New Owner Ferries the Aircraft on Transatlantic Flight Home

Daher's newest version of the TBM family, the TBM 960, has been a popular addition to the fold with 17 delivered following its June FAA certification. 

The TBM has proven a fast seller at home and abroad, with 20 brand new TBM 960s being ordered since the model's introduction. The lucky recipient of aircraft number 20 was Johnie Weems, a South Florida businessman.

This plane will be his fourth TBM, no small feat for any model in the competitive business turboprop market. The winning formula, he says, is the single-pilot capability of the Daher aircraft. Weems said the TBM's complement of assistive technology allows a higher level of comfort and safety.

"The TBM 960's advanced technology reduces the single pilot's workload, which ultimately leads to safer flights."

After delivery at Daher's Aircraft Division in Tarbes, France, Weems backed up his assertion by kicking off his ownership experience the old-fashioned way: with a ferry flight back home. The transatlantic flight back to South Florida impressed Weems and ferry-flight fixture Margrit Waltz. 

They found the TBM's engine and prop combo to be trouble-free and easy going. The 960 comes with the new Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E-66XT and Hartzell's 5-blade Raptor composite prop, linked to dual-channel digital control. The PT6 spins up nice and easy with single-switch activation, with the power lever used as an e-throttle to optimize powerplant performance throughout the flight envelope. That means the power lever only needs a single forward position from takeoff to landing, with the system's Engine and Propeller Electronic Control System (EPECS) handling the rest. Whether reducing pilot workload or maximizing engine longevity, EPECS helps bring out the best in the 960. At Daher's recommended cruise speed of 308 knots, fuel consumption is an estimated 57 gallons per hour - a 10% savings over the maximum cruise. 

“The TBM 960’s benefits of digital power for enhanced sustainability, a superior piloting experience and increased cabin comfort has created a strong demand for our latest TBM version,” explained Nicolas Chabbert, the Senior Vice President of Daher’s Aircraft Division. “We’re nearly fully booked for 2023, with a significant percentage of these orders coming from customers in North America and Europe.”

To date, Daher has delivered more than 1,000 TBM aircraft of all 12 variations, with 80 percent of them nesting somewhere in North America when not in the air. 

FMI: www.daher.com