Spain received the first two PC-21 training aircraft, manufactured by the Swiss company Pilatus, which will be incorporated to the Spanish Air Force (EdA) to replace the C-101 in the training of future pilots.
The Spanish Air Force Receives Its First PC-21
Pilatus will deliver a total of 24 PC-21s to Spain by June 2022, raising air force pilot training to state-of-the-art level. #pc21 #flypc21 #pilatus #pilatusaircraft #craftedinswitzerland @EjercitoAire pic.twitter.com/ozuyfeHB8V
— Pilatus Aircraft Ltd (@PilatusAircraft) September 14, 2021
At the controls of the planes flew two pilots from Pilatus company and in the back seat of each of them, there were two other pilots of the Air Force, one assigned to the Logistics Center for Armament and Experimentation (CLAEX) and another to the General Air Academy.
Through a press release, the company informed that the Spanish Ministry of Defense, via the General Directorate of Armament and Material (DGAM), delivered to the Spanish Air Force, based in San Javier (Murcia), its first PC-21, which will be immediately integrated to the 792 Squadron, the Basic Training School of the Spanish Air Academy.
Pilatus will deliver a total of 24 PC-21s to Spain by June 2022, raising air force pilot training to a state-of-the-art level.
At the end of November 2019, Spain chose Pilatus’ offer as the best value for money, ahead of bids from Beetchcraft (USA) with its Texan II and PZL «Warszawa-Okęcie» S.A (Poland) with the PZL-130.
The acquisition program had an allocated budget of 225 million euros, but the package presented by Pilatus for 24 aircraft (plus ground equipment, simulators, training, etc/) to the Spanish Government was valued at only 204 million. So the Swiss offer ended up winning over the competition.
Air Force Brigadier General León-Antonio Machés, Deputy Director General of Programs of the DGAM (Spanish Ministry of Defense) commented at the handover: «We are very pleased to be able to integrate such an advanced training system. The PC-21 will not only revolutionize our pilot training and take it to a whole new level, but it will also allow us to reduce the cost of our pilot training.»
André Zimmermann, VP Government Aviation at Pilatus, added: «We are delighted that the first PC-21 in the national colors will be flying the Spanish skies from now on. Spain – a recognized and highly professional air force – is already the third European air force to have opted for the world’s most advanced training system and we are confident that others will follow Spain’s example.»
First PC-21 training course to begin in 2022
The Air Force will launch its first pilot training course in September 2022. The PC-21 will provide Spain with not only the most technically advanced training system, but also a cost-effective and environmentally friendly training platform. The experience of current PC-21 customers demonstrates that the budget for training a military student pilot can be reduced by more than 50% with the PC-21.
These single-engine turboprops require far less fuel than a comparable training aircraft. In addition to the aircraft itself, the PC-21’s training system includes state-of-the-art simulators, computer-based training and virtual reality tools.
In addition, the new Swiss aircraft features avionics similar to fifth-generation fighters. It is an advanced training aircraft that will provide new Air Force pilots with complete aeronautical training from the early stages of flight to the transition to combat aircraft.
