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CurriculumPC-24 › Ground School Syllabus
PC-24 · Light Jet

Pilatus PC-24
Ground School Syllabus

Phase-gated ground school covering all systems, limitations, avionics, and emergency procedures — with CPT stage gate requirements.

Ground School SyllabusFFS SyllabusAircraft Phase SyllabusCompletion StandardsProgram Policies
25 hrs
FFS hours
8 hrs
Aircraft hours
$40,000
Initial program
7 days
Duration
In this document
Program Flow — Six PhasesEnrollment PrerequisitesGround School Syllabus — 28 HoursWritten Examination & Mock OralPhase 03 — CPT Sessions
Site
Programs & pricing Fleet detail Simulator complex Master policies
Section 1
Program Flow — Six Phases

The PC-24 type rating program progresses through six sequential phases. No phase may begin until the preceding phase is complete and documented. The phase timeline below shows the full sequence — this document covers Phases 01 through 03.

Phase 01
eLearning
Pre-arrival
Phase 02
Ground School
On campus
Phase 03
CPT
Cockpit trainer
Phase 04
FFS
Level D sim
Phase 05
Aircraft
Actual flight
Phase 06
Practical Test
TCE checkride

Phase 01 — eLearning (remote, pre-arrival): Completed before campus arrival. Minimum 12 hours. 80% pass all modules required. Access provided upon deposit payment.

Phase 02 — Ground School (on campus): 28 hours of type-specific classroom instruction. Covers all aircraft systems, limitations, emergency procedures, and ACS knowledge areas. Concludes with written examination and mock oral.

Phase 03 — CPT (on campus): Cockpit Procedures Trainer — fixed-base cockpit environment for checklist flows and avionics familiarization before entering the Level D FFS. CPT sessions are logged but not as flight time.

Section 2
Enrollment Prerequisites

All prerequisites verified by Director of Training before deposit is accepted. Non-negotiable except where noted in the master policies document.

FAA Airline Transport Pilot or Commercial Pilot certificate with instrument rating
Valid FAA First Class or Second Class medical certificate
Minimum 500 hours total flight time
Turboprop or jet experience preferred — PC-24 turbofan/turboprop hybrid characteristics are distinctly different from pure jet training
TSA AFSP clearance (foreign nationals) on file before course start
Completion of Apex remote eLearning pre-course (minimum 20 hours, verified 80% pass)
Section 3
Ground School Syllabus — 28 Hours

Topics are covered in the sequence below. Hours are on-campus instruction time; the eLearning pre-course provides additional foundational coverage before campus arrival. Each topic concludes with comprehension questions administered by the instructor — these are formative, not graded, but unsatisfactory responses trigger review before proceeding.

