Pilatus Pc-6 Porter

Single Turboprop

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a Swiss-built single-engine utility aircraft renowned for its exceptional short takeoff and landing performance, capable of operating from unprepared strips as short as 600 feet. First flown in 1959, the Porter was originally piston-powered but found its true calling with the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop conversion introduced in 1961, which became the dominant variant. The aircraft's fixed tricycle gear, high wing, and robust construction made it a favorite for bush operations, skydiving, humanitarian missions, and mountain flying in the Alps and Himalayas. Its ability to haul nearly 2,700 pounds of cargo or ten passengers into and out of challenging airstrips at altitudes exceeding 15,000 feet remains unmatched in its class. The Porter served with multiple air forces for liaison and light transport duties, and civilian operators prized it for glacier landings and remote resupply work where reliability and STOL capability outweighed speed. Over 600 Porters were built across all variants before production ended in 2019, replaced by Pilatus's turboprop single-engine lineup including the PC-12 and PC-24. SkyMeter has tracked 3 flights across 1 airframes and 1 operators, covering routes.