Pilatus PC-12 Charter from Chicago
A Pilatus PC-12 charter is the cheapest way to move four to six people in a pressurized turbine cabin out of Chicago, and it is the only aircraft in regular charter service with a cargo door big enough to swallow a crated engine part. The NGX cruises at 290 knots with 1,803 nm of range, and it does it on one engine — which is the first thing most first-time buyers want to talk about.
This page covers the numbers, the cabin as it actually is, the rate range we see quoted, the Midwest legs where the aircraft is the obvious answer, and a straight comparison against the two types it usually loses or wins against.
The case for one engine and a big door
The PC-12 exists because Pilatus asked a different question from Beechcraft. Instead of "how do we make a small pressurized twin", they asked "how do we make one turbine engine carry as much useful load as possible into as short a strip as possible". The result has a cabin 60 inches wide — wider than a Citation CJ3+, wider than a King Air, wider than anything until you are well into the midsize jets — and a rear cargo door measuring roughly four feet by four and a half, hinged so that a pallet, a snowmobile or a folded wheelchair goes in without disassembly.
That combination produces two very different customer bases. One is the family or small executive group that wants the most cabin per dollar and does not care about the last thirty knots. The other is the operator moving equipment: medical devices, film gear, oilfield instrumentation, racing spares. There is no other aircraft in the charter fleet that does the second job at anything close to the price.
The single engine is a Pratt & Whitney PT6, the same engine family that powers the King Air — a King Air simply has two of them. The PC-12 fleet has accumulated an extremely large number of flight hours in commercial service worldwide, and the type is approved for single-engine turbine commercial passenger operations under FAA rules that specifically address single-engine IFR passenger carriage. That is a regulatory judgement, not a marketing claim, and you can read the framework yourself in the FAA's operating regulations.
None of which changes the fact that some corporate travel policies simply say "two engines". If yours does, this is not the aircraft, and that is a perfectly reasonable place to end the conversation.
Pilatus PC-12 charter specifications
The NGX is the current variant, with a PT6E-67XP engine, a redesigned cabin and Honeywell touchscreen avionics. Older NG and legacy PC-12/45 airframes remain in charter service and are slower, noisier and usually cheaper; if you are quoted a PC-12 well below the range below, ask which variant you are getting.
| Specification | Pilatus PC-12 NGX |
|---|---|
| Range (typical IFR reserves, four passengers) | 1,803 nm |
| Cruise speed | 290 kts |
| Certified ceiling | 30,000 ft |
| Passengers | 8 — 6 in executive club, 8 with the commuter interior |
| Baggage volume | 40 cu ft |
| Cabin height | 58 in |
| Cabin width | 60 in |
| Cabin length | 16.9 ft |
| Stand-up cabin | No — seated cabin |
| Lavatory | Curtained |
| Wi-Fi | Commonly equipped on NGX airframes |
| Manufacturer / first delivery of this variant | Pilatus Aircraft / 2019 |
| Typical market hourly range | $1,900–$2,700 per flight hour |
What the cabin is actually like
Wide, low, and quieter than you expect. The 60-inch width is the number you feel immediately — shoulder room in the club seats is closer to a midsize jet than to anything else at this price. Height is 58 inches, so it remains a seated cabin; you will stoop getting to your seat, and the NGX's redesigned interior, which Pilatus developed with BMW Designworks, at least makes that walk feel deliberate rather than apologetic.
The lavatory is curtained. On the NGX it sits at the front of the cabin behind a curtain, which is a marginally better arrangement than an aft position because it is not in the sightline of the whole club. It is still a curtain. On a 90-minute Midwest leg this is a non-issue; on a four-hour repositioning flight to Colorado it is worth thinking about.
Baggage is 40 cubic feet in the aft hold — less than a King Air's 71, which surprises people given the size of the door. The door buys you shape, not volume: awkward, rigid objects that would never go into a King Air's compartment slide straight into a PC-12. Soft-sided luggage for six people is fine. Six sets of golf clubs plus six roller bags is a conversation with the operator.
Connectivity is a bright spot for the class — commonly equipped on ngx airframes. The cruise altitude of 30,000 ft is the trade-off against the King Air's higher ceiling: the PC-12 spends more of its time in weather, and passengers who are sensitive to turbulence will notice on a summer afternoon.
Hourly rates and where the money goes
The typical market range for a Chicago-area PC-12 NGX is $1,900–$2,700 per flight hour. Actual quotes vary with date, aircraft and availability; this is a planning band, not a price. It is the lowest turbine number on this site by a clear margin, which is precisely why the aircraft is so heavily booked in the Midwest.
One engine costs less to overhaul than two, burns roughly half the fuel of a King Air per hour, and can legally be flown single-pilot even in Part 135 service under the right operations specification. Those three facts are the whole explanation for the price gap. They also explain why the PC-12 shows up on trips a King Air would price out of: a 40-minute hop to Madison at the bottom of the band is a genuinely different order of expense from the same hop in a light jet.
Set that against the full breakdown of what charter actually costs, where the fixed items — FBO fees, catering, crew overnight, taxes — do not shrink just because the aircraft is smaller. On short legs those fixed costs are a larger share of the invoice than the flight hours, which is the single most useful thing to understand before comparing quotes. The hourly rates page sets the PC-12 band against every other class we broker.
