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A flying mission for Angel Flight West.
is almost like a wingsuit attached to you, a sports car, and can take tiny little stick movements, whereas the PC-12 is more like an SUV. So, it took some time to get used to the less im- mediate feel of flying it.”
Other aspects contributed to the challenges of learning a new aircraft as well. “I think the other thing is the speed. Things just happen more quickly, so you have to be ready for that. And then, of course, additional features such as the retractable land- ing gear and other systems. I want to say that I am so smart for figuring this aircraft out, but really, this is an easy plane to fly as there is so much less to worry about in some ways than even a Cessna 182.”
After completing the formalized training with nearly 800 total hours under his belt, the instrument-rated pilot felt confident to begin utilizing his Pilatus flying skills in the real world. Today, he flies approximately 150 hours a year to a variety of airports.
“It’s a great mix what the PC-12 is capable of. Being here in Boise it’s great for going up in the mountains and do- ing quick weekend trips with the fam- ily. We like to jump into the airplane on a Friday afternoon. From here, it’s only about a two-and-a-half-hour trip to anywhere in the western half of the United States: San Diego (645 nm), Phoenix (640 nm), Napa (420 nm), Se- attle (345 nm), or Denver (565 nm).” On trips, he sees an average cruise speed of 260 knots and roughly 360 pound per hour fuel flow.
DeLuca also routinely f lies to oth- er more limiting locations in terms of density altitude. “The aircraft’s performance is amazing. The crazy thing is that I almost feel like the
PC-12 is almost cheating. It’s single pilot, there is so much automation, and you can carry a lot of weight. It’s hard to get the plane overweight during my typical mission.”
When the combination of payload, temperature, altitude and runway length become more of a potential concern, the aircraft does a good job at handling hot and high demands.
“Going into the mountains on warm- er days, those are the times you want to double-check your performance. And on short runways, it’s easy to take off and land in this plane. You can get really slow up there in the mountains, but the aircraft still performs really well even in those conditions. Like I said, I almost feel like it’s cheating flying the PC-12 because it is such a high-performance aircraft that can carry a lot of weight and go a long way.”
In addition to being a passionate aviator for nearly two decades, De- Luca is a longtime health advocate having founded Bodybuilding.com in 1999. Currently, he serves as CEO of fitness-based virtual reality startup Black Box VR, which he co-founded in 2016. The gamified fitness business has locations in three states: Idaho, Arizona, and California, with DeLuca routinely flying his PC-12 to visit these training centers.
With his own and others’ health continually on his mind, he is quick to draw comparisons between f lying and fitness. DeLuca contends that, as pilots, it is equally imperative that we maintain our bodies and fitness as it is that we maintain our aircraft.
“To be a great pilot, you have to be disciplined about your routine and your training. When you are f lying the plane, you have to make sure that
you are following appropriate proce- dures. And that is the same thing with workouts and diets. You can’t just be consistent for a while and then not if you are trying to be in shape, fit, and feeling your best.”
An additional thesis is if you feel good, you fly good.
“I think the other side is that being fit has been shown to help so much with your mental clarity, ability to focus and energy levels. There have been many times on long f lights where I have been very thankful being in shape and being healthy has paid off so that I can complete those missions without getting tired or any health concerns. And the biggest thing is that I would like to fly for a long, long time. Now that I’m past 40 years old (44), I just completed my first two-year medical. You hear stories about people going in for their physicals then hav- ing a health problem come up and not being able to fly anymore. I’m trying to make that day as far into the future as possible.”
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July 2022 / TWIN & TURBINE • 29