The Most Storied PC-12 Ever Built

PC-12NG Serial Number 1291— Pilatus' Swiss Independence Day Plane — evokes the year Switzerland became an independent nation under the Federal Charter of 1291. In celebration of Swiss independence, Pilatus actually convinced Swiss authorities to open its Federal Office of Civil Aviation on its Swiss National Day holiday (August 1st) to place the aircraft into service during 2011.

Towards commemorating the production of this landmark plane, Pilatus held a contest among its apprentice designers to design the internationally trademarked and copyrighted livery that would mark 1291.  The winning design was this Homage to da Vinci motif and the resulting graphics are exact replicas of Leonardo da Vinci's historical notebook drawings: showcasing his early engineering concepts, flying machine blueprints, anatomical studies and geometric calculations.

During 1291’s first decade in Switzerland, the prior Swiss owner twice circumnavigated the globe, utilizing the aircraft's impressive range to fly from Brazil to the Cape Verde Islands just off Africa. The aircraft was primarily maintained at the Pilatus Service Center in Stans.  Purchased by its current American owner during the COVID crisis, Serial Number 1291 was flown to the United States and outfitted with $450,000 of upgrades, notably:

•Newly certified autothrottle system

•Certification test article for the first PC-12 GogoAVANCE L3 wi-fi installation

•High-frequency radio system for oceaniccommunications

•AirText+ communications system

Serial Number 1291 has appeared heavily in Pilatus marketing materials and been displayed at global airshow events. Hundreds of model planes featuring the aircraft's livery can be found across the offices of its affiliate network.  Quite simply, this aircraft is almost inarguably the most recognized Pilatus aircraft in the world.

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