Today’s Top Pick is a 1990 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad.

French design tends to stand out whether we are looking at tableware, furniture, cars, or aircraft. Even nonpilots probably would recognize the SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad’s European styling, especially when comparing its interior with contemporary models from the U.S.

The TB-21’s cabin reminds me of Citroen sedans from the 1970s and ’80s, which seemed at the time to be a decade or two ahead of anything in, say, the General Motors stable.

Beyond decor and perhaps more important when considering the Trinidad’s cabin is its roominess, especially in width. Pilots are unlikely to rub shoulders with passengers in any of SOCATA’s TB series models, which include the fixed-gear TB-9 and TB-10, and the normally aspirated TB-20.

And let’s not forget the top-hinged, gull-wing doors that make getting in and out of TB models particularly easy. Those doors also look extremely cool to onlookers at the airport, and some of that flair is bound to rub off on the pilot. 

This 1990 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad has 3,065 hours on the airframe, 232 hours since overhaul on its Lycoming TIO-540 engine, and 232 hours on its Hartzell two-blade propeller. The one panel includes Dual Aspen 2000 Pro displays for PFD and MFD, Garmin GTN 650W GPS/nav/comm, King KLN 90 GPS, KN74 transponder, with ADS-B, TCAS, and Bendix-King KFC 150 autopilot. The aircraft is also equipped with TKS ice protection, factory oxygen system, and air conditioning.

Pilots who would like a stylish, comfortable aircraft that stands out on the ramp and is somewhat rare should consider this 1990 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad, which  is available for $259,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: A Fellow New Airplane Owner Starts With an Unusual Choice
• FLYING Magazine: Panic Over Pacific Thunderstorms
• FLYING Magazine: Daher-SOCATA’s Caribbean Line Gets Glass Cockpits
• Plane & Pilot: SOCATA Trinidad GT
• Plane & Pilot: SOCATA Trinidad TB-20 GT/Trinidad TC/Trinidad TB-21 GT
• The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad

The post This 1990 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick With European Swagger appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E.

The SOCATA line of piston GA aircraft tends to get lots of attention on airport ramps in the U.S. because the brand was not well known here from the 1970s to the 1990s when these models were new.

The company, now part of Daher-SOCATA, operated previously under other names including Aerospatiale and Morane-Saulnier. Occasionally you might still hear pilots referring to a Rallye as a “Morane.”

The main reason pilots love the Rallye is its combination of decent cruise performance with impressive short-field capability. Substantial flaps and leading slats that deploy automatically help the Rallye execute remarkably short takeoffs and landings while making it especially reluctant to stall. A rugged trailing-link landing gear design gives the Rallye the ability to operate from a range of unpaved strips, making it a capable backcountry.

Beyond their novelty and stylish design, the Rallye and other SOCATA piston models can be bargains in today’s market, largely because they are unfamiliar to many shoppers. A friend recently told me he was on the verge of buying a TB20 Trinidad, which is a higher-performance retractable relative of the Rallye. But another friend “talked him out of it.” This is common because pilots can be suspicious types when it comes to uncommon aircraft that appear to be “orphans.”

However, between SOCATA owners clubs and the Daher-SOCATA factory, the older SOCATA models continue to enjoy support. 

This 1977 Rallye 235 E has 1,776 hours on the airframe and 608 hours on its 235 hp Lycoming O-540-B4B5 engine. The panel is equipped with basic VFR instruments with no nav/comm radios or transponder installed.

Pilots looking for a versatile, economical and innovative four-seat aircraft with superb visibility and styling that stands out should consider this 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E, which is available for $79,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: A Fellow New Airplane Owner Starts With an Unusual Choice
• FLYING Magazine: Daher-SOCATA’s Caribbean Line Gets Glass Cockpits
• Plane & Pilot: SOCATA Rallye/WACO Minerva
• Plane & Pilot: SOCATA Tampico TB9 GT
• The Aviation Consumer: Aerospatiale TB-10 Tobago
• AVweb: Popular SOCATA ‘Caribbean Series’ book release

The post This 1977 SOCATA Rallye 235 E Is a Short-Field Star and an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1994 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad TC.

The SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad TC represents the top of what many call the French manufacturer’s “Caribbean series,” which also includes the less-powerful, fixed-gear Tampico and Tobago. All of the TB models are stylish designs that look great on the ramp while providing pilots and passengers with roomy, comfortable cabins. The turbocharged TB-21 TC is well suited to high-altitude cruising, where pilots often can take greater advantage of favorable winds and thinner air.

While the TB-21 is a fairly rare aircraft in the U.S. and has an exotic, unfamiliar look, it is not an obscure oddball with hard-to-find parts. Indeed, parent company SOCATA, which builds the TBM single-engine turboprop, has made a point of supporting its older models. This means owners do not have to worry about their aircraft becoming “orphans.”

This TB-21 Trinidad TC has 2,380 hours on the airframe, 229 hours since overhaul on its Lycoming TIO-540 engine, and 1,830 hours since overhaul on its two-blade Hartzell CS propeller.

The panel includes a Garmin GMA 340 audio panel, GTX 345 ADS-B transponder, GNS 530 GPS Nav/Com, Bendix-King KX165 Nav/Com, KN64 DME, KFC150 autopilot, Insight GEM engine monitor, Shadin fuel flow computer, Horizon Instruments P1000 digital tachometer, BFG WX950 Stormscope, and standby electric attitude indicator.

Additional equipment on the aircraft includes a TKS ice protection system, factory oxygen system, Tanis engine preheater, sun visors, CO Guardian carbon monoxide detector, and Kenwood CD player and AM/FM radio.

Pilots looking for an uncommon four-seat retractable airplane with a stylish design and comfortable cabin should consider this 1994 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad TC, which is available for $249,900 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: DAHER-SOCATA’s Caribbean Line Gets Glass Cockpits
• FLYING Magazine: A Fellow New Airplane Owner Starts with an Unusual Choice
• FLYING Magazine: Panic Over Pacific Thunderstorms
• Plane & Pilot: Socata Trinidad GT
• Plane & Pilot: SOCATA Trinidad TB-20 GT/Trinidad TC/Trinidad TB-21 GT

The post This 1994 SOCATA TB-21 Trinidad TC Is a Rare, Stylish ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.