Originally Posted by
evilducky
Again, can't speak to King Airs, but as for 12 vs 24 - the 12NG is exceptionally quick to get going. Only functional test required is the stick pusher, almost everything else is just check that it's in AUTO. 5-6 minutes between doors shut and take-off. 24 at least double that. Loading also signifcantly slower on the 24 - have to remove the back stretcher every time you load or unload, and your primary retrieval isn't going to be on the back stretcher as it's a hard one to access in flight when they arrest. Loader design on the 24 more complex, longer setup and packdown.
Then there's reliability as well, I think the joke going around one section in early PC24 days was along the lines of - What's the speed difference between the PC12 and PC24? 265 knots. Might be improved now, but the 12 is still a mature aeroplane with almost all of the flaws ironed out.
The jets certainly avoid the weather better, but for everything except the far west of NSW - the time savings for patients exist only on paper.
I'm going to agree with some of what you've written, and disagree with some as well.
You are right in terms of how quick a -12 is to get going. It takes hardly any time at all and it is probably twice as quick from doors closed to taxying than the -24.
However, comparing the -24 to a King Air is a totally different matter. I've observed dozens (probably hundreds) of King Airs loading, starting, and getting going and they seem to take forever.
I wouldn't be surprised if the PC24 was as quick or quicker than the King Air in that regard these days.
It needs to be remembered that when the PC24 first arrived it was an entirely new aircraft being operated by pilots / organisations that had never operated jets before.
Initially the checklists were extremely long and laborious to go through.
Pilatus has massively tidied these up now to the point they are virtually unrecognisable compared to the first versions, and after the first sector of the day it is actually quite quick to get going. The transit checklist has eliminated probably 60-70% of what was initially being done every start.
As far as loading goes, I don't know where you get you info from, but for us it is absolutely
not necessary to remove the rear RHS stretcher to load / unload the others.
You do need to remove the LHS stretcher to get to the front one, but 90% of the time you either have a patient on that stretcher or luggage so it would have to come off anyway. If you're on a primary retrieval where you don't need that stretcher, why did you take it? You don't have to.
Overall though it does take longer to load / unload than the PC12, but is it any longer than a King Air? Not so sure about that.
I'd also like to see the $/nm for a B350/360 compared to a PC24. Of course I'd expect the jet to be more expensive but I bet the gap isn't as much as some people seem to think.
Finally, in terms of reliability, there were definitely some teething problems at the start but this aircraft is a brand new design, not some 50 year old banger in a new frock.
Name another entirely new aircraft that hasn't had a few issues in the early days.
When the PC12 first came out there were all sorts of problems. Now they are one of the most reliable aircraft in the world with a safety record the old designs can only dream of. Give the -24 a few more years and the kinks will be ironed out as well. It's already much more reliable than it was a year or two ago.
It's hard to understand some of the negativity in this place. It really is.
You've got a state of the art medical jet that can carry 50% more patients on any flight (or several more sitters), fly much further much faster in more comfort with more room in a whisper quiet cabin. For the pilots it's a delight to fly and the medical team a pleasure to be in, and - most importantly - for the patients it's on another level than anything even the best turboprop could offer.
As I've said before, it'll never replace the workhorses that do such a great job day in day out.
It's not meant to. But it complements them and adds another layer of capability which people (especially, on here, pilots) should be happy about.