Pilatus PC-24: how 151 jets are really flown
The busiest 5% made more than 33 flights a month and the quietest 5% fewer than 4: over eight times as many, on the same type.
The harder end, one aircraft in twenty, is at 81% or more; the easier end near none.
The harder end, one aircraft in twenty, is at 42% or more; the easier end near none.
The hardest-worked 5% log 33 flights a month or more; the easiest-used, 4 or less. The middle aircraft sits at 10.
Fatigue
What each landing and pressurization cycle costs the structure: landings per hour and short hops.
The middle PC-24 flies 1.4 hours for every landing. One in twenty lands every 0.9 hours or sooner, the most cycles for its time.
Middle half 1.2–1.6 : 1Harder end: 5% at 0.9 : 1 or lessEasier end: 5% at 2.0 : 1 or more
Middle half 30–54%Harder end: 5% at 68% or moreEasier end: 5% at 13% or less
Middle half 279–473 nmLowest 5%: 178 nm or lessHighest 5%: 762 nm or more
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Spread of trip lengths
All 151 PC-24sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 151 North America PC-24s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Hours per landing Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing | 1.4 : 1 | 1.2–1.6 : 1 |
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 42% | 30–54% |
| Leg length Median leg | 361 nm | 279–473 nm |
Corrosion
What the air around it does overnight: salt, damp and freeze–thaw.
The middle PC-24 spends <1% of its nights within 2 km of the coast. One in twenty spends 25% or more of them there.
Middle half 0–5%Harder end: 5% at 25% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 4.2–7.6 hHarder end: 5% at 11.1 h or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.3 h or less
Middle half 3–20%Harder end: 5% at 38% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Salt air across the fleet
94 PC-24sThe data behind it
Every measure for the 94 of the 151 North America PC-24s with enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (1 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Salt air Nights within 2 km of the coast | <1% | 0–5% |
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 6% | 1–33% |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.1 h | 4.2–7.6 h |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 11% | 3–20% |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 8.2 g/m³ | 6.8–10.1 g/m³ |
Engines and brakes
What departures ask of engines, brakes and tires: heat and height, and runway length.
The middle PC-24 leaves from a short runway on 1% of its departures. One in twenty does on 4% or more.
Middle half 0–2%Harder end: 5% at 4% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 2–12%Harder end: 5% at 42% or moreEasier end: 5% at 0%
Middle half 1,214–2,048 ftHarder end: 5% at 4,261 ft or moreEasier end: 5% at 406 ft or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Runway margin at departure
16,903 departuresThe data behind it
Every measure for the 151 North America PC-24s, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026 (1 on their record since 1 Jan 2025: too few departures in the 12 months).| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Short runways Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance | 1% | 0–2% |
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 6% | 2–12% |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,473 ft | 1,214–2,048 ft |
Utilization
How steadily the fleet is used: flights, flying days and estimated hours.
The middle PC-24 made 10 flights a month. The busiest 5% made 33 or more, the quietest 4 or fewer.
Middle half 6.2–23.6Harder end: 5% at 32.9 or moreEasier end: 5% at 3.7 or less
Middle half 4.7–11.4Harder end: 5% at 14.5 or moreEasier end: 5% at 2.5 or less
Middle half 108–345 hHarder end: 5% at ≈537 h or moreEasier end: 5% at ≈61 h or less
Context, not graded: the tint marks the harder and easier end of the fleet.
Month by month
12 monthsMedian flights per aircraft that flew that month · darker bar is the busiest month, July 2026
The data behind it
Every measure for the 90 of the 151 North America PC-24s with at least 40% of their flights tracked, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half |
|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 9.5 | 6.2–23.6 |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 6.1 | 4.7–11.4 |
| Estimated hours a year From time in the air | ≈159 h | 108–345 h |
Buying, selling or financing a PC-24?
See where your PC-24 sits in the fleet.
Enter a tail number to place it against these 151 aircraft. TailCheck grades it on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization, with every percentile shown.
Where PC-24s are based and fly
Phoenix Sky Harbor is home to more PC-24s than any other field, 5 of the 119 with a home base.
Appleton–Johnson is the busiest route: 127 flights by 3 different aircraft.
