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A first in England at the legendary Festival of Speed - the Pilatus PC-24 Super Versatile Jet landed on the grass runway at Goodwood Aerodrome (EGHR/QUG). The PC-24 is the first ever business jet to land at this field.

The airfield is an all-grass operating environment with two runways. The PC-24 landed on grass runway 06/24, which is only 2,621 feet long (799 metres). The PC-24 is the world’s first ever business jet to be able to land on very short and unpaved runways.

This capability means the PC-24 offers access to almost twice as many airports compared to other jets currently available on the market. It also means the PC-24 can fly closer to the final destination, thereby avoiding the administrative expense usually associated with the larger airports and reducing transfers on the ground to an absolute minimum.

Developed and certified for unpaved runways

The PC-24 has obtained initial certification from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for use on dirt and gravel runways. Further certification for other surface types, including grass, is currently in the pipeline and should be complete by the end of this year. The PC-24 has also been certified for steep approaches, as required for the approach into London City Airport, for example.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 4th July 2019 | Issue #517

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