Swiss businessman Paolo Buzzi-Jonsson has invested in a TBM 930 for business and family leisure trips. Having begun with piston aircraft and most recently operating an Extra 500, he is delighted with the improved perfor-mance and comfort of the Daher SET. “This is the first time I have owned a TBM and it is just for private use,” he states. “The Extra 500 worked well for me and I enjoyed flying the piston aircraft but I am very pleased to have moved on to this beautiful machine; it is in a completely different class.”

He has had the aircraft since the end of June and so far has been exclusively flying in Europe. “My wife is Swedish so I am over in Sweden quite often,” he adds. “With this aircraft, Europe seems smaller than it did before, because you reach destinations much faster. It is a very comfortable aircraft, and the speed is really amazing. I am always above 300 kts. I just went to Malta for work and I got there very quickly! This means that you are flying less, which is a good thing and you are much fresher.”

It is possible to remove the two seats at the back to allow space for extra cargo, but so far Buzzi-Jonsson hasn't required this. His family says that the aircraft is more comfortable to travel in than its forerunners, is less noisy, and is easy to relax in as the large seats recline up to 45 degrees. “They tell me that the cabin is very enjoyable to fly in,” he explains. “For me, the aircraft's speed and payload were the decisive factors in my choice. It also goes higher than the PC-12, at FL310. The PC-12 is a different type of machine and is too big for me, and not as fast.”

Deliveries in Europe of the TBM 930 are well under way, with pet food entrepreneur Attila Balogh taking the UK's first one, as reported by EBAN last month. An Italian corporate client also accepted one in June.

This summer the OEM also launched the Elite Privacy option on new production models for the TBM series, including the 930. This offers a four seat plus lavatory layout rather than the standard six seat configuration. In October, Daher rolled out its 800th TBM, a 930, from its final assembly line at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrenees airport.

“I am very impressed by the TBM and it is a pleasure to fly; you can really feel it. Daher's service has also been great. I am a happy man,” Buzzi-Jonsson concludes.