Daher TBM 700/850/900/910/930/940/960

The TBM is the world's fastest single-engine turboprop, a pressurized six-seat French turbine that redefined what a single could do when it was certified in 1990. Born from a Mooney/Socata joint venture (TBM stands for "Tarbes — the Socata factory town — and Mooney, Business, Mooney"), the airplane has gone through seven marketing names across 35 years of continuous production, always chasing the same formula: jet-like cabin, jet-like speed, piston-like fuel burn. Over 1,100 have been delivered, and in July 2024 there were 523 of the 900-series alone flying worldwide. TBM owners are overwhelmingly owner-flown professionals — doctors, lawyers, business owners — who need to cover 800-1,500 nm legs in a day on their own schedule, and who have either graduated up from a cirrus-sr22 or sidestepped from a light jet looking for lower operating costs. At 330 KTAS the TBM 960 flies the same trip as a King Air at half the fuel burn, and single-pilot from the left seat. It is the benchmark the Pilatus PC-12 competes against on cabin size, and the airplane that makes the Cessna 208 Caravan and Daher Kodiak 100 look utilitarian. See also turbine-transition and Aircraft Valuation Methodology.

Book cruise of 330 KTAS at FL280 is real in the 900-series, but it costs 57 gph. Pulled back to 290 KTAS the TBM burns around 43 gph — still twice as fast as a cirrus-sr22 turbo at roughly the same cash per mile. The airplane's high Vmo (266 KIAS) means descent planning is critical: you can legally dive from FL310 at jet-like vertical speeds, but you're covering ground faster than approach controllers expect. Climb to FL280 takes roughly 18 minutes in the 960. Range numbers are book-best at long-range cruise (252 KTAS for 1,730 nm); a typical owner flight plan at 308 KTAS and 57 gph yields around 1,440 nm with IFR reserves. Hot-and-high performance is excellent because of the flat-rated PT6 — the 850-shp limit holds until well above 10,000 ft density altitude, where a normally-aspirated piston would be gasping. Single-engine service ceiling is moot because there's only one engine; glide ratio is roughly 2.2 nm per 1,000 ft at 120 KIAS clean.

With MTOW of 7,394 lb and empty weight around 4,629 lb, the 900-series useful load is approximately 2,765 lb. Full fuel (1,956 lb / 292 gal) leaves roughly 809 lb of payload — four 175-lb adults and 100 lb of bags fit inside CG, and you have 1,730 nm of range at long-range cruise. This is the rare single-engine airplane that can actually carry four people and bags full-fuel full-range.

With all six seats filled at 175 lb (1,050 lb) plus 200 lb bags, payload is 1,250 lb, leaving 1,515 lb / 226 gal of fuel. At 57 gph that yields roughly 3.5 hours endurance and about 1,000 nm of still-air range — still extraordinary for a single.

The TBM 960's slightly higher MTOW (7,615 lb) adds another 221 lb of useful load, meaningful for family-of-six missions. See Business Travel and Cross-Country Flying for mission-weighted payload analyzes.

Business Travel (10/10): This is the defining TBM mission. Pressurized to 6.2 psi (FL310 cabin around 10,000 ft), FIKI certified, single-pilot IFR, 6 seats, known-ice, and 1,500+ nm legs at 300+ KTAS. Nothing else single-engine does this mission better except the larger Pilatus PC-12. See Business Travel.

Cross-Country (10/10): Same reasons as business travel. A TBM turns a 1,200 nm trip into a 4-hour flight instead of an 8-hour flight, and does it above weather. See Cross-Country Flying.

Cargo Hauling (5/5): Useful load of ~2,700 lb and a rear cargo door (700C1 and later) make it a capable mover of light, valuable freight — organs, documents, parts — but the cabin isn't a Caravan. See Cargo Hauling.

Surveying (4/10): Too fast for most photo/LIDAR work; operators prefer slower platforms. Pressurization enables high-altitude sensor work but fuel burn makes it expensive per mission-hour.

Flight Training (2/10): Turbine transition only. Insurance essentially requires 200+ hours total time, multi-engine or complex time, and an instrument rating plus SIMCOM initial before solo.

Backcountry (2/10): Retractable gear, low wing, 7,400-lb airplane on narrow tires. Not a bush plane. Use a Daher Kodiak 100.

Local Fun (3/10): Overkill and expensive per hour; startup alone burns several gallons of Jet-A.

Aerobatics (1/10): Not certified for aerobatics. Category N airplane.

TBM avionics track almost 1:1 with the variant, which is unusual for GA airplanes:

• TBM 700A/B/C1 ($900K-$1.3M): Original Bendix/King EFS 40/50 EFIS, KFC-325 autopilot. Most surviving 700As have been upgraded — GTN 750 pairs, Aspen PFDs, and occasionally full Garmin retrofits. A stock 700A panel is a negotiation point.
• TBM 700C2 / early 850 ($1.3M-$1.9M): Avidyne Entegra EXP5000 PFDs. Functional but dated; many owners have swapped to GTN navigators.
• TBM 850 G1000 (2008-2013, $1.8M-$2.4M): Factory Garmin G1000 with GFC 700 autopilot. The sweet spot for buyers who want modern glass without G3000 complexity.
• TBM 900/910 ($2.2M-$3.2M): G1000 NXi standard. The 910 is still in production for pilots who prefer hard-bezel G1000 over the touchscreen 960.
• TBM 930/940 ($2.8M-$4.2M): Garmin G3000 touchscreen, autothrottle (940), HomeSafe emergency autoland (940 after 2020 retrofit/factory).
• TBM 960 (~$5M new): G3000 NXi, EPECS single-lever engine control, HomeSafe standard, Raptor 5-blade composite prop, Stormscope, SVT.

