Get some climate change going in your Twin Commander. Twin Commander Aircraft is offering a special discount off the list price for Custom Kit (CK) 183 to convert a Sundstrand bleed-air environmental system to an Enviro system. CK 183 is applicable to all serial-number 690Cs, and Ds, and all 695s, 695As, and 695Bs. If you fly a 690C or 695 that has had CK 141 installed, you can upgrade to CK 183 for even better airflow at a fraction of the cost of the complete CK 183 install. The special discount applies to CK 183 kits ordered before the end of the year. Plus, take an additional 10 percent off all parts required to complete the installation of an Enviro air cycle machine that isn’t already included in the CK183 kit. Kits are in stock and available for immediate shipment.
For more information, contact an authorized Twin Commander Service Center. For a list of authorized Twin Commander Service Centers, visit our Service Centers Page.
Custom Kits Offer Choice of Improved Dorsal Fin
A recent Maintenance Alert issued by Twin Commander Aircraft addresses the potential for corrosion to develop as a result of moisture that becomes trapped under the dorsal fin on Model 690A and B Twin Commanders. The original dorsal fin design for the 690A/B does not allow for dispersion of moisture that builds up on the fuselage beneath the dorsal, and this can lead to corrosion on the fuselage skin.
The trapped moisture problem can be eliminated by installing Custom Kit (CK) 193, which is comprised of a weep-hole system of parts, including shims, to be installed under the existing dorsal to provide channels for moisture to drain out of the cavity. Or, better yet, replace the original plastic dorsal fin with one constructed from stronger, more durable composite laminate material. The new dorsal fin also incorporates channels to disperse moisture. CK 195 is the new dorsal fin for Twin Commander models 500S, 681, 685 and 690; CK 196 is for the 690A/B. Contact your Twin Commander-authorized Service Center for more details.
Flight Levels Online Ready for Viewing
If you haven’t yet seen it, a new issue of Flight Levels has been posted on www.flightlevelsonline.com. The issue features Desert Air, which operates four soon to be five Twin Commanders in the southwest coastal African nation of Namibia, known for the variety of its plentiful wildlife. Desert Air uses its Commanders for charters, and taking tourists to Namibia’s colorful deserts and lush, wildlife-rich grasslands.
Winner Aviation, an authorized Twin Commander Service Center in Youngstown, Ohio, and its new president, Neal Gallagher, are celebrating Winner’s 20th anniversary, and the occasion warrants a profile in this issue of Flight Levels. Winner, which grew out of the original Youngstown FBO founded in 1941, is a full-service service center with highly experienced technicians.
The Internal Revenue Service has sent you a notice indicating that they intend to audit your aircraft ownership or operation company. What next? How do you navigate this process without it taking over your life or leading to more taxes that are unwarranted or unsupported? In her column “Business Flying and Taxes,” Suzanne Meiners-Levy offers a few tips to help keep you sane as you approach one of the most feared government actions: the IRS audit.
And, though it may seem highly unlikely that you’ll ever encounter an active volcano while flying, you might be surprised to learn that there are more than 1500 active volcanoes throughout the world. In his “Flying the Engine” column, Honeywell TPE331 Pilot Advisor Helmuth Eggeling details the devastating effects that ash expelled by an active volcano can have on turbine engines.
The next Flight Levels will be a print issue, as well as electronic, to be distributed in mid-November. Sign up for a free subscription at www.twincommander.com; click on the “Flight Levels Registration” button.
Legacy Acquires Parts Overhaul and Repair Business
Legacy Aviation, an authorized Twin Commander Service Center, has acquired the landing gear and component repair and overhaul business from Higher Planes, a long-time provider of parts for Twin Commanders and several other airframes.
Legacy has moved tooling, equipment, inventory, and FAA-approved data from the Higher Planes facility in Conroe, Texas, to Legacy’s base at Clarence E. Page Field in Yukon, Oklahoma, west of Oklahoma City. The business will be renamed Legacy Aviation Components. Higher Planes founder Barry Cain is serving as a consultant to Legacy during the transition. Trey Wallace will make the move from Higher Planes to become shop supervisor at Legacy Aviation Components.
“Higher Planes has been in business for 23 years,” noted Legacy President and CEO RJ Gomez. “Every Twin Commander Service Center uses Higher Planes for landing gear, hydraulic, and component overhaul and repair.”
The Legacy Aviation Components shop should be fully operational by the end of 2015, Gomez said. There should be no interruption in providing parts, nor any decrease in the quality of repairs and overhauls as a result of the transition, he added.
For more information, contact RJ Gomez at Legacy Aviation Services at 405-350-2100.
