Pilatus has begun flight testing the first PC-7 MKX trainer ordered for the French Air and Space Force under the Mentor 2 programme. The aircraft, which took off from the manufacturer’s facility in Stans, Switzerland, made its first flight on 9 October, followed by a second flight on 13 October. France is acquiring 22 aircraft through Babcock France, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2027.
The lead aircraft is serial number 1009 and has been temporarily registered HB-HDA during testing. It is expected to receive the French military registration 701HA. Four further aircraft, serial numbers 1010 to 1013, were in final assembly at Stans as the first aircraft entered the flight-test campaign.
The contract for the Mentor 2 training programme was awarded to Babcock France in January 2025. The 17-year arrangement covers basic military pilot training for the French Air and Space Force and French Navy, supported by ground-based training systems and 12 simulators developed by Exail.
The PC-7 MKX fleet will be based at Salon-de-Provence Air Base and replace the Grob 120A and Cirrus SR20 aircraft currently used for basic training. The programme is intended to consolidate the elementary training phase at a single site, with the new aircraft forming part of France’s broader transition to a Pilatus-based military pilot-training system.