How many gravel strips are that long? Very few. The machine would thus be limited to only the major aerodromes, which have sealed surfaces anyway.
Most gravel runways and all mine sites in WA and many in the NT are easily that long. Certainly won't be a show stopper for Western Ops guys.
Plenty of hype about the machine being capable of "short strips", but will CASA allow this for the RFDS?
Well CASA might have to enter into the real world!! It will be a major embarrassment and there will be alot of political pressure applied if CASA start to block a PC24. I cannot see the Nationals letting CASA get away with to much if the RFDS come and show them the new Jet they want for country people, but CASA won't approve the certifictaion criteria despite every other authority in the world approving it.
Yes, I believe, given that their ops are back-of-the-clock with most of the RFDS pilots being younger guys, with the PC24 being their first jet.
Yeah and so what? Guys in the airforce fly their first jet at 100 hours. If you can fly the PC12 well I'm sure you cna adjust to the PC24.
It will be the old crustys in management that I would be worried about.