1,725 kg (3,803 lb). Max takeoff weight is 3,200 kg (7,055 lb). It has a gross weight of 2,350 kg (5,181 lb). The aircraft is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62 turboprop engine rated at 950 shp. The propeller is Hartzell, four-bladed, constant-speed, aluminum, and has fully feathering. It has a maximum speed of 593 km/h (320 kn) and a cruise speed of 556 km/h (300 kn). It has a range of 1,537 km (830 nmi) and an endurance of 4 hours 30 minutes. It has a service ceiling of 11,580 m (38,000 ft). The PC-9 has seven hardpoints, 3 spots under each wing and one weapon mount on the ventral side. The inner two weapon mounts have a capacity of 250 kg (551.16 lbs) and outer two have 110 kg (242.51 lbs). So, the maximum is about 2,292 pounds (1,040 kilograms). It has embedded wing fuel cells and two extra tanks, which is why its range is up to 1,593 km (990 miles). The Pilatus PC9B has more gas tank size. The weight limit is about 2,300 pounds.

What is the performance of the Pilatus PC-9?

The PC-9 is a tandem-seat single-engine military trainer aircraft capable of high performance. Due to a 950 hp PT6A engine and a four-blade Hartzell propeller, the maximum speed is 593 km/h (320 knots). Normal cruise speed is 556 km/h (300 knots) at 7,620 m (25,000 ft). Stall speed is 142 km/h (77 knots) with flaps and gear up, and 128 km/h (69 knots) with flaps and gear down. Max operating speed is 320 KEAS, and max cruise speed at sea level is 271 KTAS. At 10,000 ft (3,048 m), max cruise speed is 298 KTAS (552 km/h). Range is 830 NM with external fuel tanks, and maximum range is 860 NM.

What engine does the Pilatus PC-9 use?

The Pilatus PC-9 is powered by the 1,150 SHP Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-62, derated to 950 SHP, flat-rated at 708 kW. This engine drives a four-bladed, constant-speed, fully feathering Hartzell propeller.

What does the Pilatus PC-9 cockpit look like?

The PC-9 features an enlarged cockpit with a bubble canopy that is side hinged and provides outstanding visibility from both seats. The canopy consists of two parts, separated by a bow frame behind the front seat. The absence of windshield framing provides excellent forward visibility, and the elevation of the seats further enhances the effect. The instructor pilot sits higher than the student pilot, and the ejection seats within the cockpit were stepped (providing better visibility from the rear position). Two modern Martin-Baker Mk.CH11A ejector seats are installed in the cockpit for crew rescue. The cockpit layout is much like that of a modern fighter, but is simpler due the absence of a HUD (while not fitted as standard, a head-up display is optionally fitted) and offensive, defensive and weapon control panels and displays.

The centre of the instrument panel is occupied by the two MultiFunction Displays of the Bendix EFIS. The upper MFD displays the ADI with AoA ladder and roll angle symbology, compass heading and ILS glideslope when selected, while the lower is a HSI display that provides a DG rosette, Tacan, ADF and VOR displays. A standby conventional ADI is situated to the left of the panel. Basic flight instrument displays are conventional, with an altimeter to the right of the MFDs, a VSI beneath it, an ASI to the left, beneath which is a conventional ADF display, the G-meter is to the left of the ASI.

Engine instruments are to the upper right of the instrument panel, with analogue displays for engine torque, turbine inlet temperature, RPM, supplemented by displays for oil temperature/pressure and fuel contents, digital readouts of fuel remaining, fuel used and fuel flow are displayed, together with hydraulic accumulator pressure. The lower part of the panel left to right mounts a conventional clock, emergency gear release handle, comm1, comm2, EFIS controls, a Nav/Tacan, ADF and transponder display, the parking brake, and a master warning telltale panel. The Power Control Level (PCL) is situated to the left, with a rocker switch for rudder trim on the lower front of the handle. The gear select and indicators are situated at the junction of the left console and control panel; the console also mounts the 3 position flap selector, trim system controls, anti-ice, emergency fuel controls and a breaker panel.

The right console is occupied with electrical system controls, lighting controls, attitude/heading reference system (AHRS), environmental control system, engine starter and oxygen regulator controls, with another breaker panel to the aft of the console. The fighter style control stick is conventionally located with pitch/roll trim via a 'coolie hat' switch at the top, and the pedals are large, well positioned and comfortable. Upgraded advanced avionics and glass cockpit to include ADS-B and satellite weather are available. Recent upgrades to the PC-9 M include large primary and secondary flight displays to transform the aircraft into a true glass-cockpit trainer.

What is the price of a Pilatus PC-9?

The price of a Pilatus PC-9 ranges between 700,000-900,000 USD, with a PAPI Price Estimate (as of March 1, 2026) of $791,300. The standard PC9 price range is $800,000 to $1,200,000. A Pilatus PC9/A price range is $1.5 million to $4 million USD. The PC9’s base price is 8 to 9 million USD (2020), and the PC9/A’s cost is ten million US dollars adjusted for 2020. The PC9M’s export unit price was between 6.5 and 7.5 million dollars in the turn-of-the-century and early 2000s. Each of the 18 ex-RAAF Pilatus PC-9/As will be auctioned individually with a starting bid of $1 AUD and no reserve price.

Price varies with flight time, time since overhaul, electronics updates, and how good it was fixed up. Aircraft under 5,000 hours of use cost more, and pricing falls past 8,000 flight hours. Engine hours since rebuild and running time since new dictate price variance. Engines with less than 500 hours of use since overhaul retain peak, and pricing falls linearly as hours approach 1500 hours between overhaul. Engines that have reached their full usage lowers plane price by 30,000 bucks, while engines that need replacement cut plane price by 100,000 bucks. Electronics improvements change worth: adding the Garmin G1000 raises the asking price by 60,000 dollars, adding the Garmin G1000 NXi adds $20,000, and GPS landing using satellites adds 8,000 bucks. The add-on for better GPS landing adds 15,000 bucks and ADS-B adds $5,000. Paint condition changes value by forty thousand bucks, and past problems with damage lowers value by one tenth. A modern cockpit update raises PC9 price by $150,000, so a PC9 with modern cockpit update costs $1,300,000 and a PC9 with new pilot dashboard costs $1,500,000.

Civilian registered planes have a price premium of 40 to 100 out of each hundred over surplus. A surplus PC-9 has a price of $200,000 to $350,000. A civilian registered PC-9 costs between $400,000 and $700,000. These prices are not inclusive of seat removal or shipping charges. For ex-RAAF planes, expenses from disassembly to reassembly are from AUD 160,000 to AUD 460,000 per aircraft. Cost to take apart is between AUD 30,000 and AUD 60,000, preservation for cost of moving is between AUD 15,000 and AUD 25,000, and assembly is between AUD 50,000 and AUD 100,000. Shipping fees add between $20,000 and $50,000 to the total price. The PC-9 has an estimated operating cost per hour of $2,500 to $3,500, which covers gas, repairs, and engine spares.