PC vs Radar Performance

The PC-12 Weight & Balance and Performance Calculator (PC-12 Calculator) is a pilot support tool designed to assist in verifying weight and balance, as well as calculating takeoff, climb, cruise, and landing performance for the Pilatus PC-12. It supports the following aircraft variants: PC-12/41, PC-12/45, PC-12/47, PC-12/47E (NG and NGX), and PC-12/47G. The app shall only be used after confirming that the specific aircraft configuration matches the selected version within the PC-12 Calculator. The app also includes a crosswind calculator. This tool is intended solely for plausibility checks of aircraft data. Use of the PC-12 Calculator is at the sole responsibility of the pilot or operator.

Radar Performance calculates the geometry of aircraft weather radar beams with respect to the earth, the freezing level, and the band of altitudes that provide the maximum weather radar returns (the "bright band"). It also shows the areas on the radar display where the beam is too high or low to effectively detect active weather and areas where you may see ground returns. Radar Performance also includes an Overfly mode for confirming that the tops of lower-level convective weather remain safely below your aircraft. You choose a safe clearance altitude and a tactical range, and the app calculates the radar tilt at which the bottom of the beam just reaches that altitude at that range. With this tilt set, any weather returns indicate that the tops have penetrated your safety margin, so going around the weather is advised. Overfly mode is available at aircraft altitudes of 15,000 ft and above, and is inspired by Tom McGrath's "Snowplow" technique. Radar Performance supports a variety of weather radar models as well as a "generic" model. It is not specific to any aircraft type.