Buying a used Pilatus PC-24: cost, checks and questions for the seller
In the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026, 1 in 20 North American PC-24s made more than 32 flights a month, and 1 in 20 fewer than 4. A fractional program flew nine of the 10 busiest; fractional aircraft were 12% of the fleet. Place a used Pilatus PC-24 in that spread first. A pre-purchase inspection judges the airframe; tracking counts the flights it can see.
One check for each TailCheck chapter: Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization. Each sets the PC-24 fleet median beside the far end of the fleet on that measure, with red flags and questions for the seller.
What has each flight cost the structure?
1 in 20 North American PC-24s flew 1.0 hours per landing or less, the most landings for their time. The fleet median was 1.4 hours per landing, and the middle half sat between 1.2 and 1.6.
Hours per landing, short hops and leg length.
Each landing is one pressurization cycle. A PC-24 flying short legs piles up cycles faster than its hours suggest, and cycles count against the structural and landing-gear life limits.
Each aircraft’s average flight hours per landing
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
All 151 active PC-24s in North America, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Short hops Share of legs under 300 nm | 42% | 30–54% | 5% at 68% or more |
| Leg length Median leg | 361 nm | 279–473 nm | Highest 5%: 761 nm or more |
1.0 hours per landing or less, a ratio only 1 in 20 of the fleet reached.
Short hops, legs under 300 nm, on 68% or more of its legs. 1 in 20 of the fleet flew that many.
Logged landings that put its hours per landing at either far end, where only 1 in 20 of the fleet sat, or a count the tracked flights don't support.
How many landings has it logged against its hours, and how does that ratio compare with the fleet median?
Which structural and landing-gear limits count landings, and how close is it to each one?
What air has it lived in?
Salt air here means a night within 2 km of the coast. The median PC-24 spent <1% of its nights there. A quarter of the fleet spent 5% or more, and 1 in 20 spent 25% or more there.
Salt, damp and freeze–thaw where it spends its nights.
Salt, damp and freeze–thaw nights drive corrosion, so where an aircraft spends its nights matters as much as where it flies. A coastal home field moves corrosion to the top of the inspection list without ruling the aircraft out.
Nights within 2 km of the coast
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
94 PC-24s in North America we can place on enough nights at known fields, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; 1 on their record since 1 Jan 2025, with too few in the twelve months.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Near the coast Nights within 10 km of the coast | 6% | 1–33% | 5% at 81% or more |
| Damp air Hours a day at 80% humidity or more, above freezing | 6.1 h | 4.2–7.6 h | 5% at 11.0 h or more |
| Freeze–thaw Nights that froze and thawed within the day | 11% | 3–20% | 5% at 37% or more |
| Moisture in the air Average absolute humidity overnight | 8.2 g/m³ | 6.8–10.1 g/m³ | 5% at 12.0 g/m³ or more |
Salt air on 25% or more of its nights, a share 1 in 20 reached, with no record of hangar storage.
Freeze–thaw on 37% or more of its nights, with no recent check of drains, seals and sealant.
A coastal home field and no corrosion inspection anywhere in the records.
Where did it spend most of its nights, and was it hangared there?
When was the last corrosion inspection, and what did it find?
What did its departures ask of the engines and brakes?
A short runway here is a field whose longest runway is under 1.25 times the PC-24's published takeoff distance. The median aircraft left from one on 1% of its departures, and a quarter on 2% or more.
Runway length, heat and height at takeoff.
Short runways load the brakes and tires. Hot, high takeoffs, at 5,000 ft density altitude or more, work the engines harder. A pattern of both is worth matching against engine trend data and brake records.
Departures where the longest runway was under 1.25× the takeoff distance
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
151 PC-24s in North America with enough departures we could assess, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; 1 on their record since 1 Jan 2025, with too few in the twelve months.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hot, high takeoffs Departures at 5,000 ft density altitude or more | 6% | 2–12% | 5% at 41% or more |
| Density altitude Typical density altitude at takeoff | 1,473 ft | 1,214–2,050 ft | 5% at 4,261 ft or more |
Short runways on 4% or more of its departures, a share 1 in 20 reached, with no brake and tire records to match.
