Daher Socata TBM 910

The Daher Socata TBM 910 belongs to the TBM 900 family from France: one PT6A-66D turboprop, a five-blade propeller, winglets and a pressurised cabin with four club seats. It differs from its twin, the TBM 930, mainly in the cockpit: a Garmin G1000 NXi operated with a keypad instead of touchscreens. Airframe, engine and performance are the same.

Cabin: club seats and an optional enclosed toilet

The cabin measures 4.05 m including the cockpit, 1.21 m in width and 1.22 m in height, the same as in every TBM. The four passenger seats face each other, and the pilot and a fifth passenger sit in front in the same space, without a partition. You move around bent forward, but the seats are comfortable and shaped like those of the TBM 930.

What the TBM 910 offers inside:

• rear seats that can be removed quickly when fewer people and more bags travel
• no galley and no flight attendant; drinks and snacks are prepared in advance
• internet only on some aircraft, usually none
• a propeller clearly heard in the cabin

Baggage, skis and pets

Most of the space is behind the rear seats inside the pressurised cabin, held by a net and reachable in flight; a small locker in the front fuselage is loaded from outside. A few soft bags and small suitcases fit, and with the rear seats out skis or a golf bag go in as well.

A dog or cat flies in the cabin once the operator agrees, and a large dog in a carrier takes a rear seat. Within the EU the animal needs a microchip, a rabies vaccination at least 21 days before travel and an EU pet passport; the UK, Ireland, Malta, Finland and Norway also require tapeworm treatment 1-5 days before entry.

Performance and airfields

All range figures apply with full tanks, one pilot and a 45-minute reserve. Some pilots prefer the keypad and controller of the G1000 NXi to the touchscreens of the TBM 930; for passengers the flight is the same.

With 726 m needed for take-off at maximum weight, the aircraft uses airfields that many jets avoid, although in heat or on a short runway the operator may lower the take-off weight:

One engine under EU rules

In the EU a single-engine aircraft may carry paying passengers at night or in cloud only if the operator holds a SET-IMC approval. The operator must prove the engine's reliability across the world fleet, monitor its parameters, carry two independent electrical power sources and weather radar, and have procedures for a forced landing.

• Without the approval, flights take place only in daylight and good visibility, which matters on winter evenings from Samedan or Sion
• A pilot flying alone needs at least 700 flight hours, among other requirements
• Only an operator with an AOC may sell the flight; a privately owned TBM cannot
• Domestic legs such as Madrid - Valencia need an EU operator

TBM 910 routes from European hubs

Thirty-one one-way legs without a fuel stop from all thirteen hubs, from Zurich - Innsbruck at 212 km to Munich - Mykonos at 1,637 km. Prices are for the whole aircraft with pilot, before airport fees and passenger taxes. Flight time is based on the great-circle distance plus taxi, climb and approach.

Up to two hours: lower cost than a jet, little time lost

Two to four hours: in range, but check people and bags

• On legs up to about 1:30 h, such as Madrid - Biarritz (1:10 h) or Frankfurt - Sion (1:16 h), a jet arrives only minutes earlier
• Zurich - Figari (1:41 h) and Nice - Split (1:48 h) take about 20 minutes longer than in a light jet
• London - Ibiza (2:59 h), Geneva - Lisbon (3:10 h) and Munich - Mykonos (3:25 h) are possible with three people and light bags; with four adults and suitcases, a light jet is the safer plan

The calculator gives an indicative price for the TBM 910 or another class of aircraft on your own route, including small airfields with turbine fuel.

TBM 910 charter price

Operators charge from EUR 2,000 per flight hour for the aircraft, pilot and fuel. A one-hour leg still costs well above that rate: taxi, climb and approach are part of every flight, and positioning and a minimum charge are added. Zurich - Innsbruck takes 0:53 h and costs from EUR 6,000.

On longer legs the gap shrinks. Paris - Cannes (1:44 h) costs from EUR 7,500, London - Saint-Tropez (2:23 h) from EUR 9,000 and Geneva - Lisbon (3:10 h) from EUR 10,500, one way for the whole aircraft.

Nice - Olbia divided between the passengers:

Cutting the cost

Empty Legs: rare, search across all TBMs

Empty TBM 910 legs are rare, as few aircraft fly charter in Europe. The best chance is to search across all TBM versions on short summer legs around the Alps, the Riviera, Corsica and Sardinia. Discounts of 30-60% are examples, not guaranteed.

Sister versions, the PC-12 and a light jet

Clients asking for a TBM 910 usually weigh it against its twin, the older version of the family, a larger single-engine turboprop and a light jet.

How to book

For a quote we need:

• route, date and departure time
• the number of people, bags, skis and pets
• whether the flight ends after dark or lasts over two and a half hours, as this decides SET-IMC and the toilet

We always try to find a TBM 910 or a sister version close to your departure, but each case depends on the operator's availability and contract.

Questions about the Daher Socata TBM 910

• • What does a TBM 910 flight cost?

  • From EUR 2,000 per flight hour. In the table Nice - Figari costs from EUR 6,000, Paris - Cannes from EUR 7,500 and London - Ibiza from EUR 10,000 for the whole aircraft one way, before airport fees and passenger taxes.

• • What makes up the price?

  • Flight time with fuel and pilot, positioning from the operator's base, airport and handling fees, passenger taxes, catering, winter de-icing and the pilot's hotel when the aircraft waits for you.

• • How can I pay less?

  • Fly in daylight, return the same day where possible and accept a TBM 930 or TBM 940 based closer to your departure. Empty Legs help if your dates are flexible.

• • Are there Empty Legs on the TBM 910?

  • Rarely. We search all TBM versions together, mostly on short summer legs around the Alps and the islands; discounts of 30-60% are examples, and the leg can be cancelled.

• • How is the TBM 910 different from the TBM 930 and TBM 940?

  • The TBM 910 and TBM 930 share airframe, engine and cabin and differ in the cockpit: G1000 NXi with keypad or G3000 with touchscreens. The TBM 940 adds autothrottle and automatic de-icing. For passengers the cabin condition and the toilet matter more than the avionics.

• • How many people can fly?

  • Up to five with one pilot, four of them in the cabin. Three or four travel best, as 404 kg with full tanks has to cover the pilot, passengers and bags.

• • Is there a toilet?

  • Only with the Elite Privacy option, which turns the rear bench into a separate compartment with a door; the aircraft then takes four passengers.

• • How far does it fly non-stop?

  • Daher quotes 3,204 km at economy speed. The longest leg in the table is Munich - Mykonos (3:25 h); with four adults and bags the operator may plan a stop.

• • Can it land at Samedan, La Môle or Courchevel?

  • Samedan and La Môle near Saint-Tropez are both in the table, with a trained crew and, on hot days, a possible weight limit. The Courchevel altiport is too short for the type, so the aircraft lands at Chambéry.

• • Can I bring my dog?

  • Usually yes, in the cabin, once the operator agrees. A large dog in a carrier takes a rear seat; bring the EU pet passport with a valid rabies vaccination.