AOPA AND PILATUS OFFER A CHANCE TO WIN USE OF A PILATUS PC-12 BUSINESS AIRCRAFT

April 9, 2015

          Contact: Steve Hedges
                        301-695-2159
                        [email protected]

FREDERICK, MD – The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has teamed up with Pilatus Aircraft to offer a unique opportunity: Use of the amazingly capable Pilatus PC-12 NG turboprop for eight hours of business missions.

The “AOPA Pilot BizAv and You” contest – powered by Pilatus – runs through June 30, and is open to people who own or work for a company that would benefit from the use of a PC-12 NG. Entrants simply need to submit a 300-word or fewer description of how their company would take advantage of a turbine aircraft if they had access to it.

Pilatus Aircraft will supply a PC-12 NG for up to eight hours of mission flying on up to four consecutive days—all within the contiguous U.S. Two Pilatus corporate pilots will be on the trip. However, if you’re a pilot and the Pilatus pilots approve, you will

get a chance to fly some of the legs. You may bring along up to three others and AOPA will bring along a writer and a photographer/videographer. The PC-12 NG seats up to 11.

AOPA will document the experience in words, photos and video and share it with AOPA members in AOPA Pilot and AOPA ePilot, on AOPA.org, and through AOPA Live This Week.

Entries will be judged by the editorial staff at AOPA. Special consideration will be given to those who outline missions that take advantage of the PC-12 NG’s unique capabilities of operating off of a variety of runway surfaces and into and out of remote areas with unusual gear that is easily accommodated by the PC-12’s cargo door.

As most aviators know, the PC-12 is an extremely versatile airplane, equally at home in town or country, on short dirt strips or a mile of concrete. The PC-12 climbs away to the flight levels, where it cruises at 270 knots with a range of 1,500 nautical miles, while  carrying almost two tons of fuel and 1,000 pounds of people and gear.  

The winner will be responsible for getting to the starting point of the mission and returning to his or her home base afterward, although the mission can be a round robin trip. AOPA will provide food and accommodations for the winners during the trip.

(If all of the eight flight hours are used, the prize has a taxable value of about $13,000. AOPA will throw in $4,000 in cash to help cover the taxes, raising the taxable value to $17,000. But the winner is responsible for paying any applicable taxes).

ABOUT AOPA

Since 1939, AOPA has protected the freedom to fly for thousands of pilots, aircraft owners and aviation enthusiasts. AOPA is the world’s largest aviation member association, with representatives based in Frederick, Md., Washington, D.C., Wichita, Kans., and seven regions across the United States. AOPA provides member services that range from advocacy at the federal, state, and local levels to legal services, flight planning products, safety programs and award-winning media. To learn more, visit www.aopa.org. 

- AOPA –

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