Clayton Boyd, of Valley View, Texas, had logged about 2,000 hours of fixed and rotor-wing time before purchasing a PC-12/45 in July of 2024. The single-engine, 1,200 horsepower turboprop was a milestone step in an aviation journey that began as a young child on the playground, a child enthralled with aviation.
“I knew I would circle back to this goal and didn’t allow myself to become a pilot until 2017, because I was focused on putting business and family first. When I started flying, it took 38 days from the first time I ever touched the controls of an airplane to my private pilot checkride. Then I bought an SR22, which I completed my instrument training in,” he said.
“But I sold the Cirrus because I knew it wasn’t going to work for me long-term, and then bought my Pilatus. Now I am getting close to 3,000 hours total time, flying my Bell 505 about 125 hours per year and currently doing about 400 a year in the PC-12.”
Boyd is proud to have found a legacy Pilatus with a strong pedigree that he could make his own. He had grand plans for transforming the aircraft into a visually appealing “better than new” aircraft.
I was born into a low middle-class family; I never inherited a penny. I created a brand and built what I have from the ground up. It’s important for the young aviators to know that!”
“I was actually on the list for a new PC-12. The backlog kept increasing, and my position kept getting pushed back. So, I decided that I would find the lowest one-owner PC-12 to build it the way I wanted it. All I cared about when looking for an aircraft was that I wanted the lowest time, cleanest machine. I didn’t care what color it was, what avionics it had, or anything else – just that it had really good bones,” Boyd said, advising that the 3,000-hour bird he chose was the last 12/45 serial that ever rolled off the production line.
In addition to completing an interior and exterior refurbishment on the aircraft, a new Garmin avionics suite was installed – a package that includes dual G600 TXIs, dual GTN750Xi, a GI 275 Electronic Standby, GFC 600, and more.
“What I like most about the aircraft is its efficiency. We have RVSM, which gives us an extra 2,000 feet of ceiling. Most PC-12s are limited to 28,000 feet, and the extra altitude makes a huge difference when it comes to fuel consumption and avoiding weather. Plus, we have XM weather with the Garmin suite, and the real-time weather updates are phenomenal. I think that those are essential to have,” he said.
“When we are flying at 30,000 feet, we are burning about 290 pounds of jet fuel an hour and truing out at 258 knots. And the other thing is that we have six executive seats and two commuter seats, so we can take up to ten people at once. Where else can you average a fuel burn of 400 pounds an hour with that many people? You really have to get into what I would consider a mid-sized jet to compete with the Pilatus as far as capacity. It’s a pretty insane machine.”
You must get nitpicky to think of things wrong with the aircraft. Boyd has little negative to say about the Pilatus.
“I have an eye for detail, and have designed and built some of the premier equestrian centers in the world. There is no way I could build basic hangars.”
“[The only downside] has really been the weather, and we find ourselves in ice pretty often. We try to avoid it like a plague, but it seems like every fifth flight we are in at least a small amount of ice. The altitude limitation is the downfall to most turboprops, so obviously, if we could, we would always like to climb higher and faster.”
The Texan aviator has been involved in real estate for his whole professional career and is a developer specializing in large-scale single-family properties. A crowning business of his is Clayton Boyd Luxury Barns, which builds luxury equestrian facilities – including barns and horse arenas. He flies the PC-12 for both business and pleasure.
“Whether in the helicopter or the Pilatus, the trip is the destination. Adventure is the mission, and the Bahamas is one of the many places that check that box. There is a little island south of Nassau called Staniel Cay, where we spend several months out of the year. The runway that we fly into is unimproved, and we land there. It’s an easy in and out trip,” he said.
“What we typically do is we will top off at our local airport in Gainesville, and then we will fly direct to Nassau. I like to use FlashPass, which is a newer app that makes international General Aviation flying a breeze. It files all of our EAPIS forms for us, and then saves them for future trips. We also fly to Mexico quite a bit, where we use the app in tandem with a handler. It gives you peace of mind when you are flying that long [everything is in order] and you are going to have a successful rendezvous.”
Like with his luxury construction work for clients, Boyd has been very intentional at executing his aviation-related projects with the same passion. This enthusiasm is showcased in part through his custom-painted, all-black PC-12 and Bell 505 helicopter. Anyone who has seen his aircraft hangar or ‘helicopter chalet’ on his Instagram page (@clayton__boyd) can easily see the same level of passion was put into those as well.
“I have an eye for detail, and have designed and built some of the premier equestrian centers in the world. There is no way I could build basic hangars. My helicopter is predominantly kept on my farm, and the hangar I built there seconds as my son and I’s fishing and hunting cabin. My hangar at KGLE is glass, steel, and black. A different design but equally as impressive with full amenities. I like architectural significance.”
Boyd has enjoyed a lot of memorable times flying, but one full-circle moment sticks out above the rest.
“Growing up, I lived close to Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana and would always see the B-52s and other military planes flying over the school. I remember in third grade lying on my back [during recess] and watching all the aircraft fly over. And I remember sitting there on the playground and envisioning myself landing a helicopter there,” he recounted.
“Well, one day about five years ago, my son and I were flying back after looking at a piece of property, and just randomly flew over my old school yard. It had been bulldozed, and I landed right there on the old school grounds.”
Having accomplished his mission of becoming a dual-rated fixed-wing and rotorcraft pilot, Boyd still has some aviation goals he is working towards.
“My plan now that they recently came out with the PC-12 PRO is that I will eventually get one of those. But right now, I’m enjoying, learning, and applying. There is no other aircraft out there that really compares to the PC-12. I mean, it does everything and it does it as efficiently as you can,” advising that he is so open with his aviation journey, as he hopes it will help the next generation of pilots understand that flying is not out of reach.
“I enjoy making and sharing videos of our aviation adventures to help inspire the next group of aviators. I think social media puts a lot of pressure on people nowadays. Everything looks perfect, immediate, and easy, but the reality is that it all takes hard work, dedication, and time, especially in aviation. If anyone is trying to sell you a course or convince you they have life all figured out, they are either lying or a fool. The pursuit of the best version of ourselves; that’s what we all should focus on,” Boyd said, noting that he models his own pursuit of excellence off his late best friend and fellow aviator, Dr. Ty Wallis.
“I was born into a low middle-class family; I never inherited a penny. I created a brand and built what I have from the ground up. It’s important for the young aviators to know that! If I did it, so can they, as there is nothing really unique or special about me. Except, you won’t outwork or out-grit me. Find your exception, direct that to a niche, and monetize it. Business can be that easy. Most pilots are very open and helpful, almost excited to share their knowledge and experience. It should be no different from the business mindset.”
