Speedy Orders For Quick Turboprop

While somewhat overshadowed by major news coming from other manufacturers at this year's AirVenture event in Oshkosh, EADS Socata still had some big announcements... including the news the company will award two scholarships in 2007 through an agreement with the EAA, that will give a unique opportunity for two American graduates of the EAA Young Eagles program.

The EADS Socata scholarship will provide to the two students visits to major European aerospace industry sites including an in-depth visit to EADS Socata’s manufacturing plant in southwest France, in order for those who are training for an aviation career to learn about the European aerospace industry.

"The EAA Young Eagles program has been hugely successful in introducing over 1.25 million young people to flying and in encouraging them to investigate careers in aviation," said Stephane Mayer, Chairman and CEO of EADS Socata. "The creation of the EADS Socata/EAA Young Eagles scholarship is a step towards the goal of strengthening transatlantic ties between the American and Europe’s aviation communities."

"The Young Eagles who become part of this new program will be able to see from their own eyes that aviation is a universal language truly without borders in the best traditions of the Wright brothers and Socata's own founders, the Morane brothers and Robert Saulnier."

The EAA Young Eagles program was launched in 1992 to give young people, ages eight thru 17, an opportunity to go flying in a general aviation airplane. These flights are offered free of charge, and are made possible through the generosity of EAA member volunteers. The EAA Young Eagles have been registered in more than 90 different countries and missions have been flown by nearly 40,000 volunteer pilots.

EADS Socata also announced its latest aircraft, the single-engine TBM 850 turboprop, is speeding through in the order book almost as quickly as it speeds through the skies, with 32 orders for US deliveries valued at $91 million -- and a total order backlog of 50 planes.

"Since its introduction in December 2005, the TBM 850 has met with huge interest from the aviation public, clearly indicating we were right that a 'faster TBM' would better address the owner-flown market place than building a whole new generation of aircraft," said Mayer. "Our order backlog now totals more than 50 aircraft, which is a record for the TBM program and is a real indication of the acceleration of customer interest in the TBM 850."

Built on the success of the TBM 700, the TBM 850 offers a maximum cruising speed of 320 KTAS at flight level 260 (in ISA conditions) combining the cruising speed of a light jet with the economic direct operating costs of a single-engined turboprop.

EADS Socata is headquartered in Tarbes, France, and its North American operations are located Pembroke Pines, FL. EADS Socata is a wholly-owned subsidiary of EADS.

FMI: www.socata.eads.eu