Hot, high takeoffs on 41% or more of its departures, a share 1 in 20 reached, with no engine trend data to match.
Are both Williams International FJ44-4A-QPM engines (UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.6) on an hourly maintenance program, and does it transfer?
Is there engine trend data, and do brake or tire changes line up with the short and hot, high fields in its record?
How hard has it been flown?
The median North American PC-24 flew 159 estimated hours a year. The middle half logged between 108 and 345 hours, and 1 in 20 logged 537 hours or more.
Estimated hours, flights and flying days: how much of its life it has used.
Hours flown are the quickest read on how much life an aircraft has used. With more hours, hours-based inspections come due sooner. Compare the tracked flying with the logbook hours, month by month.
From time in the air
The 25th to the 75th percentile: typical.
The 5% that ask most of the aircraft
90 PC-24s in North America with at least 40% of their flights tracked, 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026.
The rest of the check
Same aircraft and window| Measure | Fleet median | Middle half | Harder end |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flights a month In the months it flew | 9.5 | 6.2–23.6 | 5% at 32.9 or more |
| Days flown a month Days with at least one flight | 6.1 | 4.7–11.4 | 5% at 14.5 or more |
537 estimated hours a year or more, a level 1 in 20 reached, presented as ordinary use.
Logbook hours well below what tracking shows. Tracking misses some flights and its hours are estimates, so a small gap means little; a large one needs an explanation.
Do the logbook hours match the tracked activity month by month?
Has it flown charter or under management, and for how long?
What affects the price of a used PC-24
Buyers of a used PC-24 weigh six factors. Each comes with what to check in the records, and most with a fleet figure and the TailCheck chapter that grades it.
When it launched the aircraft, Pilatus listed it at $8.9 million (approximate, price basis 2017; press release, 21 May 2013). That was the list price of a new aircraft; it isn’t a guide to a used one today.Manufacturer (press release, 21 May 2013)
| What moves the price | Across the PC-24 fleet | TailCheck chapter |
|---|---|---|
| Age | The model year says little about wear. The certificate's lowest maximum takeoff weight applies to early serials listed as MSN 101–130 pre SB 42-002 (UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.8). On one, ask whether that bulletin is embodied. | Fatigue |
| Hours | Check the records for where each hours-based inspection and the engine overhauls stand. A tenth of the 90 PC-24s we could grade for utilization logged 500 estimated hours a year or more. | Utilization |
| Landings | Check the logged landings against each structural and landing-gear life limit, and how close the aircraft is to each one. The fleet median was 1.4 hours per landing. | Fatigue |
| Charter history | Charter flying adds hours and landings quickly. About 15% of the PC-24s we tracked are on our charter list. For one of those, ask for the operator's maintenance program records. | Utilization |
| How hard it has been flown | Brake, tire and engine records should fit the fields an aircraft used. The Engines and brakes check above gives the fleet median for short runways. For hot, high departures the fleet median was 6%. | Engines and brakes |
| Base and corrosion exposure | Check the corrosion inspection history against where the aircraft spent its nights. Freeze–thaw nights count as well as salt air: the median PC-24 spent 11% of its nights in freeze–thaw weather. | Corrosion |
Asking prices vary by aircraft, and the tail’s history explains much of the difference. Check a tail →
Where TailCheck fits in a PC-24 purchase
The usage checks cost least at the start, before a deposit or a letter of intent. Later, the report guides the records reviewer and the inspection shop to the areas that need the closest look.
