COBALT’S APPROACH TO SAFE OPERATIONS

Pilatus Aircraft, Ltd. has delivered over 2,000 PC-12 turboprop aircraft to customers throughout the world, many of which operate in remote locations. Virtually all are still in operation. This aircraft has enjoyed such significant popularity due in large part to its reliability. For their part, PlaneSense® share owners and Cobalt® customers enjoy an on-time departure rate of 99.5%+ after accounting for late passengers, weather delays and Air Traffic Control delays.

Atlas Aircraft Center, Inc. is a sister company of PlaneSense, Inc. and Cobalt Air, LLC and is co-located with them at Portsmouth International Airport at Pease (KPSM) in Portsmouth, NH. In addition to being a F.A.R. Part 145 certificated Repair Station, it is an authorized fleet service center for the PlaneSense® program fractional fleet of Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24 aircraft.

Supporting the world’s largest civilian fleet of Pilatus PC-12s and a growing fleet PC-24 jet aircraft, it has been awarded the prestigious Pilatus Service Recognition Award and is a long-standing, repeat winner of the FAA Diamond Award for Excellence. All Atlas technicians attend airframe and engine OEM factory schools and follow a rigorous in-house training regimen.

With the exception of engine hot-section inspections and overhauls, which are outsourced to the respective engine OEMs, Atlas is capable of, and performs virtually all, annual inspections, hourly inspections, avionics installations and repairs, airframe modifications and repairs, interior upgrades, propeller balancing and borescope inspections as well as routine maintenance, cleaning and other upkeep for the PlaneSense® program fleet.

PlaneSense, Inc. pilots, all of whom are employed full-time, act as agents of Cobalt Air, LLC when flying a Cobalt on-demand charter flight. Therefore, you can be assured that your crew was hired based upon their superior service and flying skills, both of which are continuously reinforced by an in-house FAA-approved and insurance industry-endorsed training program. This in-house program has been informed and refined by the many years of PC-12 operational experience, with many elements exceeding the requirements of FAR Part 91, subpart K and FAR Part 135 regulations.

Program highlights include:

1. Initial Second-In-Command (SIC) Ground School – This comprehensive eight-day ground school covers the following topics: aircraft systems, avionics, FAA rules and regulations, flight planning, weather and winter operations, company general operating procedures, aircraft performance, safety, and cockpit resource management.
2. Initial SIC Flight Training – Prospective pilots must also successfully complete a rigorous initial flight training program, both in the aircraft and in a PC-12 full-motion, Level D simulator at FlightSafety International, Inc. or PC-24 full-motion, Level D simulator also at Flight Safety, as applicable. All in-aircraft flight training is done by company instructor pilots. A flight test, or check-ride, must be passed successfully before a SIC is released to line flying.
3. Upgrade Training – Every pilot is hired as an SIC with the expectation that, after some experience in the aircraft, they will qualify to become a Captain, which allows them to act as Pilot-in-Command (PIC). Prospective Captains begin their upgrade training with a company ground school that covers aircraft systems, regulations, advanced and emergency procedures and more. Crew resource management is heavily emphasized. Following ground school, upgrade candidates are trained in the aircraft with a company instructor pilot to prepare them for the responsibilities of being a PIC. The program continues with training in the PC-12 or PC-24 full-motion, Level D simulator at FlightSafety International, Inc.allowing them to practice emergency and abnormal maneuvers not easily practiced in the aircraft. An in-house check-ride is completed before the pilot is released as a line PIC.
4. Annual and Six Month Checkrides – Each PIC is required to complete two proficiency checks each year. These checkrides are a comprehensive test of normal IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) and VFR (Visual Flight Rules) maneuvers and emergency procedures. SICs are required to complete an annual proficiency check and a comprehensive line check on the six month interval.
5. Annual Recurrent Ground School – Every pilot attends an annual recurrent ground school. This is a three-day course that covers many of the topics from initial ground school but in a more advanced form. Emergency procedures, safety, and crew resource management are heavily emphasized.
6. Initial and Annual Recurrent Emergency Training – Initial emergency training is taught by Survival Systems, Inc., an outside company with a long history of training military and corporate pilots. Their initial two-day General Emergency Duties course includes training in emergency water landings, basic first aid and CPR, water survival, fire and smoke control procedures, and high altitude operations and cabin decompression. Recurrent emergency training is conducted in-house, utilizing equipment specific to the relevant aircraft for emergency drills.
7. Reduced Vertical Separation Minimum (RVSM) Training – All pilots are RVSM certified by our in-house training department and are recertified annually.

The FOC is staffed with Customer Service, Crew Service and Scheduling personnel, all of whom are full-time employees of PlaneSense, Inc. They combine extensive in-house training and the latest tools to stay on top of the latest weather, Air Traffic Control and airport data and suggest potential itinerary adjustments when appropriate that will maximize safety and flight comfort. Customer Service personnel act as agents on behalf of Cobalt Air, LLC when helping quote and reserve on-demand charter trip requests.