Pilatus puts its PC-12 PRO simulator to work beyond pilot training

Turbine aircraft time continues to get more expensive and increasingly difficult to justify as a training tool. Manufacturers are responding to this limitation by expanding what can be accomplished in high-tech simulators and expanding their roles by turning them into tools for maintenance and troubleshooting along with pilot training and development. On Oct. 23, Pilatus showcased how its PC-12 PRO simulator is being used across pilot training, procedure development, maintenance instruction, and operational validation. The company says the device reproduces aircraft handling, systems logic, failures, and weather conditions using validated flight-test data. The company is also developing a future full-motion simulator designed to replicate aircraft movement more realistically. The simulator is designed for crew members to familiarize themselves with the PC-12 PRO's systems and provides complex or rare situations in a realistic environment for pilots to practice repeatedly. The company specifically cites low-visibility operations, GPS failures during North Atlantic crossings, severe weather scenarios, and emergency situations as areas where simulator training can provide exposure that may be difficult or impractical to replicate in the aircraft. Pilots can complete the required training to transition from the PC-12 NG or NGX to the PC-12 PRO in a manner that the company claims is more time and cost-effective than traditional training. Pilatus also states mechanics can use the simulator to practice engine-run and systems-related situations, allowing technical staff to work through abnormal indications and troubleshooting scenarios in a controlled environment. The company is already developing its next simulator to improve on the current one. It will be full-motion to realistically reproduce aircraft movements for a more immersive experience. Why it matters Pilatus is pushing a turboprop training device into roles beyond pilot checkouts, from procedure development to maintenance training. The benefits of a simulator that closely mirrors that of its real-world cockpit have been known for decades. Now the PC-12 PRO gains the added benefit of additional training flexibility, more opportunities to practice rare events and a platform that supports pilots, mechanics and flight-test teams alike. The full-motion simulator Pilatus is already developing is the next test of how far that goes.