TBM Experience Mike

TBM 910 S/N 1170

Mike Nefkens

A child’s dream came true

“When I was a kid I remember I had the poster of a TBM in my bedroom” recalled Michael Nefkens, who just turned 50 years old recently. 3 years ago he purchased the first TBM 910. The child’s dream came true.”It just took some time to achieve my dream but I made it.”

The circumstances under which this dream materialize were special. In love for aviation at an early age, he was lucky enough to learn to fly at college and soloed after only 6 hours of flight training. After graduation, he became a businessman traveling all over the world for high tech companies, which force him to take a break with aviation. Settling back in California, six years ago this family man, “married for 28 years with the same person” as he confessed and father of two boys, renew his passion for flying. He bought a piston airplane with which he was flying regularly to nearby states.

“I was flying from home to Las Vegas with Molly (his wife) for the week-end. We were over the Sierra Nevada mountains. A beautiful flight. Because of the high altitude, we were flying with canisters in the nose and she asked me “what kind of airplane should we have to avoid having those stinky things in the nose and fly faster ?” I had my Ipad with a picture of a TBM in it. I showed it to her mentioning this plane is pressurized, faster, not too big airplane with acceptable operating costs, ” the following week-end the couple was at a Californian airshow where a TBM 910 was on display by Avex., Daher’s distributor. Talks went well and two months later Michael Nefkens became the happy owner of a TBM. “Purchasing the TBM is certainly the best investment I have ever made. Avex and Daher provide an awesome level of service. Both helped me love aviation even more.”

Now based in Texas, where he is the CEO of Resideo, a spinoff company from Honeywell, Michael Nefkens extend his travels with the TBM 910, flying from 600 to 950 NM trips for business and on week-ends most regularly with his wife who is now fully converted to aviation.

“She went to the Pinch Hitter training initially just to be able to land the plane, just in case. Now she’s about to get her pilot’s license soon. When she will be certified on the TBM we may have hard times to decide who’s going to seat in the left seat.” Regular passenger of the TBM is the dog, a german shorthaired pointer named Stella. “We have a special strapper for her in the plane and she‘s a very quiet, sleeping after take off and waking up at descent.”

Asked about his next dreams in aviation, he mentioned flights to the Caribbean and crossing the Atlantic via Greenland or Iceland, but also to take part in actions to support the great cause of aviation : “I am a strong believer in general aviation. I love the flexibility of it and the sense of adventure it gaves me.” He explained, adding that “flying has almost the same effect for me as meditation.”