PPRuNe Forums - Socata Tobago ST10

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Socata Tobago TB10

I’m jumping the fence from Rotary to fixed wing and having looked around I fancy the above. I like the look of the machine, can take some people in the back occasionally and hopefully the maintenance will be relatively reasonable beingca 4 cylinders engine and having a fixed undercarriage. Just wondering if anyone could comment further. Thanks.

I currently fly the TB10 for the same reason. I flew the 172 in the past, but I prefer this one over the 172. The ride is smoother, better viewing and it looks quite sporty. Performance is excellent with 2 persons and some luggage, but do not expect much with 4 persons. You will be amazed by how much more relaxed you get out of the aircraft compared to rotary. And do yourself a favour, invest in a Bose A20 with Bluetooth. You'll love it!
I rent the aircraft at a flight school, so maintenance is 'sourced out', but the ones I rent are in mint condition and are not too thirsty with regard to oil. Just keep in mind to cruise at around 100 kias, since everything above that number is less good for your fuel consumption. It does approximately 11usg/h.
Good luck!

I did numerous checkouts for PPLs transitioning to the TB10 in the 90s. It has good looks and is pretty comfortable inside.
There were quite a few downsides. It used a lot of runway on take off compared with similar Piper/Cessna types and its climb rate was poor. Also, during stall practice, sometimes it would drop a wing for an incipient spin, sometimes it wouldn't. The content speed prop on it was pretty pointless as it rarely managed 100 kts TAS. Nice to have doors on both sides, but in my opinion, an Archer beats it in every category. Generally, the TB10 is overpriced, and with its pointless CSU, expensive for maintenance.