Pilatus Sells 21 PC-21s

[doncorleone117]

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd is delighted to announce the signing of three PC-21 fleet orders by end of December 2016, for a total of 21 PC-21s, of which 17 are for the French Air Force and two each for the Royal Jordanian Air Force and QinetiQ, a British company which operates the "Empire Test Pilots' School". Together, these orders are worth over 300 million Swiss francs and will help to ensure jobs at Stans.


French Air Force
The French Air Force (Armée de l'air française), one of the world's most prestigious air forces, has opted for the 21st century training system: the 17 PC-21s will be used to train future military pilots who will transfer to the Alpha Jet prior to their conversion on to the Dassault Rafale, a multi-purpose 5th generation fighter aircraft.
The contract signed on the 30th December 2016 by the French Air Force is with Babcock Mission Critical Services France (BMCSF), with Pilatus as a sub-contractor, in which role our PC-21 and other ground-based training material will contribute to completion of the overall contract. In addition to the Swiss Air Force, France is now the second European nation to opt for the PC-21 as part of the world's most advanced, most efficient integrated training system.

QinetiQ UK
Under the contract concluded with QinetiQ, a British company, Pilatus will provide two PC-21s to the "Empire Test Pilots' School (ETPS)" based in Wiltshire, in the south of England. Operated by QinetiQ, ETPS functions as a training centre for flight test engineers and test pilots, and enjoys an excellent reputation worldwide. The PC-21s with their modified flight instruments will be used to train test pilots and flight test engineers for customers from the United Kingdom and elsewhere.

Royal Jordanian Air Force
The Royal Jordanian Air Force, having placed an initial order for the PC-9 M in August 2015, re-evaluated their requirement in early 2016 due to previously unforeseen issues with their Lead in Fighter Trainer (LIFT) platform. The procurement decision was revised following a modification of the training concept, introducing the PC-21 all-through training model – currently the most advanced training system available anywhere on the market. The contract amendment was initially for eight aircraft but with an option for additional units, if required. The option was now executed for two more PC-21s’, with a total of ten PC-21s’ now providing the backbone of the nation's future pilot training regime. The first deliveries will be undertaken mid-2017.

Oscar J. Schwenk, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Pilatus, comments on the contracts as follows: "I am delighted we have finally won another European air force for our PC-21. An exceptionally rigorous selection process based on the strictest of criteria provides further proof that the PC-21 is the first choice worldwide for training military pilots. I am proud that our best-selling PC-21 is now destined to fly for ‘la Grande Nation’. France is already the 8th air force to choose the PC-21: these orders included, we will soon have a total of 209 PC-21s flying successfully from bases around the world. I'm confident that other European air forces will follow France's example!"

Markus Bucher, CEO of Pilatus, adds: "Pilatus is pleased to be part of the programme of modernisation at QinetiQ Test Aircrew Training. Our PC-21 will provide a training platform for the next generation of test pilots worldwide. That a global leader in the test flight sector decides to replace ageing Hawks and Alpha Jets with the PC-21 is a tribute to our product's performance and flexibility."

Pilatus feels obligated, and will endeavour, to provide our PC-21 customers with the Swiss quality and outstanding customer service which they deserve, delivering them with the world's most up-to-date pilot training system – the Pilatus PC-21.

http://www.pilatus-aircraft.com/index.php

[Peter3076]

In addition to the previous article, here the article placed by Aerospace Daily, published on Jan 9, 2017:


More Details Emerge On France’s Pilatus PC-21 Buy
Jan 9, 2017 _Thierry Dubois | Aerospace Daily & Defense Report

PC-21: Adrian Pingstone
LYON, France—Under a contract announced last week with Babcock Mission Critical Services, the French air force will use the Pilatus PC-21 turboprop at an intermediate phase of fighter pilot training, with the Alpha Jet keeping a role between the PC-21 and the Rafale combat aircraft.
The first phase of training, using Grob 120 piston singles, remains unchanged. Phases two and three, which currently use piston-powered Socata TB-30 Epsilons and Alpha Jets, will be merged into a single phase thanks to the 17 PC-21s, a French air force spokesman tells Aviation Week. The last phase before flying on an actual fighter will still be based on the Alpha Jet.

In addition to future fighter pilots, instructors will use the PC-21s and the CAE simulators to maintain their proficiency in case they need to become full-time Rafale pilots.

The first PC-21 delivery is scheduled for March 2018. All remaining 16 aircraft are expected to be handed over in the same year, the spokesman says. The transition to the new training scheme is planned to be completed in 2020. The French air force will own the aircraft and PC-21 instructors will be military personnel.

France’s Fomedec contract is for Babcock to provide training support for 11,000-13,500 flight hours per year. The current fleet of 108 Alpha Jets will be reduced, with 40 withdrawn from service. Epsilons will also be retired by 2020.

All PC-21 training activity will take place in Cognac, in the center west of the country.
Babcock has also announced it is forming a joint company with Dassault. The airframer’s role will be to ensure the PC-21’s cockpit reflects the Rafale’s as closely as possible.

An exhaustive list of the contenders in the “competitive dialogue” process is unavailable from the French Ministry of Defense. But according to the Defense committee of the French parliament, it included DCI and Airbus. The latter company also used the PC-21 as the platform for its bid, an industry source said.

http://aviationweek.com/defense/more-de ... 2399fb60f5

[FredL]

Do we know the consequences of this choice for the "Belgian-French" cooperation in training on the Alpha Jets ?
Both countries use the type, with their fleet located in France. If I understand well, first part of the French pilots training on (French, not upgraded) Alpha Jets will switch on PC-21. The second phase will continue on AJets (Belgian ones who are upgraded ?) before going to Rafales.
Difficult to imagine a different cursus for both French and Belgian students as this would ruin a good slice of the financial economies coming from this joint training programme.
And 17 PC-21 seems a little bit short for both countries, isn't it ?

Does any one know more about this ?

[Bruno]

The AJETS cooperation, is an agreement signed between those two countries.
This agreement will be over by 2018, and it's seems after this, Belgium would select another solution?!