See Avionics Pricing Reference for certified avionics upgrade costs.

The TBM is a factory-supported airplane and the STC market is thin compared to legacy pistons. Meaningful mods:

• G1000 retrofit for TBM 700A/B (Garmin/Avex): $250K-$350K installed. Transforms a $1.0M 700A into a much more sellable airplane but rarely pays back dollar-for-dollar.
• GTN 750/650 pair with Aspen PFD: $80K-$120K installed. Popular on Bendix/King 700-series.
• Winglet retrofit (Daher, TBM 700/850): Discontinued; 900 winglets are airframe-specific and not a bolt-on.
• Hartzell 5-blade composite prop upgrade (TBM 850): ~$90K, reduces noise and vibration, small cruise gain.
• HomeSafe retrofit: Only certified on TBM 940 factory installation; not available as an aftermarket STC for earlier airframes.

• Annual inspection: $12,000-$25,000 depending on shop and findings. Factory-authorized service centers (Avex, Columbia, Elliott Jets, Cutter) concentrate expertise.
• Hourly maintenance reserve (excluding engine): $350-$450/hour based on 5-year averages.
• Engine reserve (MSP Gold or equivalent): $200-$300/hour.
• Total direct operating cost: $1,400-$1,900/hour all-in at 300 hours/year (Jet-A at $6-$8/gal).
• Annual fixed budget: $200,000-$260,000 typical for an owner-flown 900-series including insurance, hangar, subscriptions, recurrent training.

Parts availability is good through Daher's global dealer network but specialist-only — a typical A&P cannot annual a TBM. Mechanic familiarity is specialist; plan on trips to factory service centers. The Maintenance Ecosystem page covers turbine single economics in more detail.

Expensive items to watch: PT6A hot-section inspection ($60K-$90K), overhaul ($450K-$550K), pressurization bladder service, landing gear overhaul ($25K-$40K), paint ($40K-$60K), interior refurbishment ($60K-$100K).

TBM valuation is dominated by three variables: variant, engine time since new/overhaul, and avionics generation.

• TBM 700A (1990-1999): $900K-$1.3M typical. Heavily discounted for legacy avionics; engine TSN/TSO drives price.
• TBM 700B/C1 (1999-2003): $1.2M-$1.6M. The C1 cargo door is a value-add.
• TBM 700C2 (2003-2006): $1.4M-$1.9M. Full MTOW, often with Avidyne glass.
• TBM 850 pre-G1000 (2006-2007): $1.5M-$1.9M.
• TBM 850 G1000 (2008-2013): $1.8M-$2.6M. Strong resale tier.
• TBM 900 (2014-2016): $2.4M-$3.0M.
• TBM 910 (2017-present): $3.0M-$4.0M.
• TBM 930 (2016-2019): $3.0M-$4.0M.
• TBM 940 (2019-2022): $3.8M-$4.8M. HomeSafe adds ~$150K perceived value.
• TBM 960 (2022-present): $4.9M-$5.2M new; 2022-2024 used examples hold value strongly.

Engine time matters enormously: a PT6A at 3,000 TSN with 600 hours to TBO carries a roughly $350K discount versus a freshly overhauled example. See Aircraft Valuation Methodology.

The TBM has a clean AD history compared to legacy airplanes but several recurring items matter to pre-buy inspections:

• Tail rivet AD (FR C18 BIS/C19): Loose rivets on tail frames; recurring inspection. Parts cost negligible, labor a few hours.
• Fuel selector torque AD (2014): Triggered by the high-profile TBM 900 N900KN accident off Jamaica; fuel selector installation torque check.
• PT6A hot-section inspection (HSI): Required every 1,800 hours on PT6A-64/66D (half-TBO). Typical HSI cost $60K-$90K.
• PT6A overhaul: 3,600-hour TBO on -64 and -66D; 5,000 hours on the -66XT in the 960. Overhaul runs $450K-$550K exchange.
• Pressurization outflow valve leaks: Recurring maintenance item on 700-series airframes.
• Landing gear actuator wear: 1,000-2,000 hour service item; rebuild is routine but expensive.
• Windshield heat element failures: Common on older 700-series; replacement windshield $30K+ installed.

The TBM is a turbine single and underwrites accordingly. Typical premiums for qualified owner-pilots:

• TBM 700/850 ($1.5M hull): $12,500-$17,100/year for a 1,000-hour pilot with IR and SIMCOM initial.
• TBM 900-series ($2.5M-$3.5M hull): $18,000-$28,000/year.
• TBM 960 ($5M hull): $30,000-$45,000/year.

Underwriting requirements:

• Minimum 500-1,000 hours total time (higher for newer airframes).
• Instrument rating mandatory.
• SIMCOM factory initial course before solo (roughly $15,000).
• Annual recurrent SIMCOM course (roughly $8,000-$10,000).
• Multi-engine or complex retract time often requested.
• Low-time turbine pilots may face mentor-pilot requirements for the first 25-50 hours.

Recurrent SIMCOM/CAE training reduces premium 10-20%. See GA Insurance Underwriting for turbine-single category details.