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 1985 SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad.

The TB family of general aviation aircraft from French manufacturer SOCATA is known for its wide, roomy cabins and styling that looks especially modern next to many legacy brands of GA aircraft even though  designed during the 1970s. The aircraft’s clean, angular shapes might remind some vintage sports car fans of trendsetting BMW, Lotus, and Maserati designs of Giorgetto Giugiaro and his Italdesign studio.

Speaking of cars, SOCATA was ahead of its time in designing aircraft interiors to incorporate many of the features people had become accustomed to in automobiles, like more intuitive controls and instrument arrangements and general ergonomics. This TB-20’s gull-wing doors foreshadowed a number of today’s GA designs. The aircraft is sure to turn heads on the ramp.

This 1985 SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad has 3,060 hours on the airframe, 324 hours on its Lycoming IO-540 engine since overhaul, and 182 hours on the Hartzell three-blade propeller. The panel includes dual Aspen displays for MFD and PFD, a Garmin GTN 650, Bendix/King KX 165, nav/com Bendix/King KMA 24 audio panel and KN 62A DME, Garmin GTX330 transponder, Stormscope, Bendix/King autopilot, and JPI EDM 730 engine monitor.

Pilots looking for a stylish, comfortable four-seat retractable that is off the beaten path because of its relative rarity in the U.S. should consider this 1985 SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad, which is available for $264,000 on AircraftForSale.

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

• FLYING Magazine: Daher Opens New Paint Facility for Kodiaks in Idaho
• Plane & Pilot: SOCATA 1998 TB-20 Trinidad
• Plane & Pilot: 1999 SOCATA Trinidad TC

The post This 1985 SOCATA TB-20 Trinidad Is an ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick with European Flair appeared first on FLYING Magazine.