3.5 hrs
Aircraft General & Unique Design Features
PC-24 design philosophy (super-versatile jet concept); unpaved runway capability (grass, gravel, dirt strips — runway strength 17 psi bearing capacity); cargo door dimensions and operation; large cargo floor area; wing design (Pilatus proprietary); pressurization system; fuselage structure
3.0 hrs
Powerplant — Williams FJ44-4A
Same engine family as CJ4 Gen2 — differences in installation and cowling design; FADEC operation; engine monitoring through Primus Epic; thrust reverser (PC-24 uses aerodynamic braking and reverse thrust); engine start; abnormals; fire detection
1.5 hrs
Fuel System
Wing tanks; total fuel 5,600 lbs approx; fuel management; crossfeed; imbalance correction; fuel transfer absent (PC-24 is a simple fuel system by jet standards)
1.0 hrs
Electrical System
Dual starter-generators; battery backup; essential bus; ground power operation; load management
2.0 hrs
Landing Gear & Brakes
Trailing-link main gear (designed for rough field — significantly softer touchdown characteristic than conventional jets); nose gear; gear normal and alternate extension; carbon brakes; anti-skid; rough field operations (gravel guards, nose gear positioning)
1.5 hrs
Flight Controls
Primary controls; spoilers (both flight and ground); flaps; trim; yaw damper; stall protection; alpha protection through Primus Epic integration
5.0 hrs
Honeywell Primus Epic Avionics
Display architecture; dual FMS; FMS operation (notably different from Garmin G3000 and Collins Pro Line Fusion); RNP AR approach capability; SiriusXM weather; TCAS II; EGPWS; reversionary modes
2.5 hrs
Rough Field & Special Operations
Unpaved runway assessment criteria; contaminated runway operations; gravel ingestion limits; nose gear tow bar provisions; rough field inspection requirements after landing; PC-24 operational envelope in adverse field conditions; this content is unique to the PC-24 and has no equivalent in other Apex type rating programs
1.5 hrs
Ice Protection
Engine cowl anti-ice; windshield; pitot/static heat; FIKI — PC-24 certified for flight into known icing
2.5 hrs
Emergency Procedures
Engine failure procedures; single-engine operations at rough fields (unique considerations); emergency descent; rapid decompression; smoke and fumes; gear abnormal; electrical emergencies
2.5 hrs
Limitations & Performance
Vmo 300 KIAS / Mmo 0.74; unpaved runway limitations (bearing strength, slope limits); MTOW 18,078 lbs; V-speeds by weight; rough field takeoff and landing performance (separate charts from paved runway performance); CG envelope
2.0 hrs
ACS Oral Preparation
PC-24 ACS areas; emphasis on unique rough field operational knowledge; 61.58 requirements; operational capability relative to market competitors
Section 4
Written Examination & Mock Oral

Written examination: 80–120 questions, closed-book, covering all systems topics above. Minimum score: 85% overall, with no single module below 75%. Students below 85% receive remedial instruction and re-examination before CPT begins. Re-examination requires minimum 4 additional hours of instruction in the deficient module.

Mock oral examination: Conducted by an Apex check airman who is not the primary ground instructor — minimum 90 minutes. All ACS knowledge areas. Limitations must be recited from memory. The mock oral result is reviewed by the Chief Standards Pilot and documented in the training record before the practical test date is considered.

Limitations committed to memory — required for mock oral and practical test:

LimitationValue
Vmo300 KIAS
MmoMach 0.74
MTOW18,078 lbs
V1 range120–132 KIAS (weight/temp dependent)
Vr range124–135 KIAS
V2 range128–140 KIAS
Vref range105–115 KIAS
Max operating altitudeFL450
Stage Gate — Ground School → CPT Phase

All of the following must be satisfied and documented by the Chief Standards Pilot before CPT Phase is authorized:

  • Written systems examination: minimum 85% on all modules — no partial credit across modules
  • All ground school attendance hours logged — no session may be skipped or shortened
  • Pre-course eLearning verified complete (80% pass) before ground school begins
  • Director of Training sign-off on ground school completion in training record
Section 5
Phase 03 — CPT Sessions

The Cockpit Procedures Trainer (CPT) is a fixed-base, non-motion simulator that replicates the PC-24 cockpit to a level sufficient for checklist flows, avionics familiarization, and normal procedure drills. CPT sessions are not logged as flight time. They are the bridge between ground school knowledge and the Level D FFS.

CPT objectives:

  • Complete all normal checklist flows (preflight, engine start, taxi, takeoff, cruise, descent, approach, landing, shutdown) without reference to checklist — flows from memory, checklist to verify
  • Demonstrate avionics proficiency: load a flight plan including SID, airways, STAR, and approach from scratch; modify the route; load an alternate; execute the missed approach in the FMS
  • Demonstrate autopilot mode engagement sequence: IAS → ALT SEL → VS → APP — without prompting
  • Practice emergency procedure memory item sequences at normal pace before entering the FFS
Stage Gate — CPT Phase → FFS Phase

All of the following must be satisfied and documented by the Chief Standards Pilot before FFS Phase is authorized:

  • CPT sessions completed per approved TCO schedule
  • Normal procedures checklist flows demonstrated without reference for all applicable checklists
  • Avionics proficiency demonstrated: approach loading, FMS route entry, autopilot engagement
  • Chief Standards Pilot authorization in training record