Author Archives: Marcel Colon

July 2019

Feb 2018 July 2019 No Comments

Ike’s Bird to Be at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

You may think of Air Force One as the massive and imposing Boeing 747, but that name is reserved for any aircraft on which the President of the United States is currently a passenger. Back in the 1950s, Air Force One was often an Aero Commander 560A carrying President Dwight Eisenhower back and forth between Washington, D.C. and a grass strip on his farm near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Eisenhower even flew the aircraft at times. The Commemorative Air Force recently purchased the aircraft and is displaying it at this year’s EAA AirVenture Oshkosh.

 

Visit Eagle Creek Aviation at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh

If you are a current Eagle Creek Aviation Services, Naples Jet Center, or First Wing Jet Center customer, or are curious about what a Twin Commander Authorized Service Center can do for you, make sure to visit them at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh next week. The company will be displaying some of its panel upgrade capabilities at Booth #395 near Boeing Plaza along the flightline. They are also holding a cookout for friends and family on Tuesday evening in Camp Scholler. You’re invited to come by and meet the folks at Eagle Creek, Naples Jet Center, and First Wing Jet Center. RSVP here .

 

Summer Issue of Flight Levels in the Mail and Online

The Summer issue of Flight Levels is in the mail, and Flight Levels Online is now available. This issue we take you across the Atlantic with friends, through Central and South America with an owner, inside Twin Commander Authorized Service Center Aero Air, through the ins and outs of the Garmin touchscreen navigators, in-depth on a consequential tax case, and much more. Read it today .

 

POLL: Why Trust Your Commander to a TCASC?

Last time we asked how many of you use a Twin Commander Authorized Service Center for your maintenance, repair, and upgrade needs. Half of you said you frequent one of these high-quality independently operated facilities.

This month we want to know why you trust your aircraft to a Twin Commander Authorized Service Center.

 

Go To POLL

 

May 2019

May 2019 No Comments

Turn to Eagle Creek Aviation Services as Your Race Headquarters

They call it the Greatest Spectacle in Racing. This year’s Indianapolis 500 is the 103rd running of the iconic race, and Eagle Creek Aviation at Eagle Creek Airpark is a perfect base to enjoy the weekend. This Friday through Sunday will bring hundreds of thousands of spectators to Indianapolis. With a Twin Commander you can beat the crowd and land at Eagle Creek’s 4,200-foot runway. Only five miles from the track, EYE is the closest airport to the action.
The Factory Authorized Service Center has ample parking, an adjacent restaurant, and full concierge services. Make your reservations today.

POLL: Who Does Your Periodic Inspections?

The inspection requirement for Twin Commanders is a generous 150 hours time in service, or annually, whichever comes first. We’re interested in hearing where you have your Commander inspected. Please choose one of the following. Thanks for participating.

GO TO POLL

 

Twin Commander Has Two Free SB241 Kits to Give Away

Could You Be One of the Recipients?

 Twin Commander owners who have not yet complied with Service Bulletin 241 affecting certain models can now receive a free service bulletin compliance kit from Twin Commander Aircraft. The kit has a value of $16,325 and includes the major components necessary to complete SB241, which is a compliance method for FAA Airworthiness Directive 2013-09-05 addressing potential cracking in the aft pressure bulkhead. SB241 and the AD apply to 690/A/B model Twin Commanders. Later-model Twin Commanders –– 690C/Ds and 695/A/Bs –– have a different wing-to-fuselage design and are not affected by the service bulletin or AD.

To be eligible for a donated kit an owner must acquire the kit and have it installed at one of 13 Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Center facilities, a worldwide network dedicated to Twin Commander service, sales, and support. Only two kits are available, so hurry to get yours and upgrade your Twin Commander.

Here’s a list of Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Centers.

