The journey to the yacht is an essential part of any yacht charter. Georgia Boscawen discovers why the Pilatus PC-12 is one of the best options for an efficient beginning to a trip.
The last thing that you want in the lead-up to a yacht charter (or indeed any trip) is a journey that drains. The journey to the yacht matters more than most people realise, as arriving flustered is the quickest way to put a trip on its back foot before it has even begun. The natural solution is to fly private and guarantee a seamless journey with no queues, crowds or delays. Typically, mid-sized Cessnas, Embraer Phenom 300s, Learjet 45XR or perhaps Gulfstreams are the jets that spring to mind; jets of exceptional service that would come at a high cost. But there are other options that can deliver all the services without the hefty price tag.
I’m sitting in Biggin Hill’s private terminal waiting to be escorted to the Pilatus PC-12 that will be whisking me off to Nice. Considered the coolest turbine-powered aircraft in private aviation, the Pilatus flies at altitudes up to 30,000 feet with speeds of up to 500 kilometres an hour. This nimble little plane isn’t what I’ve thought of when I think of private aviation, but the PC-12 looks the part with its silver-and-black HansJet paint job.
“A light jet such as a Phenom 300 or PC-24 is around €19,000, for a flight from Biggin Hill to Nice,” says Eric Weisskopf, HansJet’s managing director. “Our Pilatus PC-12 comes in at around €12,000 for members.”
A core benefit of the Pilatus PC-12 is its speed. It may be a turboprop, but its speed means there is only a small difference in flight time between this and a jet. The PC-12 climbs faster and descends at the same speed, so there isn’t really much difference. “For routes up to two hours, like London to Nice, you’re only about 10 minutes behind a jet,” explains Weisskopf. “On shorter flights, it’s almost identical with just a two-to-three-minute difference.”
Once on board, the interiors of the Pilatus PC-12 have the familiar jet feel with cream club seats and enough space for eight passengers and two pilots. The fuselage doesn’t feel cramped or squashed, as it’s large for the plane’s overall size. “I’ll play crew,” says Weisskopf as he reaches for the fridge at the forward bulkhead and grasps a bottle of Champagne. While there isn’t space for a flight attendant on board, the PC-12 has everything you need pre-prepared with drinks and food on board.
Designed in Switzerland and revered among pilots for its performance, the PC-12 is referred to as the ‘Swiss Army Knife’ of private aviation. Between August 2023 and July 2024, the PC-12 was the most frequently flown business aircraft in the US with 316,328 recorded take-offs, accounting for 8.8 per cent of all departures. The plane can operate across more than 3,000 runways across Europe, including short coastal strips near marinas across the Med, as well as Courchevel’s infamously short runway.
“A highlight is the massive cargo door,” adds Weisskopf. The rear third of the plane opens fully, allowing you to load up on luggage. With a PC-12, you don’t have to cram soft bags into the nose cone or down the aisle of the cabin. This is a big selling point for HansJet, especially for those heading too and from a yacht charter. For those that like to travel with their pets, HansJet welcomes them on board too with their own set of refreshments.
At cruising altitude, the PC-12 feels like any small jet; due to the speed, it doesn’t feel like I’m in a prop plane at all. People are less familiar with prop planes, but the safety and service levels are the same as those of jets. Every flight is operated with a dual-crew, pilots with a minimum of 3,000 flight hours, advanced avionics for all-weather operations and maintenance that exceeds manufacturer requirements.
Private flights in Europe more than doubled between 2020 and 2022, reaching nearly 573,000 flights, with a notable surge in leisure travel. For yachting, I can’t see or feel a compromise to the journey. It still feels exciting and special as the plane approaches Nice.
Within just hours of leaving my front door, I’m standing in the heart of Monaco. As far as I’m concerned, the only difference between my experience and a jet is that I’m standing here perhaps 10 minutes later. But with up to €7,000 more to spend on the (hypothetical) charter, I’m confident that it’s a compromise anyone would be happy to make.