With modern avionics, paired with a proven cell and the latest training tools, Pilatus Aircraft has modernized the proven Pilatus PC-7 turboprop trainer into a smart basic trainer. 

The Swiss aircraft manufacturer Pilatus Aircraft has so far built over 600 copies of its PC-7 training aircraft and delivered them to customers. At the Dubai Airshow, which started yesterday in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Pilatus presented a modernized version of the turboprop trainer. This not only involves upgrading the aircraft type to modern systems, but also embedding the aircraft in an intelligent training environment with a simulator, virtual reality training tools, cockpit camera and mission debriefing system. Pilatus therefore also calls the aircraft a “smart basic trainer”.

A state-of-the-art cockpit with intelligent avionics is the heart of the brand new PC-7 MKX, says the aircraft manufacturer. The two crew members will find the latest generation of high-resolution displays in the cockpit. According to the manufacturer, this enables student pilots to easily enter the world of modern avionics, while at the same time being able to train essential flying skills. In addition to the basic configuration of the avionics, customers can also choose from various options for expanding their capabilities, such as an SVS (Synthetic Vision System), a traffic advisory system or an autopilot.

The avionics can be operated conventionally via switches and buttons, but also via the touchscreen functionality. The primary flight display in the middle enables various flight modes to be selected, while the right and left displays are used for navigation, entering flight plan data and providing an overview of various aircraft systems, according to Pilatus Aircraft.