IATA PL6ICAO PC6T

Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter

Pilatus

Legendary Swiss STOL utility turboprop for rugged operations.

First flight

1959

Category

Utility turboprop

Seating

1 crew + up to 10 passengers

Range

1,630 km

Engines

Single Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop

Status

In service

The Pilatus PC-6 Turbo Porter is a single-engine Swiss utility aircraft renowned for its exceptional short takeoff and landing (STOL) performance. Designed to operate from unprepared strips, mountain airstrips, and remote locations, it has served in a vast range of roles including cargo, parachuting, skydiving, medevac, and military transport. Originally developed by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland, the PC-6 first flew with a piston engine in 1959 before being re-engined with a turboprop powerplant, which became the dominant and most successful variant. Its robust construction, high-wing configuration, and large payload capacity relative to its size made it highly adaptable across demanding environments worldwide. Over its long production life, the PC-6 has been operated by militaries, aid organizations, bush operators, and skydiving centers across more than 50 countries. Production continued for over six decades, with Pilatus officially ending new production in 2019 after delivering nearly 500 airframes.

Notable operators

Operated by numerous military and civil organizations worldwide, including the U.S. Army, Swiss Air Force, and various skydiving and bush operators across Africa, Asia, and the Americas.

Notable facts

›The original PC-6 first flew with a piston engine in 1959; turboprop variants became far more common.
›Capable of taking off and landing in distances under 200 meters on suitable terrain.
›Nearly 500 aircraft were built over more than 60 years of production, ending in 2019.
›Widely used for parachute and skydiving operations due to its large cabin and rear-loading capability.
›Has served in humanitarian and relief missions in some of the world's most remote and inaccessible regions.

This profile is provided for general information only. Specifications may be inaccurate or vary by variant/operator — verify with the manufacturer before relying on them.

Encyclopaedia

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engined STOL utility aircraft designed by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. First flown in 1959, the PC-6 was produced at Pilatus Flugzeugwerke in Stans, Switzerland. It has been built in both piston engine- and turboprop-powered versions, and was produced under licence for a time by Fairchild Hiller in the United States. After 604 deliveries in 63 years, Pilatus ended production in 2022.

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