April 2019

April 2019 No Comments

Maintenance Training Session a Success

One of the great benefits of owning and operating a Twin Commander is a robust network of Factory Authorized Service Centers. Service center maintenance is of a high standard in part because maintenance technicians attend type-specific training. The training, offered twice a year through Eagle Creek Aviation Services, is an eight-day course specific to the various models of Twin Commanders. The spring session was a big success, with two mechanics taking part in an on-site class at Eagle Creek, and nine attending at an operator’s facility in Canada. Mike Grabbe, a Twin Commander expert, wrote the course and teaches it through a series of classroom and hands-on aids. “Most mechanics are tactile learners,” he said. The sessions held at Eagle Creek in Indianapolis have the advantage of accessing aircraft in all states of repair or refurbishment. While the class is geared toward maintainers, Grabbe has had pilots attend in the past. He said most attendees have been techs for at least two years.

The next class is scheduled for November 4 through 13. Contact Mike Grabbe at [email protected] for more information.

Have You Seen the Latest Issue of Flight Levels Online?


What do a former professional basketball player, a flight to the Galapagos Islands, and the Garmin G950 have in common? They are all features in the latest issue of Flight Levels Online. The spring issue is out now, featuring John Hummer, a former NBA basketball player, successful venture capitalist, and now passionate Twin Commander owner.
Read about Hummer’s interesting use of the airplane.
Also in this issue:

and more.

Twin Commander Supporting Fleet with Free SB241 Kits


Twin Commander owners who have not yet complied with Service Bulletin 241 affecting certain models can now receive a free service bulletin compliance kit from Twin Commander aircraft. The kit has a value of $16,325 and includes the major components necessary to complete SB241, which is a compliance method for FAA Airworthiness Directive 2013-09-05 addressing potential cracking in the aft pressure bulkhead. SB241, and the A.D., apply to 690/A/B model Twin Commanders. Later-model Twin Commanders –– 690C/Ds and 695/A/Bs –– have a different wing-to-fuselage design and are not affected by the service bulletin or A.D.

To be eligible for a donated kit an owner must acquire the kit and have it installed at one of 13 Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Center facilities, a worldwide network dedicated to Twin Commander service, sales, and support. Only two kits are available, so hurry to get yours and upgrade your Twin Commander.

Here’s a list of Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Centers.

Owners Excited About Possible Twin Commander Gathering

Last month we asked how likely you are to attend a Twin Commander gathering, the planning for which is just beginning. Based on the strong response—53 percent said they were very likely to attend and an additional 37 percent said they were likely to attend—Twin Commander Aircraft has decided to continue detailed planning for the gathering. Stay tuned for announcements on dates and location.

Feb/Mar 2019

Feb-Mar 2019 No Comments

Twin Commander Reaffirms Commitment to Fleet Safety with 2 Free SB241 Kits

FAA Airworthiness Directive 2013-09-05 is a mandatory maintenance item for owners of Twin Commander 690/A/B models to repair cracks in the aft pressure bulkhead. Owners who have not yet complied with Service Bulletin 241, the AD’s compliance method, can now receive a free kit donated from Twin Commander Aircraft. The kit has a value of $16,325 and includes the major structural components necessary to complete the service bulletin, which addresses potential cracking in the aft pressure bulkhead.

To be eligible for a donated kit an owner must order the kit and have it installed at one of 14 Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Center facilities, a worldwide network dedicated to Twin Commander service, sales, and support. There will only be two kits made available for this offer. Here’s a list of Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Centers . Contact your Factory Authorized Service Center for complete offer details.

Twin Commander Now Offering an Extended Windshield Warranty


Twin Commander Aircraft is offering owners a significantly extended pro-rated factory warranty on replacement windshields purchased and installed through the Factory Authorized Service Center network. All new windshield purchases and installations completed at one of 14 Factory Authorized Service Centers worldwide will come with a 36-month pro-rata warranty that now almost doubles the previous warranty values.

Here’s a list of Factory Authorized Twin Commander Service Centers.

