Anutin Charnvirakul Gets The Keys To His New Airplane

Noted Thai businessman, politician and private pilot Anutin Charnvirakul has taken delivery of a Model Year 2012 TBM 850 Elite, Dahar-Socata announced Friday.

As a passionate and active private pilot, the 46-year-old Charnvirakul owned several aircraft prior to his decision acquire the TBM 850 very fast turboprop. After taking the delivery from Dahar-Socata, he entered the company’s TBM training course at Tarbes, France to become rated on his new aircraft.

“After having owned single-engine piston aircraft, a turboprop-powered airplane was most obvious choice to step up for me – as it is more versatile than a jet and offers great flexibility in airports where it can be operated,” Charnvirakul explained. “After a search process, my advisors said the TBM 850 was best suited for me because of its performance and its quality of construction. I’m now really looking forward to going back home in my new TBM 850 – which will be the flight of a lifetime.”

Charnvirakul is a well-known personality in Thailand, having been a former Deputy Minister of Public Health and Commerce. Today, he is Chairman of Sino-Thai Engineering and Construction PLC, and the developer of Rancho Charnvee – the first golf course in Thailand’s Khao Yai mountain region, which opened in 2010 with a landing strip.

“Delivering Thailand’s first TBM 850 to a leading personality such as Anutin Charnvirakul is an important step as Dahar-Socata expands its Asia-Pacific activities in a region where we foresee increased activity and growth for our aviation business,” explained Stéphane Mayer, the President and CEO of Dahar-Socata.

Charnvirakul’s aircraft is the latest TBM 850 version, and includes the pilot door option. His aircraft also will be outfitted with the new middle seats that can be oriented in a forward-facing position – allowing the cabin to be reconfigured in a four-seat arrangement; thereby increasing the luggage volume capacity by three and doubling the maximum luggage weight.

Charnvirakul selected Garmin’s GSR 56 Iridium satellite transceiver option – giving worldwide access to quality on-demand weather information and text/voice communications.

(Picutred: Charnvirakul in new airplane)

FMI: www.tbm850.com