Elite Traveler May-June 2018

DISCOVER

elite traveler MAY/JUNE 2018 42 Aviation

PC-24 IN NUMBERS 2,810 ft minimum runway length (paved or unpaved) 13 extra-large cabin windows 4’1” by 4’3” cargo door Max range 2,035 nm (with four passengers) Max cruise speed 440 knots Max altitude 45,000 ft Rate of climb 4,151 ft/min

Just after takeoff, as we are thrust back into our seats and Pilatus’s PC-24 rapidly ascends at a somewhat worrying angle, PlaneSense’s CEO George Antoniadis exclaims that it took us just 1,000ft, judging from the runway markings, to become airborne. This, he tells me, is why he added a jet program to his already successful turboprop fleet. For Antoniadis, the company he founded and runs is not just about getting from A to B; it’s about minimizing the final mile. With turboprops, an extra 20 minutes in the air flying to a smaller airport with a shorter runway could save a client an hour or more on the ground getting to his or her final destination. With the PC-24, he keeps that flexibility but adds speed in the air. The jet only requires 2,810ft for takeoff (many mid-size jets require 5,000ft), which keeps his fleet nimble and his customers closer to home. First flight: PC-24

What’s particularly striking about the jet is that despite its minimal runway requirements, it’s actually comfortable and very luxurious. It is shockingly quiet; tall passengers won’t have to cock their heads to the side during takeoff and landing; there’s ample room to recline without crowding the passenger behind you; and there are leg rests that extend nearly parallel to the flat floor. The interior is bright and light-filled, and features matte wood and a palette of grays personally selected by Antoniadis. Calling himself a closet architect, he explains that he spent days with Pilatus’s design team to create the perfect interior that was relaxing and not too corporate. Antoniadis says the forward-situated, space-saving lavatory and roomy, pressurized and in-flight-accessible baggage compartments are two more reasons his customers are clamoring to purchase access to the jet. After

accepting delivery of the first-ever PC-24 in Switzerland earlier this year — which he himself ‘test-drove’ in a joyride around the Alps, joking that he scraped the bottom of the jet on the Matterhorn — he’s waiting for the delivery of the next six and plans to order four more each year to meet demand. And with the ability to land a jet in small, in-demand airports where the final mile can be longer than the flight, such as Montauk in the Hamptons, Block Island and Steamboat Springs in Colorado, we aren’t sure if four a year will be enough. PlaneSense fractional ownership of PC-24 from $685,000 for 1/16 share with 50 hours a year with hourly operating cost of approximately $6,350. Contact David Verani, vice president of sales and marketing, dverani@planesense.com, +1 603 501 7750, planesense.com

Words Kristen Shirley. Photos JE Youngblut, Daniel Diggelmann