Wagga Air Centre demonstrates commercial operations of TBM 850
Daher TBM 850
Wagga Air Centre, the first Australian air charter company to operate the TBM 850, has successfully completed its initial quarter of commercial activity with the very fast turboprop aircraft – logging an initial 60 flight hours throughout Australia.
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The TBM 850 currently operated by Wagga Air Centre is owned by Dr. Paul Mara, a rural doctor, health consultant and company director from Gundagai, New South Wales.
“Renting the TBM 850 provides an excellent opportunity to make this aircraft available for charters when not being used for my business.”
Paul Mara said: “Renting the TBM 850 provides an excellent opportunity to make this aircraft available for charters when not being used for my business. We really need airplanes such as the TBM that offer safe, flexible, and reliable transportation to fly across our large country. With its range and the ability to perform from smaller runways, it can be used to reach far-away areas such as Perth, Broken Hill, Adelaide, Darwin, Alice Springs, Roma, Inglewood, and Lord Howe Island, along with the remote aboriginal community of Tunjunjara.”
Dr. Mara has logged more than 500 flight hours in the TBM 850 during the past two years.
Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has approved TBM 850 for public transportation of passengers and freight in all flight conditions, according to ASETPA (Approved Single Engine Turbine Powered Aircraft) rules. Wagga Air Centre is the first to apply for, and receive, such approval.
“We salute the partnership of Wagga Air Centre and Doctor Mara, which has facilitated highly attractive air charter operations with the TBM 850 in Australia.”
Nicolas Chabbert, senior vice president of Daher’s Airplane Business Unit added: “We salute the partnership of Wagga Air Centre and Doctor Mara, which has facilitated highly attractive air charter operations with the TBM 850 in Australia. We expect to see more TBMs serving remote areas of Australia in a near future.”
Chris Cabot, the managing director at Wagga Air Centre, said Australian clients are increasingly disillusioned by the awkward and sometimes irregular schedules associated with airline travel.
“Wagga Air Centre now offers a personal and convenient solution with the TBM and its low operating costs.” Cabot added. “The aircraft that we use – named ‘Elle’ after famous Australian top model Elle MacPherson – allows us to offer direct flights to 4 passengers on flights such as Wagga Wagga to Cairns (2,032 km./1,100 nm.) in only 3.8 flight hours.”
Daher TBM 850
