The native performance of Agile Sky in Pilatus PC-12 aircraft is simply excellent, and consistent with the performance expectations published by Starlink. Data download speeds achieved in practice, in our direct experience, are almost always above 100 megabits per second, and routinely run to well above 200 megabits per second.
The Starlink Internet service supports all Internet protocols, at a latency typically below 35 milliseconds.
This level of performance - with the download speed limitation applied - still supports the use of all Internet services including but not limited to the following, for all aircraft passengers, concurrently:
- Streaming video services
- Video calling (e.g. FaceTime Video or similar
- Audio calling
- Conventional SMS text and audio call support via 'WiFi Calling' using suitable mobile phone carriers (for instance, Telstra)
- All other routine Internet services (web browser and app access, email, Internet text messaging, WhatsApp etc)
The full service speed is available at all times via the separate 'Management' WiFi network. The management network also permits monitoring and settings adjustments to be made to the Starlink service terminal.
In real world terms, the service is not perfect - there are occasional periods (and some specific geographic areas) where the service will drop out and then (automatically) recover. However, as an overall service offering, it is simply exceptional.
The ability to deliver high performance, low latency internet services at 30.000 feet and 275 knots in a PC-12 is exceptionally impressive, and incredibly useful for passengers and pilots alike.