BeechTalk - BT - Half Curious/Serious CSOTBM Question (Q for the TBM folks)

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Sep 2019, 20:24

Username Protected wrote:

I have a 2003 TBM700C2 and I am on my third annual.

The first year I replaced an air conditioner for 28K. The rest of the annual was about 5k plus 5k labor. About 200 hours flown

Second year was about 15K total. During the year I also replaced a circuit board for 5K. 250 hours flown that year

Third year had to replace 1 gear actuator and Shadin. About 20K total including labor for annual. 150 hours flown.

That plus now 12K insurance (up from 10) and the usual other expenses... hangar, fuel, fees, avionics.

I think annual costs can depend on the shop and what kind of condition the plane was in when you buy.

I do think my shop's rates are less than what I hear in other parts of the country. It also happens to be at my home airport so that helps belay some additional travel costs.

I am amending last post. Just out of annual the other main gear actuator went out and I need to spend 12K for new one because no rebuilts are available.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Sep 2019, 21:26

Paul
Which service center? They could not OH? PM if you’d prefer. Chuck

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Sep 2019, 23:03

Two shops in the US overhaul TBM actuators. AVEX and DRJ. Both said they had none on shelf and it would take a month to get mine overhauled.

Cost is about 8K at cost for the overhaul. I had the last one done at DRJ and it took 6 weeks.

Rather than have my plane AOG for a month I bought the second one I needed new from Daher for a discount of 12ish with a two year warranty. The new units do not need to be replaced for 10 years.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 10 Sep 2019, 23:27

I disconnect my battery after every flight, it takes me about 10 sec.

Username Protected wrote:

Dave,
There are lot of threads on BT that spec very well the operating costs of the TBM including info earlier in this thread. I’ve never been AOG in 7 years on the road except once, when I left the crash bar up over night and toasted my battery.

Read posts over the years by the TBMOPA owners group and you’ll find most go annual to annual without anything breaking. If I wasn’t under the weather I’d research them and share.
Fly safe,

Just curious, does any aircraft have an automatic battery/circuit "shut off" if under certain battery draws like this accessory being left on?
Steve

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Sep 2019, 00:31

My dad asked me today; “how much does it cost to fly that plane you have...... $200 an hour?” I had been giving my sister a ride back and forth from Mayo Clinic and he was curious. I did not want to shock him or think I am crazy so I said he was close :liar:

I replaced my C340 with a C2 and have been flying it ~175/year. I recall two times to the service center between annual inspection events in 3 years and never AOG. It is just incredibly reliable.

I had my 340 for a long time and never flew it more than 150/year. I did not expect to the increase use of the TBM over the 340 but its capability offers more opportunities.

I never get much more than 290kts at normal power settings, C’s are not as fast as other models. DOC is something I never calculate or really want to either. It is a time making machine and buying more time is expensive.

Username Protected · **Posted:** 22 Sep 2019, 07:23

Username Protected wrote:

It is a time making machine and buying more time is expensive.

I think this is the biggest advantage of any business aircraft. And when looked at this way flying is cheap. I like to say that your time has no value until you run out of it. In other words as long as you can just work more you don't have to reckon with the costs of replacing your activity with someone else's. But once that happens you must spend money on time savers to continue to leverage yourself. I find that my aircraft doesn't cost me anything but makes a return on the time it saves me. And so far the TBM does that better than anything else I have considered.