The successful handover of the 75th Pilatus PC-7 MkII training aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) at the Air Force Academy in Dundigal marked the final aircraft delivery milestone under the contract between Pilatus and the Government of India’s Ministry of Defence which was signed on May 24, 2012.

The introduction of the PC-7 MkII training system has enabled the IAF to revolutionise their basic pilot training capability. The arrival of the first of 75 Pilatus PC-7 MkII aircraft in February 2013 signified the beginning of a new era for pilot training in the IAF.

Jim Roche, Vice President, Government Aviation Business and Deputy CEO of Pilatus, said: “We are extremely pleased to have completed delivery of all PC-7 MkII trainer aircraft well ahead of the original IAF schedule requirement. Delivering and supporting the IAF’s basic flight training requirements has been a remarkable experience and we remain fully committed to supporting the fleet’s in-service operations with equal efficiency and competence.”

The PC-7 MkII trainer aircraft has achieved some outstanding performance benchmarks at Dundigal. Since the first delivery in February 2013, the PC-7 MkII fleet has flown more than 40,000 hours and accumulated well over 80,000 landings.

The PC-7 MkII has enabled the IAF to increase the basic training syllabus in terms of flight hours by 220 per cent compared to previous operations and also increase the solo content from 1 to 14 sorties. The PC-7 MkII training system has successfully proven its effectiveness and validates the decision by the IAF to operate the most advanced basic flight training aircraft in the world—the PC-7 MkII.