| # | Step | Where TailCheck helps |
|---|---|---|
| 01 | Shortlist Screen candidates on how they have been used before spending on anything else. | Free record for each tail, then TailCheck on the shortlist |
| 02 | Letter of intent Price and terms, subject to inspection and a records review. | — |
| 03 | Records review Logbooks, maintenance programs and damage history. | Hours, landings and long gaps to check the logbooks against |
| 04 | Pre-purchase inspection At a shop that knows the type. | Brief the shop on what the usage data flagged |
| 05 | Discrepancies and price Negotiate on what the inspection and records found. | Grades against the type support the conversation |
| 06 | Closing and delivery Title, escrow, registration and acceptance flight. | — |
What each part of the purchase answers
Usage is one leg of a purchase; paperwork and condition are the others| Item | Why it matters on a PC-24 | Who answers it |
|---|---|---|
| Usage history | Hours, landings, bases and gaps, against the 151 North American PC-24s. | TailCheck |
| Logbooks | Complete, back-to-birth records, and whether they square with the tracked flying. | Records review |
| Damage history | Any structural repair, how it was signed off, and whether it was disclosed. | Records review |
| Inspections due | When the next major inspections fall due, by hours, landings and calendar. | Records review |
| Engine program | Whether the Williams International FJ44-4A-QPM engines are enrolled on an hourly maintenance program, and whether it transfers.Engines: UK CAA TCDS UK.TC.A.00033 Issue 2, p.6 | Records review |
| Physical condition | Corrosion, structure, systems and interior: what the usage data says to look at hardest. | Pre-purchase inspection |
| Title and registry | Liens, the ownership chain and any export or import between registries. | Title search |
What tracking can and can’t tell you
Tracking followed 90 of the 151 active PC-24s closely enough to grade utilization. For the rest, tracking misses too many flights; the gaps would make them look quieter than they were. Use the report alongside the inspection and records review.
| What it can show | What it can’t establish |
|---|---|
| What it has flown, and where | Its mechanical condition, maintenance quality or airworthiness |
| How hard it is used against other PC-24s | Its exact hours and landings, or flights we didn’t see |
| Long stays on the ground, and gaps in the track | What work was done at any shop, or why it sat anywhere |
| Where it spends its nights, and the weather there | Whether it was hangared or parked outside |
| What its departures asked: runway length, heat and height | Its takeoff weight, or which runway it used |
Ben
Ben founded The Aircraft Ledger to show buyers how an aircraft has really been flown. Before that, he spent five years researching what more than 140 private jet models cost to buy and run, for clients mostly in the US.
Down to two PC-24s?
Check both tails before you choose.
Enter the two tails on your shortlist. TailCheck grades each one on Fatigue, Corrosion, Engines and brakes, and Utilization against the PC-24 fleet, then puts them side by side.
Buying a used PC-24: questions
How many hours a year is normal for a PC-24?
The median North American PC-24 flew 159 estimated hours a year in the twelve months to 31 Jul 2026. The middle half of the fleet logged between 108 and 345 hours. Among the aircraft tracked well enough to measure, the figure ran from 47 to 611 hours. The utilization check above gives the level only 1 in 20 reached.
Is a high-hour PC-24 a bad buy?
No, not on hours alone. Hours flown on long legs bring fewer landings than the same hours on short hops. Read a candidate's hours and landings together, and set the ratio against the fleet median in the fatigue check.
Does a TailCheck report replace a pre-purchase inspection?
No, it works beside one. TailCheck shows how a PC-24 was used, and a pre-purchase inspection shows its condition. The report points the inspection team to where to look hardest.
Can tracking show whether a PC-24 was hangared?
No, but it shows where a PC-24 spent the nights tracking could place, and the weather there. Of the 151 active PC-24s, 94 had enough nights to measure for corrosion; for some, that meant their record since 1 Jan 2025. Whether the aircraft was inside is a question for the seller and the records.
When should I run these checks?
Before a letter of intent, when walking away costs nothing. Then pass the report to whoever reviews the records and runs the inspection.
Cite this data
The Aircraft Ledger. “Buying a used Pilatus PC-24.” Data to 29 August 2026. theaircraftledger.com/guides/pilatus-pc-24
Method: benchmarks are North American PC-24s with at least 20 tracked flights in the latest twelve full months, ADS-B tracking 1 Aug 2025 – 31 Jul 2026; each figure is the fleet median with its middle half (25th–75th percentile) and the 5% at the harder end. Estimated hours from time in the air; tracking misses some flights, so counts and hours are minimums. We assume the longest runway at each field, so short-runway figures are conservative. Engines from the type certificate data sheet, cited. This guide is general information, not an inspection, appraisal or records review. About our data