In October 1989, Pilatus stood up at the National Business Aviation Association's annual convention and announced an aircraft that, by most measures, shouldn't have worked: a single-engine turboprop with a cabin large enough to do a business jet's job, capable of landing on grass strips a Gulfstream would never attempt. The assembly of the prototype had already begun in Stans before the announcement, the program having been developed under tight secrecy. The first flight came on 31 May 1991, though certification dragged on after engineers discovered the wings needed lengthening and winglets added to meet performance guarantees; the Swiss authorities signed off in March 1994, the FAA that July. Pilatus was cautious enough about the idea that early sales efforts targeted utility operators rather than business and passenger customers. Among the first to recognize the aircraft's potential was the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia, which put the PC-12 to..
