From Pioneering Turboprop to Timeless Performer: The TBM 700’s Lasting Legacy

High-tech machine evolves from unlikely Mooney prototype to fastest turboprop on the ramp.

Jonathan Welsh

Monday, August 03, 2026 at 08:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Ryan Ewing

TBM 700 in flight [Credit: Jessica Ambats]

Key Takeaways:

The TBM series, starting with the TBM 700, is a highly desirable and class-leading single-engine turboprop renowned for its exceptional speed and performance, significantly impacting longer-distance flights.
Its "unlikely origins" trace back to the Mooney 301 piston single, which was transformed into the turbine-powered TBM 700 through a Franco-American partnership.
The TBM 700's 1990 arrival was pivotal, helping to revive general aviation after the "lost decade" of the 1980s, where many other promising turboprop projects failed.
Owning a TBM demands a significant commitment to intensive recurrent training and frequent flying, particularly for pilots transitioning from piston aircraft, due to its advanced systems and high speed.

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The open cabin door and airstair beckoned. On a cloudless July morning in 2014, with temperatures rising steadily through the 80s, this inviting sight drew me and my two sons, aged 10 and 7, from the comfortable shade of a hangar and onto the sun-drenched ramp for a closer look.

We had arrived early to a major fly-in at Plymouth Municipal Airport (KPYM) in Massachusetts with plans to check out the new aircraft on display ahead of the crowd.