Commanders Report For Work Around the World - Twin Commander ...

Fall 2008, Volume 13 No. 4 

Commanders Report For Work Around the World 

What it is about Twin 

Commanders that 

appeals to owners, pilots, 

and passengers? Easy 

answer: Powerful, fuelefficient 

performance. 

Rugged and reliable, they 

carry a load, handle superbly, 

and are stable in turbulence. 

The cabin entrance is low 

and easily negotiated. The 

crew enjoys great visibility 

and passengers have an 

unobstructed, unparalleled 

view of the world below. 

Finally, Twin Commanders 

are well supported by the 

factory and a worldwide 

network of authorized 

service centers, and many 

upgrades are available to 

enhance performance and 

functionality. That list of 

attributes also makes the 

Twin Commander a standout 

performer for utility 

operators around the world. 

AERIAL MAPPING 

Tokyo-based Asia Air 

Survey Co., Ltd. is a 

60-year-old company 

that performs land and 

hydrographic surveys, 

mapping, landscape 

architecture, and 

environmental analyses 

around the world. 

Projects range from urban 

mapping of the San Jose, 

Costa Rica, metropolitan 

area to a preliminary 

study on revising the 

national topographic 

mapping of southern 

Kazakhstan. Much of the 

work involves the use of 

specially equipped aircraft 

to gather mapping and 

sensing data. One of 

those specialty aircraft, 

a Commander 1000, 

has been at Eagle Creek 

Aviation Services in 

Indianapolis undergoing 

modification to 

accommodate two highresolution 

cameras and a 

laser scanner. 

The modification 

involves the installation 

of three belly ports for 

cameras and a sighting 

device or laser scanner. 

Sounds simple enough, 

until you consider that 

everything under the 

floorboards—wiring, 

control cables, hydraulic 

lines, environmental 

ducts, antennae, and 

more—must be rerouted. 

Moreover, the 

modification must allow 

for normal pressurization 

of the cabin at altitude, 

or no pressurization when 

the laser scanner is used. 

(Normally, each port is 

covered with a clear glass 

bubble that seals and 

retains pressurization. 

However, the glass reflects 

beams from the laser 

scanner, so when it is used 

the glass must be removed 

and the airplane flown 

unpressurized.) 

“It’s an extensive 

modification,” says 

Eagle Creek project 

manager Randy 

Morelock with some 

understatement. 

Asia Air Survey is 

a long-time user of 

Twin Commanders for 

aerial mapping and 

photogrammetry. In 

fact, one of its former 

680E Commanders is on 

display at the Museum of 

Aeronautical Sciences at 

the Narita International 

Airport in Tokyo. 

VOLCANO WATCH 

The Mexican 

government also is taking 

advantage of the Twin 

Commander’s eyes-inthe-sky 

capabilities for 

an unusual mission— 

monitoring the behavior 

of the active Popocatepetl 

volcano southeast of 

Mexico City. 

Popocatepetl lies 

between Mexico City 

and Puebla, so tens 

of millions of people 

could be affected by a 

major eruption, which 

threatened in 1994 and 

again in 2000. Since 

1994 the Highways 

Agency in the Ministry 

of Communications and 

Transportation has been 

continuously monitoring 

the volcano using a pair of 

690B Twin Commanders. 

According to Captain 

Jorge Rojas Castilla, 

Captain Ulises Sarabia 

Miramontes, and Engineer 

Luis Zaragoza Jimenez, 

who crew one of the 

Commanders, the mission 

calls for them to overfly 

the volcano at 23,000 feet 

and take photographs of 

the crater. By monitoring 

changes in contours of 

the crater, scientists can 

better predict volcanic 

activity and provide more 

accurate early warning of 

an eruption. 

Recently, Global 

Aviation Services in 

Houston performed 

a service bulletin and 

installed a new interior 

in one of the ministry’s 

Commanders. 

After 14 years of flying 

the volcanic mission, the 

Commanders have proven 

to be ideal, the crew says. 

The interior is spacious 

enough to accommodate 

special photography and 

navigation equipment, 

and the aircraft is capable 

of the speed, service 

ceiling, power, and safety 

necessary for the mission. 

AIR AMBULANCE 

The Twin 

Commander’s unique 

high-wing, lowground-clearance 

configuration, 

coupled with superior 

fuel efficiency and 

performance, make 

them ideally suited 

for another critical utility 

mission—air ambulance 

transport. 

“The Commander is a 

fantastic airplane for the 

role,” says Aero Air Chief 

Pilot Vince Hamblin. 

Hillsboro, Oregonbased 

Aero Air, which 

Sargent Jahir Osorio poses with a Columbian Army 

Twin Commander 

is a factory authorized 

Twin Commander service 

center, operates three air 

ambulance 690As. “With 

a high wing everything is 

out of way. The low door 

makes for easy loading 

and unloading—there’s 

no lifting and hoisting of 

patients. It’s just the right 

size of airframe.” 

