3 aircraft5 to 8 seatsup to 1,806 nm
Turboprop Charter
Short legs, short runways, and airports a jet cannot use.
The class
What a turboprop is for
Turboprops trade cruise speed for field performance and operating cost. On legs under about 400 nm the jet time advantage largely disappears once you account for climb and descent, and a turboprop opens up several thousand additional runways across North America.
Across the 3 aircraft we track in this class, published range runs from 1,730 to 1,806 nautical miles and typical seating from 5 to 8. That spread matters. Two aircraft sold as the same class can differ by a thousand miles of range, which is the difference between a nonstop and a fuel stop on a transcontinental leg.
The aircraft in this class are Pilatus PC-12 NGX, Beechcraft King Air 350i and Daher TBM 960.
Charter pricing does not follow the class boundary cleanly either. An older airframe in a larger class sometimes prices below a new one in the class beneath it, and the only way to find out on your date is to make operators bid.
| Aircraft | Seats | Range | Cruise | Cabin H | Runway |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pilatus PC-12 NGX | 8 | 1,803 nm | 290 kt | 4.9 ft | 2,650 ft |
| Beechcraft King Air 350i | 8 | 1,806 nm | 312 kt | 4.75 ft | 3,300 ft |
| Daher TBM 960 | 5 | 1,730 nm | 308 kt | 4 ft | 2,535 ft |
Aircraft
Every turboprop we quote
Pilatus PC-12 NGX
Single engine, large aft cargo door, and unpaved field capability with the right configuration. Widely used where the runway rules out a jet.
Beechcraft King Air 350i
Twin turboprop with a long production history and deep parts support. Common for regional business travel and air ambulance work.
Daher TBM 960
Single engine and single pilot capable. The fastest way to move four people between short runways.
Questions
Turboprops explained
How many passengers fit in a turboprop?
Typical charter seating across the turboprop class runs from 5 to 8 passengers. Maximum certificated seating is often higher, but the practical number is lower once baggage and sector length are accounted for, because seats and fuel compete for the same weight allowance.
How far can a turboprop fly without stopping?
Manufacturer published range across this class runs from about 1,730 to 1,806 nautical miles. Treat those as the ceiling. Real range falls with a full cabin, hot conditions, high elevation departure fields and headwinds, so a book figure of 2,000 nm is a comfortable 1,600 nm mission.
Does a turboprop have a lavatory?
2 of the 3 aircraft we list in this class have a fully enclosed lavatory. The rest use a curtained arrangement. It is worth specifying on the brief, because it is one of the few cabin details that reliably surprises people on the day.
Photography on this site is representative. It does not depict a specific aircraft, operator or tail number offered for charter.