Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

Contributor

Mark Huber

Daher&nbsp;expects to deliver 50 of its TBM series 900 and 20 of its Kodiak single-engine turboprops this year, Nicolas Chabbert, senior v-p of Daher's Aircraft division and CEO of Daher Aircraft and Kodiak Aircraft, said during EAA&nbsp;AirVenture this week.&nbsp;Chabbert said the company’s TBM 940 and 910 models were already sold out for 2021, calling the milestone “remarkable” and predicting that 2021 would be a “record year” for the company.&nbsp;&nbsp;

 


“The market is extremely good,” he said, despite the fact that Daher, like most aerospace companies, is facing a&nbsp; supply chain struggling to keep up. “We don’t have a unified supply chain,” Chabbert acknowledged. Nevertheless, Daher has delivered 22 TBM 900 series to date in 2021 and more than&nbsp;400 since 2014. Daher celebrated the delivery of the 1,000th&nbsp;TBM last September. Daher also recently released Version 5 of its “Me &amp; My TBM” app, which aids with aircraft management and analytics and contains a safety monitoring tool.&nbsp;

 


Chabbert said the HomeSafe technology—which lands the aircraft automatically in the event of pilot incapacitation—continues to be a popular feature. &nbsp;More than 60 new TBM 940s have been delivered with the system, which is based on Garmin's Autoland,&nbsp;and it has been retrofitted to another 13 aircraft. Chabbert said the system adds a mere 15 pounds to the aircraft.&nbsp;

 


Daher sees a wider role and market appeal for its Kodiak utility turboprop single, including government special missions and air ambulance, Chabbert said.&nbsp;It recently sold two of the aircraft to an Arkansas air ambulance company. Daher, which added the aircraft to its product line when it acquired Quest in 2019, recently introduced the Kodiak Series III, on display at AirVenture this year. The model incorporates a host of improvements including Garmin GWX 75 weather radar, Garmin GFC 700 autopilot with digital, dual-channel flight controls, larger 29-inch tires, increased landing weight to 7,255 pounds, plug and play fittings for Aerocet floats, Bluetooth audio panels, and a four-year “Kodiak Care” maintenance program. Daher also is offering an “Executive Edition” for the aircraft that features a luxury interior with club seating for eight passengers, dual one cabin climate controls, and increased oxygen capacity.

 


To date, more than 294 Kodiaks have been delivered and the in-service fleet has accrued more than 277,000 flight hours. The aircraft is supported by 24 authorized service centers. Fifty percent of all deliveries to date have been to U.S. customers.&nbsp;

 


Chabbert said Daher has weathered the pandemic well, posting revenues of $1.23 billion in 2020, 80 percent of which was from its aerospace activities that included not just production of the TBM and Kodiak&nbsp;but also of critical substructures for other manufacturers&nbsp;such Airbus, Gulfstream, and Rolls-Royce.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

Daher Predicts Record Year For TBM Sales

Daher's TBM turboprops already sold out for 2021. 

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Charlotte Bailey

News and issues about aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), covering all segments of the aviation industry; and modifications for aircraft and engines. Subjects include product support of aircraft, engines and avionics, MRO company mergers, acquisitions, announcements and personnel, Airworthiness Directives, Supplemental Type Certificate approvals and other topics.

News and information on safety procedures and concerns.

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

ATR 72 aircraft performs pre-modification flight in Toulouse

Kepplair Starts Converting ATR 72 Into Water Bombers

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Only the piston aircraft segment posted a decline

GAMA: Bizjets, T-props, and Rotorcraft Deliveries Up

Hanneke Weitering

Two captains held the prototype 33 feet above the water for 30 seconds

Regent Flies Electric Seaglider with Crew for First Time

News about bills, laws, regulations and other governmental decisions affecting aviation and aerospace. Topics include FAA re-authorizations, taxes on fuel and aviation activities, environmental legislation, ICAO decisions, governmental mediation of labor conflicts and World Trade Organization disputes and decisions.

Icing approval would open year-round service to northern communities

Horizon Begins Icing Tests for Cavorite X7 eVTOL

Kerry Lynch

Deal to close this year

Bombardier To Grow Manufacturing Capacity with MHICA Buy

David Donald

Essential news and analysis on the defense aerospace business. Your trusted source for new and ongoing programs and requirements in military aircraft (manned and unmanned), engines, avionics, weapons and associated systems, including ground-based air defense.

The two NATO allies will purchase seven of the tanker/transport aircraft

Spain and Poland Agree to Buy A330MRTT Tanker Transports

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

GE Aerospace has tested the GE9X, Leap 1A, Leap 1B, and more with the 747.

GE Aerospace Flies Boeing 747 To Test New Engine Tech

Charles Alcock

News about commercial airlines, including regulations, aircraft orders, safety, acquisitions, and mergers.

News about environmental issues relating to aircraft operations, including noise issues, emissisions, and regulations. See Fuel for biofuel.

More In Aircraft