To France in a Flash

A Daher TBM 930 turboprop single-piloted by Dierk Reuter and Phil Bozek flew from New York to Paris recently, apparently breaking a speed record held since 1985 by famed test pilot Chuck Yeager. Reuter and Bozek's average speed was 364 knots. (Yaeger's was 325.2 knots.) The record must be verified by organizations such as the National Aeronautics Association and the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale.

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The flight departed Westchester County Airport in White Plains, New York, on March 9 shortly after midnight local time and landed at Le Bourget Airport in Paris eight hours and 38 minutes later. Pilots Reuter and Bozek worked with officials on both sides of the Atlantic in preparation to attempt to beat Yaeger's record.

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The aircraft, owned by Reuter, was fitted with an auxiliary fuel tank to carry an additional 300 gallons of jet fuel. This brought total usable fuel to 600 gallons, providing more than 10 hours of flight time. The Federal Aviation Administration provided a permit to allow for a takeoff weight of 9,500 pounds, which is an increase from the TBM 930’s certified maximum takeoff weight of 7,398 pounds. Further, the aircraft was equipped with an Iridium Go! in-flight tracking device.

Reuter, a Chicago-based global finance executive, owned a TBM 850 for a decade before buying his 930. Half of his 4,500 flight hours have accrued during his time in his two TBM aircraft. This included a trip to Antarctica in December. Bozek, a Michigan-based entrepreneur and real estate investor who flies aerobatic missions and collects warbirds, has logged 800 hours in his TBM 900, boosting his total time to 3,400 hours.