The Pilatus lineup of PC-12s and PC-24s
The Pilatus Owners & Pilots Association (POPA) was founded in 1996 to help educate Pilatus owners and pilots on their aircraft and to ensure the safety of the fleet. And just as the installed base of Pilatus aircraft has grown, the group has, too, over the last 27 years. Now, POPA’s membership consists of 700 unique aircraft serials, including more than 50 PC-24s.
The organization has three employees: an executive director (Laura Mason), a marketing director, and a convention director. POPA’s eight-member board has re-elections every two years, and members can serve up to eight years in total.
Paul Bell, the board’s president, has been a member of POPA since 2012, a year after he purchased his first Pilatus from the factory. Bell has been a member of the board for five years and now owns a PC-12 NGX. When asked about the organization’s biggest accomplishments during his tenure, he points to one of POPA’s main focuses – safety.
“The overwhelming top priority is safety. We take a lot of pride in the fact that the platform itself, which has forever been the PC-12 and, more recently, the PC-24, is safe. For example, the accident rate in the PC-12 is lower than a lot of comparable platforms. We think that’s a combination of the great airplane and, more importantly, the seriousness of the pro pilot and owner-pilot community that flies these aircraft. And POPA itself is a fantastic resource for helping drive safety in the fleet.”
The increased number of accident-free operations, he contended, is enabled by an enthusiastic membership base that’s willing to get together and be introspective about their flying abilities. Each year, the organization hosts a two-day long conference that engages members through training, insightful speakers, and presentations from industry partners. This year, the 28th Annual Operations & Safety Conference is planned for June 5th through the 7th at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
The emphasis on safety occurs outside the walls of the convention center, as well. POPA offers a unique training offering tailored for transitioning pilots.
The forum is our most dynamic and ongoing membership benefit.” The way we engage with the community, and they engage with each other, is also a fantastic place not only to pick up ideas, stories, and information that will help make you a safer pilot but also just tips and tricks for operating the plane and saving money here and there.”
Paul Bell
“We do things to encourage our members to train more than is required, especially in the simulators, by providing a very significant discount for FlightSafety International training and discounts for SIMCOM as well,” Bell began. “The TPPI (Transitioning Pilatus Pilot Initiative) is designed for new owners and pilots transitioning to the PC-12. If [they have] less than 150 hours in type, we will cover the cost of an additional course through FlightSafety. Additionally, our discounts for training with SIMCOM and Aviation Performance Solutions (LOC-I courses) are all beneficial to our members,” Mason added.
In addition to the convention and tailored training recommendations, POPA has a quarterly published magazine, as well as a member forum. This chat board is integral in keeping members active throughout the year and is a breeding ground for productive discussion.
“The forum is our most dynamic and ongoing membership benefit. The way we engage with the community, and they engage with each other, is also a fantastic place not only to pick up ideas, stories, and information that will help make you a safer pilot but also just tips and tricks for operating the plane and saving money here and there,” Bell said.
Board members regularly get requests to speak with prospective owners, messages that get farmed out to us based on the specific type of airplane that they’re interested in.
Some recent highlights in the forum include maintenance issues people are dealing with, correct procedures for international flights (flight plan filing, border controls, etc.), debriefing accident reports, a member’s adventurous flight, including one to the North Pole, tips on getting insurance coverage, and recommendations on airport and FBOs to use when flying to a new area, such as Alaska.
In addition to the forum, in-person networking opportunities with other owner pilots are a key benefit of the group. Speaking with fellow Pilatus aviators provides a natural sounding board for owner pilots, and these relationships pay dividends, the duo stated.
“This is especially important for those of us who fly single pilot so that we don’t stay isolated and cut off from the information flow. Actually, many of us, if not most of us who are owner pilots, fly single pilot. If you’re a pro pilot or you fly with someone else in the cockpit, you’re always interacting with others, and you’re picking up information that way. For those of us who fly single-pilot, this community is the place where you can learn and swap stories but also just find like-minded men and women. I find that at each of these conferences, I meet new people that I want to stay in touch with. It’s somebody else that I can text or call up and ask a question or occasionally end up in the same place and meet up.”
POPA is useful not only for current owners and pilots of Pilatus aircraft but prospective ones as well. The organization’s website has a dedicated ‘Buyers Info’ tab, which contains resources related to operational costs, model variants, resale value, and much more.
“We are very active in helping out people who are considering buying a Pilatus aircraft. We have a place on the website where people can go, even if they are not a member yet. And there’s a place you can go in and say that you are interested in talking to a member and picking their brain,” he said.
“Board members regularly get requests to speak with prospective owners, messages that get farmed out to us based on the specific type of airplane that they’re interested in. We have PC-12 legacy pilots, NG, NGX, and PC-24 pilots all involved in the board. Whenever we get a request like that, we always reach out to them and answer questions any way we can to be helpful.”
The organization’s impact is amplified through its relationship with the OEM. Mason explained that this symbiotic relationship dates back to POPA’s founding.
“We have the best relationship with our manufacturer. Pilatus representatives have been here since day one and continue to serve on our board as advisors. We, in turn, have a direct line of communication with them for our members. We also have built up great relationships with many of the equipment manufacturers on the aircraft.”
Bell agreed, providing additional detail surrounding how his relationship with the airframes has made him a more informed owner.
“We have a very tight relationship with Pilatus that is best manifested at the annual conference because pretty much the entire senior executive team comes regularly. So even when I was not a board member, I got to meet them, talk with them, hang out over dinner, and ask questions. So, there’s that kind of personal connection that they invest in. And we really value that.”
He continued, “If people have questions about, well, what service center should I go to? Or. You know, what’s the most cost-effective way to get something done? Do you have a reference for somebody? Who should I go to if I’m moving my airplane to a different region? All those kinds of things come from having personal contact with Pilatus and with the team that shows up [to events]. They also get on the forum, interact with people, and answer their questions there as needed. They are a great asset to our members.”
