Prosperity with the Pilatus Turboprop: AlphaFlying Fraxxie Eschews the Jet

"A jet is maybe 20% faster but it's twice as expensive," says VP Pat Reed of New England-based AlphaFlying. That's why, with customers everywhere tightening their belts, her firm is going great guns with a fleet of Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12 turboprops and a fractional ownership program dubbed "PlaneSense."

"We have specifically carved out a niche," says AlphaFlying president George Antoniadis.

With its short-runway capability, the Pilatus is able to land at some 9,000 U.S. airports, while most corporate jets can access only 5,500. "It's the most versatile, cost-effective airplane that we can possibly use," Reed says of the PC-12, which seats six (plus two pilots) and has a range of 2,260 nmi. Cruise speed is 270 knots. The aircraft boasts cabin volume some 77% greater than a CitationJet, claim PlaneSense promoters.

A quarter-share in a PlaneSense PC-12 costs $838,000, with a monthly maintenance fee of $8,802. The occupied operating cost is $561 per hour. Add it all up and it comes to about $900 per hour, Reed says, pegging the comparable figure for a Beechjet at about $1,900. "We are definitely the most cost-effective program in existence," she avers.

AlphaFlying, which was established in 1992, last year expanded its base to the U.S. Southeast via a partnership with Epps Aviation out of Atlanta's DeKalb Peachtree Airport. Under consideration is a similar expansion to the Midwest, with a base in Michigan.

AlphaFlying is taking delivery of its tenth PlaneSense program PC-12 and expects the eleventh next month. All are outfitted the same, with non-stock amenities for the business traveler including telephones and interior power outlets for computers or such entertainment devices as DVD players. The Pilatus PC-12 can be flown solo, but AlphaFlying's have full co-pilot instrumentation as the company always flies with two pilots, for safety reasons.

"We'd like to be able to add about three airplanes per year to our fleet," Reed told Show News. The economic downturn has thus far not hurt the PlaneSense program, and may even have helped AlphaFlying compete against fractional operators with bigger and faster aircraft. "People who are in other fractional programs are now talking to us," she says.

"It looks very, very good," concurs her boss, company president Antoniadis. "Revenue is double as compared to last year," he said. "In fact it's 109%."

Pilatus has a PC-12 in the convention center here and an aircraft on the static line as well. AlphaFlying didn't bring an airplane, says Reed, because "our owners are using them."

-Rich Piellisch