Rollout of first French Navy PC-24

On 17 December 2025, Stephan Widmer photographed the first Pilatus PC-24 for the Aéronautique Navale (French Navy) at Stans.

The business jet, registered F-HJAH and assigned future serial 619 (c/n 619), already displays the unit markings of its new operator, Escadrille 57S. The unit is based at Base d’aéronautique navale (BAN) Landivisiau and currently operates a fleet of six Falcon 10MER aircraft.

The Falcon 10 entered service in 1975 and has been used for training and maintaining instrument ratings for naval fighter pilots, as well as for liaison flights for French Navy headquarters.

In October 2025, it was announced that the Falcon 10MER fleet would be gradually withdrawn from service between 2026 and 2027. The aircraft will be replaced from the first half of 2026 by the lease of three PC-24s. The French Aeronautical Maintenance Directorate (DMAe) awarded the leasing contract to Jet Aviation at the end of August for a period of approximately ten years.

Credit photo: Stephan Widmer