Published share terms

PlaneSense cost: fractional economics for the Pilatus PC-12 and PC-24

PlaneSense provides access to its PC-12 turboprop and PC-24 jet fleets through individually priced aircraft shares, from 50 hours a year on a five-to-seven-year term. It publishes no rate card. The one figure it gives is about $5,000 per occupied flight hour, inclusive of many ancillary services, as an example for a 50-hour PC-12 share.

That example is not the client's final cost per hour, because PlaneSense does not say which charges it includes. We review the PlaneSense proposal and agreement against competing programs using the same flight history and assumptions.

Published terms

PlaneSense’s published share sizes

These published annual allocations retain the October 8, 2026 source review. They are hours, not prices or guaranteed trip counts. PlaneSense publishes no share-price, monthly-fee or hourly-rate schedule; its current proposal defines those amounts and the treatment of taxes and additional charges. The monthly fee is tied to share size.

PlaneSense’s published share sizes
Share	Published annual hours
1/16 share	50
1/8 share	100
3/16 share	150
1/4 share	200

Cost interpretation

Understanding the $5,000 occupied-hour example

The $5,000 example is an average for one aircraft at one share size, without an itemized list of included charges. A comparison with another program’s rate depends on whether both figures cover the same costs.

Our PlaneSense comparison uses the current proposal for the client’s aircraft and share size, including the total cost and access terms.

Aircraft first

PC-12 and PC-24 acquisition and operating costs

PlaneSense specializes in fractional shares in the Pilatus PC-12 turboprop and PC-24 jet, with customized share sizes. Their acquisition and operating costs differ, so a proposal for one is not a guide to the other.

The PC-12 offers runway and airport flexibility at a lower cruise speed, while the PC-24 combines jet speed with unusual runway capability. Their relative value depends on the routes flown.

Door-to-door time can change the aircraft comparison. A PC-12 may spend longer in the air yet land closer to the destination; the balance depends on the client’s routes and the airports available.

The fees

PlaneSense’s monthly management fee and occupied hourly charge

PlaneSense describes its costs as predictable, with no hidden fees. Its monthly management fee covers pilot and maintenance-technician training, flight and crew scheduling, and maintenance. The share also carries an occupied hourly charge for each hour flown. The monthly fee comes with whatever share size the owner holds, so it is a fixed obligation set by the share rather than by the hours used.

The agreement defines charges outside the monthly fee, the measurement of billable time and adjustments during the term. Our agreement review identifies how billable time is measured, which surcharges pass through, whether fees can be reset mid-term, and what each does to your annual total.

Guaranteed availability

Guaranteed availability under the PlaneSense agreement

PlaneSense states that its program offers guaranteed availability with no blackout dates, as does its CobaltPass jet card. PlaneSense serves the U.S. and neighboring international destinations with its own fleet. Fractional owners can also use eligible hours with Jetfly in Europe and parts of North Africa, while the Sourcing Solution can arrange flights beyond those fleets.

The agreement’s notice, service-area and substitution provisions determine how guaranteed availability applies to a trip. Charges can differ outside the primary service area.

Fleet structure

PlaneSense operates its own fleet of two Pilatus types

PlaneSense operates a fleet of Pilatus PC-12 turboprops and PC-24 jets and describes its core program operations as in-house. Its Sourcing Solution also arranges flights through outside operators when a trip requires a larger aircraft, greater range or a destination beyond the fleet's operating area. That service is available to fractional owners and CobaltPass holders.

Access included in the share agreement differs from separately arranged flying. Replacement-aircraft obligations, permitted interchange and any charges for larger or longer-range aircraft affect the cost of travel beyond the share’s normal use.

Exit

Purchase price and net proceeds at exit

A PlaneSense owner buys an aircraft interest and later exits under the program’s valuation and settlement terms. The difference between the purchase price and net proceeds is part of ownership cost. Deductions and payment timing affect what the owner recovers.

The tax deduction and the net resale proceeds are two different figures. We model the proceeds under the agreement, while your tax advisor confirms the tax treatment. Treatment depends on the circumstances of the owner and the entity holding the interest.

Travel pattern

The 50-hour PlaneSense entry share and lower-use alternatives

PlaneSense aims its fractional program at those flying 25 to 300 hours a year, with shares from 50 hours a year on a five-to-seven-year term. Shares can be customized and added over time. The minimum share size does not establish when ownership becomes more economical than an alternative; that depends on aircraft, use and current terms.

A share’s fixed monthly obligation continues when hours go unused. A larger allocation therefore brings a greater commitment even when it is held mainly for occasional peaks.

For lower annual use, PlaneSense also offers the CobaltPass jet card. The card is built for those flying 25 hours or less a year, on a 24-month term, with the purchase price prepaying the hourly fees, fuel, landing and FBO fees. The PC-12 version is listed as sold out and the PC-24 as available.

What we do

Independent advice on aircraft fit and share cost

Our PlaneSense review assesses aircraft fit and door-to-door travel time alongside the cost of the share. The PC-12’s airport flexibility and the PC-24’s jet speed can have different value on the client’s recurring routes.

We compare the proposal’s capital, recurring charges and access terms with alternatives that serve the same travel. Aircraft interchange and any flying beyond the share allocation can affect that comparison.

The review also considers the value at exit and the settlement terms over the proposed holding period.

Illustrative holding cost

A five-year view separates capital from flying cost

For illustration only, a hypothetical share bought for $800,000 and sold after five years for $500,000 in net proceeds consumes $300,000 of capital. Assumed fixed fees of $80,000 a year add $400,000. At 50 hours a year and an assumed variable charge of $2,000 per hour, flying adds $500,000. The listed components total $1,200,000 over 250 flown hours, or $4,800 per flown hour.

These round assumptions are not PlaneSense prices, a PC-12 or PC-24 budget, or a resale forecast. Net proceeds are after transaction charges and before loan repayment. Rates stay constant; financing, cost of capital, taxes and additional trip charges are excluded. PlaneSense publishes five- to seven-year terms, but its current proposal supplies the actual capital, monthly fee and hourly charge.

We assess a PlaneSense proposal against your recurring routes, including aircraft suitability and total travel time. The comparison considers capital, recurring charges, access and expected exit value alongside alternatives serving the same trips.

Discuss your PlaneSense proposal

Common questions

Frequently asked questions

No. The example concerns a 50-hour PC-12 share and does not itemize every included charge. Changing aircraft or allocation requires a separate proposal rather than transferring that figure into a PC-24 comparison.

No. Its resale proceeds are a hypothetical input, not a PlaneSense offer. The agreement's valuation and deduction provisions, the aircraft's value and the eventual transaction determine actual proceeds.

Yes. Different fixed fees, flight rates, actual use and exit proceeds can change the result even when the entry capital is identical. The purchase amount alone cannot establish whether a PC-12 or PC-24 proposal costs less for your trips.