Press Release

Issued by Daher Aircraft.

April 18, 2012

Daher-Socata and its Rheinland Air Service distributor for Germany and Austria are presenting the new TBM 850 Elite version of the very fast turboprop aircraft at this week's AERO Friedrichshafen general aviation exhibition, being held at Friedrichshafen Airport through April 22.

The TBM 850 Elite was announced last month at the U.S. Sun'N'Fun Air Show, and is making its European debut at AERO Friedrichshafen. Among the aircraft's key attributes is the capability of the middle seats to be oriented in forward-facing position while the rear seats can be removed. In about 30 minutes, the TBM 850 can be reconfigured in a four-seat cabin, increasing the luggage volume capacity by three and doubling the maximum luggage weight.

"Exhibiting the TBM 850 Elite at AERO Friedrichshafen is an important step for Daher-Socata to demonstrate our product innovation strategy for attendees of the leading European generation aviation event," explained Stéphane Mayer, the President & CEO of Daher-Socata."

Included in the TBM 805 Elite features incorporated in Daher-Socata's 2012 Model Year TBM 850 is new carbon fiber edging (used in the central upper panel, table cover exterior insert and cabinet door cover), along with gold and brush metal treatment on interior fittings.

Two new avionics options also are offered on the aircraft: a long-range KHF 1050 HF radio and Garmin's full-featured GSR 56 Iridium satellite transceiver. An option particularly attractive outside North America since Iridium offers a worldwide coverage. This give access to quality on-demand weather information, text/voice communications and near real-time positioning information.

Moreover, Daher-Socata has extended its Exclusive Maintenance Program to cover scheduled maintenance costs for the original retail customer through the aircraft's fifth annual inspection, or up to 1,000 total flight hours – whichever comes first.

"AERO Friedrichshafen is a must-attend event to present our new TBM 850 version for .potential customers – not only from Germany and Austria, but from throughout the continent," said Nicolas Chabbert, Senior Vice President of the Daher-Socata Airplane Division. "Our presence also supports the activity of our Rheinland Air Service as Daher-Socata's distributor, which already has sold two new TBM 850s this year and has generated solid level of activities in maintenance and parts."

Johannes Graf von Schaesberg, the CEO of Rheinland Air Service, noted the TBM fleet's concentration in the company's geographic area of responsibility, with 18 TBM 700s and TBM 850s currently in operation. "The new TBM 850 Elite is particularly well suited for the German and Austrian markets with its cabin flexibility," he said."

The TBM 850 is the world's fastest single-engine turboprop, with a maximum cruise speed of 320 KTAS at 26,000 ft. (in ISA conditions). As an 850-shp. version of Daher-Socata's proven six-seat TBM 700 turboprop business aircraft, the TBM 850 combines cruise speeds and travel times typical of light jets with the economical direct operating costs of a turboprop, along with excellent range and payload capacity.

Since its 2005 launch, the TBM 850 has become an international success – with more 261 aircraft delivered as of March 31, 2012. The combined TBM 700 and TBM 850 fleet now stands at 585 units worldwide.