The Midwest legs it was built for
The PC-12's sweet spot is 60 to 400 nautical miles into an airport that is small, close to the actual destination, or both. Below are the pairings we quote most often, with block times from engine start to shutdown.
| Leg | Distance | Block time | Why the PC-12 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago to Madison | 95 nm | about 40m | Against a 2h 30m drive; the aircraft is cheap enough that the maths works on one passenger |
| Chicago to Grand Rapids | 118 nm | about 45m | West Michigan furniture and medtech corridor, with easy access to smaller lakeshore fields |
| Chicago to Cincinnati | 232 nm | about 1h 15m | Under half the five-hour drive, and Lunken puts you next to the city |
| Chicago to Des Moines | 262 nm | about 1h 20m | Iowa agribusiness trips into fields no jet would consider |
| Chicago to Minneapolis | 297 nm | about 1h 30m | Six passengers out and back inside a working day |
| Chicago to Kansas City | 355 nm | about 1h 45m | Near the practical limit before a jet's extra speed starts paying for itself |
Against the King Air 350i and the Phenom 100EV
Versus the [King Air 350i](/aircraft/turboprops/king-air-350/). The King Air is faster by 22 knots, climbs 5,000 ft higher, and carries 31 more cubic feet of baggage on two engines instead of one. The PC-12 answers with a wider cabin, a cargo door, and roughly 27 percent off the bottom of the hourly band. For six passengers on a 200 nm leg, the Pilatus is the better-value aircraft by a wide margin. For eight passengers with luggage on a 700 nm leg, it is not close — take the King Air.
Versus the [Embraer Phenom 100EV](/aircraft/very-light-jets/phenom-100/). This is the classic turboprop-versus-jet decision in miniature. The Phenom cruises at 405 knots against the PC-12's 290, climbs to 41,000 ft and rides above most of the weather. But it seats 4 against the Pilatus's 8, has a narrower cabin, and starts at $2,600–$3,300 an hour. If you are two people going 800 nm, the jet is right. If you are five people going 250 nm to a short field, the jet is the wrong tool at a higher price.
| Metric | Pilatus PC-12 NGX | King Air 350i | Embraer Phenom 100EV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engines | 1 turboprop | 2 turboprops | 2 turbofans |
| Passengers | 8 | 8 | 4 |
| Range | 1,803 nm | 1,806 nm | 1,178 nm |
| Cruise | 290 kts | 312 kts | 405 kts |
| Ceiling | 30,000 ft | 35,000 ft | 41,000 ft |
| Cabin width | 60 in | 54 in | 61 in |
| Baggage | 40 cu ft | 71 cu ft | 70 cu ft |
| Typical hourly range | $1,900–$2,700 | $2,600–$3,400 | $2,600–$3,300 |
Practical booking notes
- Confirm the variant. NGX, NG and legacy PC-12/45 airframes fly at noticeably different speeds and comfort levels for similar money.
- Confirm the interior. A six-seat executive club and an eight-seat commuter cabin are very different experiences in the same fuselage, and they do not have the same payload once the tanks are full.
- If you are shipping equipment, send the operator the crate dimensions in advance. The cargo door is generous but it is not infinite.
- Ask whether the flight is single-pilot or two-crew. Both are legal in the right circumstances; some passengers care and should ask rather than assume.
- For unimproved or grass strips, get written confirmation that the operator's specification permits it for that surface and that day's conditions. Tell us the trip and we will get those answers in writing before you commit.
Frequently asked questions
Is a single-engine PC-12 safe for charter passengers?
The type is approved for commercial single-engine passenger operations under FAA rules written specifically for that case, and the worldwide fleet has flown an enormous number of commercial hours. The PT6 turbine is the same engine family used in twin turboprops. That said, some corporate travel policies require two engines regardless. If yours does, choose a King Air and stop there.
How much does it cost to charter a PC-12 from Chicago?
The typical market range is $1,900–$2,700 per flight hour, plus fixed costs that do not vary with aircraft size — FBO fees, taxes, catering and crew expenses. On a short round trip those fixed items can rival the flight-hour charge. Quotes move with date, availability and whether the aircraft has to position to you.
How many people fit in a PC-12?
Up to 8, but the honest answer depends on the interior. 6 in executive club, 8 with the commuter interior. The six-seat executive club is what most charter buyers want and what most Chicago-area operators fly. Eight adults in a commuter cabin for two hours is tolerable, not pleasant. Ask which interior is on the specific tail being quoted.
Can a PC-12 land on grass or short runways?
Yes, which is a large part of why the type exists. The PC-12 operates from short paved strips routinely and from unimproved surfaces where the operator's certificate permits it. Approval is specific to the operator, the airframe and the day's conditions, so it must be confirmed in advance rather than assumed. Runway length, surface condition and weight all factor in.
PC-12 or King Air 350 for a Midwest day trip?
For four to six passengers under 300 nm, the PC-12 usually wins on value — a wider cabin at a lower hourly rate. For seven or eight passengers, longer legs, or trips where two engines are a policy requirement, the King Air is the right call. The speed difference of 22 knots is small enough to ignore under an hour of flying.
Related pages
- Turboprop charter class guideHow the turboprop class compares on range, cost and runway access.
- Private jet charter to Grand RapidsThe West Michigan corridor where PC-12s do a large share of the work.
- DuPage Airport (DPA)Low ramp fees and a western-suburbs location that suits short turboprop legs.
- Air cargo charterWhere the PC-12's cargo door does work no passenger jet can do.
Further reading from the blog
Sources and further reading
- Pilatus PC-12 — Manufacturer specification and configuration data for the PC-12 NGX
- FAA regulations and policies — The federal rules governing commercial single-engine IFR passenger operations and Part 135 charter
Get a quote for your flight
Send us the route, the date and the number of passengers. You will get real options with all-in pricing, the operator's certificate and safety rating, and the aircraft's actual tail number — not a stock photo and a starting-from price.