Where PC-24s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Phoenix Sky Harbor | 5 | |
| Appleton | 3 | |
| Rocky Mountain Metropolitan | 3 | |
| Boise Air Terminal | 3 | |
| Charlotte Douglas | 3 | |
| Gerald R. Ford | 3 |
Busiest PC-24 routes
| Between | Flights |
|---|---|
| Appleton ⇄ Johnson | 127 flights |
| Carson ⇄ McCarran | 101 |
| Edmonton ⇄ Calgary | 95 |
| Charlotte Douglas ⇄ Cincinnati Lunken | 78 |
| Portsmouth at Pease ⇄ Teterboro | 62 |
| Edmonton ⇄ Winnipeg J. A. Richardson | 57 |
Longest PC-24 flights
| Between | Distance · time |
|---|---|
| Burbank Bob Hope → Philadelphia | 2,074 nm · 4 h 31 min |
| Assiut → Luton | 2,053 nm · 4 h 48 min |
| Boise Air Terminal → Naples | 1,973 nm · 5 h 22 min |
| Aurora State → Carp | 1,946 nm · 4 h 16 min |
| Los Angeles → Orlando Sanford | 1,920 nm · 4 h 41 min |
Busiest PC-24s this year
The busiest PC-24 made 35 flights a month, three times the middle aircraft.
Even the tenth on this list made 30.
Ranked by flights a month · updated monthly
| # | Tail | Flights a month | Estimated hours a year | Record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | N556AF | 35 | 611 h | Check this tail → |
| 2 | N292AF | 35 | 539 h | Check this tail → |
| 3 | N154AF | 35 | 535 h | Check this tail → |
| 4 | N525AF | 34 | 543 h | Check this tail → |
| 5 | N551AF | 33 | 570 h | Check this tail → |
| 6 | N274AH | 33 | 383 h | Check this tail → |
| 7 | N533AF | 32 | 522 h | Check this tail → |
| 8 | N294AF | 31 | 456 h | Check this tail → |
| 9 | N594AF | 30 | 552 h | Check this tail → |
| 10 | N158AF | 30 | 477 h | Check this tail → |
PC-24 vs other aircraft of its size
Medians for each North America fleet, same window and method.
It ranks 2nd of 5 types in its size group on flights a month.
| Type | Tracked | Flights a month | Hours a year | Median leg | Hours per landing | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-24 | 151 | 9.5 | 159 h | 361 nm | 1.4 : 1 | 42% |
| Cessna Citation XLS | 599 | 8.3 | 135 h | 368 nm | 1.3 : 1 | 43% |
| Hawker 750/850 | 396 | 6.8 | 119 h | 401 nm | 1.4 : 1 | 40% |
| Cessna Citation V Ultra | 380 | 5.2 | 84 h | 315 nm | 1.3 : 1 | 49% |
| Bombardier Learjet 60 | 173 | 9.8 | 179 h | 444 nm | 1.4 : 1 | 36% |
PC-24 vs Citation XLS →PC-24 vs Phenom 300 →PC-24 vs HondaJet HA-420 →
Do older PC-24s fly differently?
Age matters: by year built, the median PC-24 in each band flew between 92 and 128 estimated hours a year.
Show the tableHide the table
| Serial block | Built | Tracked | Hours a year | Median leg | Short hops |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 101–204 | 2018–20 | 40 | 92 h | 357 nm | 42% |
| 212–502 | 2021–23 | 58 | 128 h | 360 nm | 41% |
| 503–70243 | 2024–25 | 42 | 100 h | 393 nm | 39% |
US-registered aircraft only: the FAA registry gives serial number and year of manufacture for 140 of the 151 we track. Built = year of manufacture. Avionics upgrades are fitted by modification and the registry doesn’t show them, so check an aircraft’s records.
