Press Release

Issued by France Air Expo.

June 3, 2013

Daher-Socata's airplane division is pleased to announce that it has become an official partner with the 7th Cannes AirShow, the only such event devoted to general aviation in France, which is being held June 6-8 at Cannes-Mandelieu International Airport. As an official partner Daher-Socata will benefit from exhibiting on a prime location at the show ensuring raised visibility to all attendees.

"Since its creation, the Cannes AirShow has provided a privileged rendezvous point for our company, as it enables us to meet European owner-pilots and corporate operators in a single event dedicated to general aviation,” explained Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice-president of Daher-Socata's airplane division. “We've attended the show many times before and have found it to be extremely valuable when it comes to generating sales. We are therefore very pleased to have become an official partner.”

This year at Cannes AirShow, Daher-Socata will be showcasing its TBM 850 and the full range of associated customer services for the very fast turboprop aircraft. “The Elite version, which was launched last year, is riding a growing wave of success,” commented Chabbert explaining that the TBM 850 Elite's unique feature, its convertible cabin in six-seat or four-seat configurations, which can be changed according to the needs of its operator, is a big attraction for customers.

Daher-Socata will also be showcasing the latest upgrades to the TBM 850 Elite which sees the 2013 model include an important cockpit enhancement with the integration of the L-3 Avionics Systems' Trilogy™ ESI-2000 Electronic Standby Instrument (ESI), which replaces the earlier electro-mechanical instrument version. The manufacturer has also extended the range of interior colours and now includes the choice of Mocha dark brown leather, as well as a medium grey, referred to as River Stone. In addition the aircraft's seatbacks are now perforated to improve comfort on hot days.

A special package for the 2013 TBM 850 Elite features a number of extra benefits as a deluxe leather interior with a storage cabinet, wooden or carbon-fiber fittings and 14-Volt DC power plugs. This package also includes Daher-Socata's Highly Extended Exclusive Maintenance Program, which lowers scheduled maintenance costs for five years or 1,000 hours.

Complementing the aircraft enhancements Daher-Socata has also introduced a New Maintenance Program (NMP) for clients, with recommended maintenance intervals of 200 hours (instead of the previous 100 hours) or 12 months – whichever occurs first. The NMP is available on new production aircraft, while the transition for previously-delivered TBM 850s can be made during their annual inspection. The 2013 program is completed by the CAMP tracking system, which enables owners to easily follow an aircraft's maintenance.