If I could teach Every New Pilatus Owner one thing…
Pilatus 101 with the JetSwiss Team
Don “Bub” Peterson: Founder & Enthusiast
“Fly the airplane. On your first flight of the day, fly to altitude. Take the extra ten minutes to hand-fly on approach when the weather’s nice and you’re fresh. Do not get in the habit of having George the autopilot run all the time.”Also, when you get a CAS message or something doesn’t quite work the way you had intended it to (by pushing certain buttons), find your closest restroom and look in the mirror… there’s a high likelihood that the problem is what you see! Know your aircraft, systems, and buttons!”
Scott Patrick: Director of Operations & Chief Pilot
“When attending recurrent training, try to learn something new and keep an open mind. We typically have to attend recurrent training every year. Even though we’ve done it numerous times (I think I’ve lost count), look for something you might have missed. Sometimes, just having a different instructor who teaches subjects slightly differently, has seen something, or has had a student who has seen something you haven’t, can be a way to learn from it. Everyone has different experiences and relates to events differently. Keep an open mind for that something new or that ‘ah-ha’ moment.”
Jason Jennings: Maintenance director
“Don’t postpone maintenance items just because the airplane is still flying well. In Part 91 flying maintenance requirements are less restrictive than Part 135, but small squawks are often early indicators of larger issues. Addressing discrepancies promptly not only improves reliability and safety, but it is usually far less expensive than waiting for a minor problem to become a major repair.”
Scott glenn: sales director
“If it looks too good to be true, it probably is. There is no such thing as wholesale in the Pilatus world. Owners are too intelligent, and fire sales simply don’t occur.”
Kevin Ratcliffe: Operations Manager & Aircraft Detailer
“Do not get consumed by the shiny object. Look past the surface gloss and ‘dive into the weeds.’ Look in the corners of places like service wells, battery compartments, above/ behind the rear main in the gear well, and under the seat cushions. Pull back the curtain to understand how well someone has taken care of an asset.”
Colin Coombes: Pilot
“One of my mentors in aviation, was an old Colonel in the South African Air Force. He had a saying: ‘If there’s ANY doubt, then there is NO doubt.’ This phrase has kept me from many dangerous situations. It sounds simple, but it means that if you have any doubt at all about something you’re about to do, then it’s a strict NO, DON’T DO IT. This is particularly true when it comes to flying in adverse weather conditions and making go/ no-go decisions.”