Swiss aerospace company Pilatus has completed the initial flight of the first PC-7 MKX low-wing training aircraft for the French Air and Space Force as part of a contract signed in 2025.
The activity was held in early October from the firm’s center in Stans, Switzerland, followed by a second test flight four days later.
Deliveries will support the military’s Mentor 2 pilot training program, a framework adopting the PC-7 MKX as a new standard training aircraft when it enters operational service by 2027.
“Very pleased to see the first PC-7 MKX for the French Air & Space Force perform its maiden flight,” said Ioannis Papachristofilou, vice president of government aviation at Pilatus.
“We are preparing the entry into service next year and are looking forward to the next key milestones in the programme.”
22 Airframes Expected
Pilatus is working on the 2025 contract with Babcock France to supply 22 PC-7 MKX platforms to the French Air and Space Force.
The trainers will be delivered alongside flight simulators and ground-based training tools, with associated work to span 17 years.
The fleet will deploy at Salon-de-Provence Air Base, replacing aging Cirrus SR20 and Grob 120A aircraft to streamline basic flight instruction into a single-site, single-type pipeline.
Once commissioned, the new airframes are set to log about 11,000 flight hours and 6,500 training hours for up to 120 students annually.
Paris already employs 26 Pilatus PC-21 turboprops for advanced instruction, making it the latest European nation to rely exclusively on Pilatus for its pilot training pipeline.
Allies Netherlands and Belgium have also ordered the PC-7 MKX, with deliveries slated for 2027.
Modern Trainer
The two-seat PC-7 MKX features a redesigned cockpit fitted with Garmin G3000 PRIME avionics and a head-up display, designed to prepare student pilots for advanced military maneuvers.
Additional features of the 10-meter (33-foot) plane include traffic advisory systems, an autopilot solution, a cockpit camera, debriefing system, and flight modes for full pilot training coverage.
The aircraft is fitted with a 700-horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25C turboprop engine, supporting a top speed of 300 knots (556 kilometers/345 miles), an altitude of 25,000 feet (7,260 meters), and a range of 1,800 nautical miles (3,334 kilometers/2,071 miles).