General Aviation

The Pilatus PC-12 blends pressurized, long-range turboprop performance with a huge cargo door and true rough-field capability—letting owners carry people and bulky gear where jets can’t go. It’s versatile enough to serve as an executive shuttle, backcountry truck, or medevac platform.

A King Air’s Autoland performed perfectly, but the pilots were not incapacitated. The real issue: capable crews deferred authority to automation, letting a system—not people—define the emergency and its narrative.

ADS-B’s continuous, standardized flight data already functions as a ready-made meter for per‑mile aviation taxes and emissions levies. With no new avionics required, governments could use archived ADS‑B tracks to bill by actual flown miles, weight class, and fuel type.

For roughly $60,000 you can find a well-kept Van’s RV-4 — a two-seat experimental sport airplane that delivers strong cruise performance, low operating costs, and genuine fun to fly. It’s a cost-effective cross-country platform for pilots who value handling and upgrades over extra seats.