POLL: Come Gather with Other Twin Commander Owners

Twin Commander Aircraft is considering holding a gathering later this year of owners, service providers, and supporters of Twin Commanders. The event is expected to take place in September or October in a location that is easy to reach from both coasts.

The gathering would feature social events with other Twin Commander owners and operators, informative Twin Commander operating and maintenance sessions, and an airport display of owner and service center aircraft. It would take place over three days including travel time to and from the event.

View Poll

A Twin Commander in the Texas Hills

The Flying L Ranch was once a thriving fly-in community in the Texas Hills north of San Antonio. Unfortunately for pilots, the Flying L is now a resort and dude ranch sans landing strip, although the original clubhouse in the photo still stands. Do you know more about this airplane, or what brought the airplane to the Ranch?

Share it on Twin Commander’s Facebook page or email [email protected].

January 2019

JANUARY 2019 No Comments

Sultans of Service

With a legacy airframe, maintenance and support are the keys to retaining utility and value. As a Twin Commander owner the most comprehensive, informed, and experienced service you can get is at a factory authorized service center. The Twin Commander service center network is unmatched in supporting all Twin Commander model airframes, and it’s why the airplane has continued to thrive for decades. Read the latest issue of Flight Levels Online to find out more about what makes service centers special, where you can find them, and why it’s a great idea to take your airplane to an authorized service center.

The Thin Red Line

With so many different operating parameters, keeping tabs on what a turbine engine is doing can be quite difficult. That’s why Honeywell developed the SRL, or single red line computer. Turbine inlet temperature is the primary limiting factor in a turbine engine, but a standard temperature probe can’t survive in that environment. Like many turbines the TPE331 uses exhaust gas temperature as the major performance parameter. The relationship between TIT and EGT is calculated in the background using the single red line computer, and then displayed to the pilot. Want to know more? Check out Honeywell Engines Program Pilot Advisor Robert Erlick’s story in the latest issue of Flight Levels Online. 

Training the Techs

Twin Commander technician training is coming up. The next session will be held March 11 to 20 at Eagle Creek Aviation Services in Indianapolis. The course is taught by Eagle Creek’s Mike Grabbe, who has decades of experience both working on and teaching others how to maintain Twin Commanders. Although the course is open to all maintenance technicians, and even owners, it’s imperative for factory authorized service center technicians to attend. That’s because part of the commitment of being a factory authorized service center includes sending technicians to formal Twin Commander maintenance training. And it’s why owners have the assurance they are receiving excellent support when using an authorized service center. The eight-day course covers everything a technician needs to know to begin working on the Twin Commander, including documentation, systems overview, and more.

For more information contact Mike Grabbe at 317-293-6935 or [email protected].

Fun Fact

From reader John Wood: “Some pilots may think of the propeller as a fan, producing thrust and pushing the plane through the air. The British have the right idea in calling the propeller an ‘airscrew.’ At cruise your Twin Commander propellers turn one revolution for every 20 feet traveled through the air. They are truly acting as airscrews.
“You can see this when conditions are just right. Sometimes on a dark night flying through moisture there will be a trailing white cloud attached to each propeller tip. From the back seats especially, every time the strobe flashes you will see these spirals trailing along each side of the aircraft.”

Do you have an interesting fact about your Twin Commander that you would like to share? Send it to [email protected] and we’ll share it here and on Twin Commander social media.

Readers Are Equipping with ADS-B early

The FAA currently estimates that around 69,000 aircraft have equipped with ADS-B. That’s seemingly a large number, but it’s far below the estimated 180,000 aircraft that will eventually need to equip to continue to fly where a transponder is required today.

Twin Commander owners and Flight Levels eNews readers are ahead of the game. In the last issue we asked how many had equipped with ADS-B and the results were encouraging. Of those who responded, 73 percent had already equipped.

Contact a Twin Commander factory authorized service center today to schedule your install.