Pilatus PC-6 Porter

Pilatus Aircraft · Switzerland · first flew 1959 · light aircraft

The Pilatus PC-6 Porter is a single-engine STOL utility aircraft renowned for extreme short-field and high-altitude performance.

Recognition (WEFT)

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

• Strut-braced high wing
• Boxy STOL fuselage
• Long-span wing for short fuselage

Look for the strut-braced high wing of generous span over a short, boxy fuselage with large sliding cabin doors. A slow-turning propeller on a stalky nose and fixed tricycle gear complete the rugged STOL look.

Specifications

• The Pilatus PC-6 Porter has a length of 11 m (36 ft).
• It has a wingspan of 15.87 m (52 ft).
• Its maximum speed is 232 km/h (144 mph).
• Typical crew: 1 pilot + up to 10 passengers.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Built by Pilatus from 1959 to 2022, the piston prototype first flew in 1959 with the Turbo-Porter following in 1961. Around 600 were delivered over six decades, most using a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A turboprop, serving as bush transport, parachuting platforms and military utility aircraft.

Variants

Versions include the Astazou-powered PC-6/A, the standard PT6A-powered PC-6/B series, the Garrett-engined PC-6/C and the armed AU-23A Peacemaker used during the Vietnam War. The PT6A models became the definitive production standard.

Where you'll see it

In the UK the PC-6 is best known as a parachute-drop and skydiving aircraft at dropzones, valued for its climb and short-field ability. It is less common on the British register than in alpine and bush-flying countries.

Related aircraft

• Pilatus PC-6/B2-H2 Turbo-Porter
• Pilatus P-3
• Pilatus PC-7
• Pilatus PC-8D Twin Porter
• Aermacchi AL-60
• Aero Boero AB-95
• Aeromere F.8L Falco Series III
• Air & Space 18A

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