Emergency Airlift owner 

Ed Langerveld agrees. 

His North Bend, Oregon 

company also operates 

several air ambulance 

Commanders. “We like 

‘em,” he says. “They have 

a good square cabin for 

quick and easy patient 

loading and transport.” 

Commander 

performance is another 

big plus for air ambulance 

work, say Hamblin 

and Langerveld. “The 

performance allows us 

to take three people out 

of just about anywhere,” 

Hamblin notes. “We can 

get into and out of almost 

any airport. It’s all the 

things that people say 

about most airplanes, but 

with the Commander it’s 

really true.” 

Langerveld says he has 

looked at other candidate 

aircraft, but keeps coming 

back to the Commander. 

continued on Page 12 

New Upgrades 

Underway for 

Twin 

Commanders 

The engineers at Twin 

Commander Aircraft 

are working on some 

exciting new upgrades 

that should be 

appearing soon. 

The first is a new High 

Intensity Discharge 

(HID) light system to 

replace the standard 

wing-mounted landing 

lights and, on aircraft 

so equipped, the nosemounted 

recognition 

lights. The impetus 

for the HID upgrade is 

maintenance associated 

with the wing-mounted 

landing lights, and lack 

of replacement parts. 

The new HID lights 

will be mounted in 

continued on Page 14 

3 From the Factory: 

Expanding Our Service 

4 Control Column: 

Prepare for the 

Unexpected 

5 Flying the Engine: 

Maximum Continuous 

Power - A Misnomer? 

6 Commander Tips: 

FlightSafety Spreads 

Knowledge 

14 Twin Commander 

University Scheduled

yerly flight levels ad '08 8-20indd.indd 1 8/26/08 9:04:12 PM 

2 • FLIGHT LEVELS UPDATE

Flight 

Levels 

From the Factory 

Expanding Our Service and Support of the 

Twin Commander Fleet. 

By Jim Matheson 

President, 

Twin Commander Aircraft 

It’s been three years 

since my son, Mark, 

and I purchased Twin 

Commander Aircraft. 

I had been directly 

involved in managing 

Twin Commander for the 

parent company since 

1989, and just like that 

guy who used to hawk 

razor blades on TV, I liked 

the product so much 

that in 2005 we bought 

the company. The three 

years since have been 

challenging, fascinating, 

and immensely 

rewarding years. 


Aircraft is a traditional 

aircraft manufacturer 

in every sense but one— 

we do not build new 

airplanes. Without the 

overarching attention 

that new-aircraft 

production commands, 

FLIGHT LEVELS UPDATE 

for Twin Commander Owners and 

those thinking of owning a Twin 

Commander is published quarterly 

with a circulation of 11,000. 

©2008 All rights reserved. 

Publisher 

Twin Commander Aircraft LLC, 

President 

Jim Matheson 

Editor 

Mark Twombly 

Production 

Matheson Media Corp 

Editorial offices 

Mark Twombly, 1615 Serenity Ln. 

Sanibel,FL 33957 

Tel 239.472.4042 

Fax 239.472.9195 

marktwombly@earthlink.net 

Advertising/Production offices 

Matheson Media Corp, 1024 1st St 

#203, Snohomish WA 98290 Tel 

360.862.8040 Fax 360.862.9606 

markm@mathesonmedia.com or 

sarahl@mathesonmedia.com 

19010 59th Dr NE 

Arlington WA 98223 

Tel 360.435.9797 

Fax 360.435.1112 

www.twincommander.com 

we can concentrate all 

of our resources on 

the sole objective of 

supporting the existing 

worldwide fleet of Twin 


With that objective 

firmly in mind, one of 

the first things we did 

as new owners was 

to launch a company 

review of our spare parts 

inventory, suppliers, and 

our customer concerns. 

Our goal was to identify 

parts that are in short 

supply and alleviate 

those shortages; reevaluate 

our vendors to 

make sure we work with 

only the highest-quality 

suppliers; and, last but far 

from least, improve the 

experience of our owners 

and operators through 

better customer service, 

aircraft enhancements and 

product improvements. 

As we’ve been reporting 

regularly in Flight Levels 

and our electronic Twin 

Commander Newsletter, 

we’ve made excellent 

progress on each of 

those fronts. We’re 

producing new parts and 

components, such as the 

machined nose landing 

gear fork, that previously 

were unavailable. We’ve 

replaced several vendors 

with great new suppliers. 

And, we’ve introduced 

innovative aircraft 

enhancements such as the 

recognition lights. 

As we hope our 

initiatives demonstrate, 

we continually pursue 

options that will enable 

Twin Commander to 

expand our customer 

service and increase our 

support of owners and 

operators around 

the world. 

We are pleased to 

announce a major step 

forward in achieving Twin 

Commander’s further 

development as the best 

aircraft parts service 

and support company 

it can be. Effective 

August 29, 2008, Twin 

Commander Aircraft LLC 

has been acquired by 

Firstmark Corporation of 

Richmond, Virginia. 

