Q: When you were shopping for new airplanes, what were you looking for in a new aircraft?
Dave: Much of my flying is done in the mountains with my family. I was interested in a single engine, turbo-charged, high performance airplane. The aircraft models that I looked at were the Trinidad GT, the Piper Saratoga TC, Beech Bonanza BE-36 TC, and the Mooney Bravo.

Q: What prompted your interest in the Trinidad GT?
Dave: I wanted an aircraft with better performance. For me, that meant increased speed and payload, without compromising the aircraft endurance. The Trinidad GT seemed to have the best combination of payload and range. Also, when I was looking at airplanes, I noticed the small number of airworthiness directives that were out on the Trinidad as compared to the competition.
   Incidentally, I am 6'4" tall. The new GT cabin is very comfortable for me. I found that other aircraft models, including the previous Trinidad model, were confining and cramped. The bigger cockpit was a definite plus.

Q: How does the aircraft meet up to your expectations, now that it's in your hangar?
Dave: The aircraft is great. The transition to a high performance airplane was intimidating, but ended up being easy. The Trinidad is fast, roomy, and comfortable. I just flew it on a seven and a half-hour trip and felt no fatigue. The airplane has plenty of legroom. The cabin is very ergonomic and really cut down on the pilot workload. We used the CD player jack while flying, which added to the comfort of the trip.
   The airplane is easy to land. The trailing link landing gear makes the landings smooth and the airplane forgiving. It seems like a lot of time and effort were put into the Trinidad's design. I'm getting a lot of questions from people on the ramp when I land; the plane really draws a lot of attention.

Q: Do the aircraft performance numbers of the Trinidad GT meet the published numbers of the aircraft?
Dave: On this recent flight, we were cruising at 11,500' and the numbers were about right. The true airspeed was on the mark, along with the fuel consumption per hour. The airplane is easy to fly and responsive to the inputs I make. My instructor was with me in this flight. He has about 15,000 hours. He really enjoyed flying the plane, and thought the plane measured up to its claims. He also said that it was a comfortable ride. My instructor is the type of guy who will speak his mind if there's something about a plane he doesn't like.

Q: Do you feel that Socata provides a strong support base for your aircraft?
Dave: So far, so good. The Socata reps that you have on site are very attentive, and answered all my questions. The maintenance staff at Avex is also great, and did a wonderful job with putting together my airplane.

Q: What do you think about the quality of the aircraft?
Dave: I came down to collect the airplane during the final phase of its construction, and I was there during the test flight. I was impressed with the way it's designed. I like the idea of new design concepts being used, like push rods being used to operate the control surfaces, as opposed to cables and pulleys. When I first climbed in, I noticed how easy it is to enter the aircraft. The ergonomic thought that was put into the cockpit layout is much appreciated. Another concept I liked was the idea of flying with a de-rated engine. Living in the mountains, safety is a concern to me, and I feel comfortable that the engine trouble will be a minimum. I also feel confident that the de-rated engine will meet TBO.

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