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Socata TB30 for sale

Planecheck

Two of them for sale, apparently.

Interesting that this was operated by the French air force, in France I assume, and somebody, presumably well connected, bought them and exported them to the USA, and put them on the US Experimental category… Quite a process.

Looking at the elevator dimensions, no wonder it goes fast The W&B envelope is going to be very “interesting”.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

very slim fuselage – less drag than a four place TB20 – perhaps you can also mount two underwing fuel tanks for better range …

Happy New Year 2018 to all – always safe landings !

Last Edited by nobbi at 31 Dec 20:07
EDxx, Germany

Peter wrote:


Interesting that this was operated by the French air force, in France I assume, and somebody, presumably well connected, bought them and exported them to the USA, and put them on the US Experimental category… Quite a process.

Putting them in Experimental Exhibition may have yet to occur… The advert says ‘certification in Experimental Exhibition’ (i.e. not past tense, as in ‘certified’). The most recent military service may not have been the French Air Force. These look familiar to me and although I wouldn’t bet my life on having seen two of them flying regularly and somewhat mysteriously overhead on what I’ve assumed was on a US military support contract, I suspect I may have.

Regardless of that theory, putting them in ex-military FAA Experimental Exhibition like all the Yaks etc here would not be a big deal, and the associated operating restrictions are now almost nothing – no special requirements for long trips, so useable like any other plane within the US. They will sell.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 01 Jan 00:07

I did wonder about that too – no registration (N or otherwise) is showing.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

There is a long and interesting article about these in the last US AOPA magazine.

In brief:

The French Air Force had ~20 in air conditioned storage, with the engines pickled, in huge hangars for 10 years. One guy in the USA managed to import one but the deal came apart after that, so he flew that one around the USA. Recently somebody managed to import the rest, or most of them. Upon arrival in the USA, a DAR inspected them and they were placed on the Experimental register.

The French AF is keeping another 32 in service and they will get rid of them within the next 2 years.

Administrator
Shoreham EGKA, United Kingdom

Peter wrote:

The French AF is keeping another 32 in service and they will get rid of them within the next 2 years.

I learned today that a friend is buying a TB-30. As per Peter’s July 2018 post the French Air Force is now selling the last of their planes, or so the story goes, in a batch of 16 or 18. Red Bull is apparently buying something like 11, for reasons not explained to me, at least one is going to a French owner and 6 are coming to the US. He does not expect to get his plane for a considerable time, many months, but regardless this sort of thing is right up his alley – he will improve it greatly, fly it and then after a couple of years sell it.

It’ll go on an FAA Experimental Exhibition C of A. Interesting story on the import requirements – on the US side an ATF license is required because it’s ex-military.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 26 Apr 03:06

The TB30 Epsilon has been used for the last 20 odd years or more for training the fast jet pilots of the Armée de l’air. I would see many of them practicing dog fights above my garden (during military working hours of course). Most, I think were out of the training school at Cognac, but I think I read somewhere that they were being discontinued and replaced by the Slingsby Firefly (I may be wrong there).
I have never flown one but have occasionally formated on some, and many of my ex and current fast jet friends were trained on them and have a great affection for them.
Like all military aircraft, everywhere, they are perhaps a little over engineered.

France

According to the video her : https://www.aerobuzz.fr/aviation-generale/jacques-bothelin-lapres-breitling-jet-team-a-lheure-du-covid-19/

Apache aviation in France just bought 16 TB30s but will sell the majority of them because the flight training world is collapsing.
They got a ‘French’ (not EASA) type certificate for them. I have no clue what it allows or forbids.

Very interesting video for the french speakers (15 minutes).

LFOU, France

Jujupilote wrote:

They got a ‘French’ (not EASA) type certificate for them. I have no clue what it allows or forbids.

So it’s just an Annex I (former Annex II) aircraft, which is exactly what EASA intended for aircraft used predominantly in the military and not originally planned for civil use.

LKBU (near Prague), Czech Republic

My friend who is buying one of them told me yesterday he’s tentatively planning on picking it up (in the US) in September. He’ll have to ferry it cross country to get it home and given the avionics installed, it’ll be ForeFlight on iPad navigation, powered by an ad hoc 5 V power supply.

Last Edited by Silvaire at 03 May 15:23
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