Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) presented Pilatus Aircraft Ltd with a commemorative plaque at a ceremony marking delivery of the 1,000th PC-12 aircraft. The latest generation of PC-12 NG aircraft is powered by a PT6A-67P engine. P&WC is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

"This milestone is yet another major achievement in our long and strong relationship with Pilatus Aircraft Ltd," said Michael Perodeau, Vice President, Corporate Aviation and Military Programs, P&WC.

"The Pilatus line of PT6-powered aircraft, all single-engine applications, operates under a wide range of conditions throughout the world, so reliability and dependability are essential," he added. "The milestone we celebrate today is a testament to the strength of both our products and the relationship we have built over the last 45 years."

Pilatus is one of the world's leading producers of single-engine training aircraft as well as utility and business aircraft. The company was one of P&WC's first customers for the PT6 engine model, which remains the world's most popular engine in its class and is one of P&WC's greatest success stories.

Pilatus has taken delivery of more than 2,000 PT6A turboprop engines since installing its first P&WC engine on a PC-6 Turbo Porter aircraft in 1964. In addition to the PC-12 and PC-6, Pilatus aircraft powered by PT6A engines includes the PC-7 Mk II Turbo Trainer (PT6A-25C), the PC-9 advanced Turbo Trainer (PT6A-62), and the PC-21 trainer (PT6A-68B).

PT6A engines are available in more than 90 models, offering unsurpassed flexibility and capability for a variety of applications. Members of the family currently power over 16,000 aircraft that are in service all over the world. More than 46,000 PT6 engines have been produced since the family entered service in the 1960s, accumulating more than 350 million flying hours. PT6 engines have demonstrated their versatility in powering aircraft applications spanning the airline, general aviation, business, agricultural and utility markets.