PC-24 on paper
Certified figures come from the type certificate data sheet; the rest are the manufacturer’s.
| Measure | PC-24 | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Maximum takeoff weight (certified) | 17,650–18,740 lb | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.8 — 18,740 lb (MSN 501 and up (Design Weight Increase)) · 18,300 lb (MSN 101–130 post SB 42-002 and MSN 131–500) · 17,650 lb (MSN 101–130 pre SB 42-002) |
| Maximum ramp weight (certified) | 17,750–18,840 lb | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.8 — 18,840 lb (MSN 501 and up (Design Weight Increase)) · 18,400 lb (MSN 101–130 post SB 42-002 and MSN 131–500) · 17,750 lb (MSN 101–130 pre SB 42-002) |
| Fuel capacity (certified) | 5,964 lb | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.7 |
| Range (manufacturer) | ≈ 2,000 nm | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| Takeoff distance (manufacturer) | 3,090 ft | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
| Passengers | Up to 10 certified | UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.9 |
| Fuel capacity, US gallons (approx.) | ≈ 890 US gal | From the certified pounds at 6.7 lb per US gallon of Jet A; actual density varies with temperature |
| High-speed cruise (manufacturer) | 440 kt | Manufacturer (spec page, Web page, retrieved 21 Oct 2026) |
What the PC-24’s certification file says
Regulators publish an operational evaluation for each type: how pilots must be rated and trained, and what training must stress.
Here is what the PC-24 files say, each item with its source.
Crewing a PC-24
| Item | What the file says |
|---|---|
| Type rating | PC-24ANAC OER Revision 1, p.14 |
| Minimum crew | 1 pilotUK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.9 |
Sources
| Document | Revision |
|---|---|
| UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 — Pilatus PC-24 | UK CAA · Issue 2 · 26 Feb 2025 |
| ANAC Operational Evaluation Report — Pilatus PC-24 | ANAC · Revision 1 · 1 Aug 2023 |
Chartering a PC-24
37 of the 151 North America PC-24s we track are on our charter list (25%).
Charter aircraft flew a median 383 estimated hours a year on 26 flights a month; the rest flew 132 hours on 8.
Where charter PC-24s are based
| Field | Share | Aircraft |
|---|---|---|
| Charlotte Douglas | 3 | |
| Gerald R. Ford | 2 | |
| Modesto City | 2 | |
| Phoenix Sky Harbor | 2 | |
| Lake Simcoe | 1 | |
| Appleton | 1 |
Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. No charter rates: prices depend on the operator and the trip. Check a specific aircraft’s record with its tail number before you book.
PC-24 questions
How many hours a year does a PC-24 fly?
The median North America PC-24 flies about 159 estimated hours a year; the middle half sits between 108 and 345. About 1 in 20 flies more than 537.
How often does a PC-24 fly?
10 flights a month on 6 flying days at the median. About 1 in 20 makes more than 33 flights a month.
How long is a typical PC-24 flight?
The median leg is 361 nm. About 1 in 20 aircraft average more than 762 nm a leg.
How often do PC-24 aircraft use short runways?
At the median, 1% of departures are from fields whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the type’s takeoff distance. About 1 in 20 keep it to 0% or less.
Is a high-hours PC-24 a bad buy?
Not by itself. High hours on long legs are gentler on the structure than the same hours on short hops. Look at hours per landing and short-hop share alongside hours.
How many gallons of fuel does a PC-24 hold?
About 890 US gallons. The type certificate gives 5,964 lb; we convert at 6.7 lb per gallon of Jet A, so the figure is approximate.
Where are most PC-24 aircraft based?
In North America, Phoenix Sky Harbor is home to the most, followed by Appleton and Rocky Mountain Metropolitan. A base is the field an aircraft touches on most of its flying days, month after month.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Pilatus PC-24 fleet statistics.” Data to 31 July 2026. theaircraftledger.com/aircraft/pilatus/pc-24
Method: Pilatus PC-24 aircraft with most departures in North America and at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months. Flight measures, bases, routes and rankings use ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; corrosion and engines-and-brakes exposure use the same twelve months, or an aircraft’s record since 1 Jan 2025 when it had too few nights or departures in them. Estimated hours from time in the air. Tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. ADS-B coverage grew over the window, so we don’t compare one year with the last. Tracking can’t tell one variant from another; the variant split, the busiest table’s variants and the age table use the FAA registry, so they cover US-registered aircraft only. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Corrosion measures cover the aircraft we can place on enough nights. Charter status is our own list, built from FAA records and public listings of charter aircraft. About our data