Firstmark has a long 

history, dating back 

to the late 1800’s, in 

the aerospace and 

defense marketplaces, 

manufacturing and 

Engine Wizard Is a Hot-Rodder at Heart 

Aymert Villamil could 

hardly help but have 

a career connected to 

Twin Commanders. His 

father, Guido, amassed 

tens of thousands of hours 

flying piston and turbine 

Commanders in Venezuela 

for 40 years, and Aymert’s 

first glimpse of the 

United States was from a 

Commander. It was the 

early 1960s, and the young 

Aymert was accompanying 

his father on a flight to the 

United States. “I was up in 

the cockpit with my dad, 

sleeping,” he remembers. 

“He woke me up and said, 

‘Hey kid, look, it’s the 

United States.’ I looked 

down and could see the 

beautiful Florida coast 

and the clean city streets. 

We look forward 

to working with 

Firstmark to 

continue building 

a bright future for 

the entire Twin 

Commander family. 

I decided right then that 

that’s where I wanted 

to live.” 

Although Aymert took 

a slightly different path 

than his father, enrolling 

in the Spartan School 

of Aeronautics in Tulsa, 

Oklahoma, and earning 

an A&P certificate, he, 

too, lives and breathes 

Twin Commanders. 

Aymert is manager of the 

engine shop at Eagle Creek 

Aviation Services, where 

he has been working on 

Honeywell TPE331 engines 

for the last 14 years. Eagle 

Creek is an authorized 

Honeywell engines service 

center, one of a few 

independent shops to 

hold that authorization. 

HOT-RODDER AT 

HEART 

The job offer at Eagle 

Creek in 1994 couldn’t have 

come at a better time for 

Aymert, who is a hotrodder 

at heart. (He drives 

a restored, award-winning 

1965 Mustang convertible 

and is repowering a 

Bricklin for a friend.) “I 

was working in Nashville 

when Matt Hagans and 

an Eagle Creek pilot flew a 

690A down for us to work 

on it. I noticed that the 

airplane looked different, 

and I asked them about 

it. They explained that it 

was a prototype, with 

Dash 10T engines. I 

asked if they had a 

job opening.” 

That was on a 

Friday. The following 

Monday, Eagle 

Creek asked Aymert 

to come up to 

Indianapolis for an 

interview. He was 

hired, and immediately 

went to work on the Dash 

10T development and 

certification program 

that Eagle Creek, Twin 

Commander Aircraft, and 

Honeywell were pursuing. 

Later on he was involved 

in the development of 

the Grand Renaissance 

airframe refurbishment 

program. 

Born in Caracas, Aymert 

made many trips to the 

U.S. in Commanders with 

his father, including eight 

trips in one year. “That’s 

when I decided I wanted 

to become a pilot,” he 

repairing high-quality 

flight control subsystems 

and components for 

military, commercial, and 

civil aircraft as well as 

custom safety restraint 

systems for general 

aviation. Firstmark is 

focused on providing 

world class products 

and services to primarily 

legacy aircraft platforms 

around the world. For 

more information on 

Firstmark and its product 

offerings, please visit the 

company’s web site at 

www.firstmarkcorp.com. 

By partnering with 

Firstmark we will be 

able to better serve our 

Service Centers and their 

customers – the owners 

and operators of Twin 

Commander aircraft. 

We look forward to 

working with Firstmark to 

continue building a bright 

future for the entire Twin 

Commander family. 

says. He began checking 

out flying schools in the 

U.S., but his older brother 

beat him to it. With two 

pilots now in the family, 

Aymert’s mother, who 

was an airline stewardess, 

made her young son 

promise that he would not 

hold a pilot’s certificate 

“as long as she is kicking 

around,” Aymert says. 

She’s 83 now and still lives 

in Caracas, “and I still 

don’t hold a license,” he 

laughs. “I know how to 

fly—I do some test flying— 

but I don’t hold 

a certificate.” 

UNQUALIFIED FAN 

Just as his father was 

a lifelong Commander 

supporter, Aymert’s long 

continued on page 13 

TWIN COMMANDER • 3

Flight 

Levels 

The Control Column 

Prepare For the Unexpected with Regular Training and Evaluation 

by FlightSafety International 

You probably are 

among the vast 

majority of pilots who, 

fortunately, have not 

had an opportunity 

to test your superior 

flying skills and aircraft 

knowledge in an actual 

emergency situation. 

Excellent aircraft design, 

reliability, and factoryapproved 

maintenance 

coupled with adherence 

to safe operating rules, 

regulations, limitations, 

and procedures tend 

to keep most of us as 

members of that majority. 

But bad luck, or failure 

to comply with any 

of the safeguards just 

mentioned, could easily 

place you outside the 

group. If so, you could 

find yourself in a situation 

that could end one of 

two ways. If handled 

properly, an emergency 

will result in a great story 

to share with the coffee 

shop gang. If handled 

improperly, it could result 

in your heirs, friends, and 

acquaintances asking how 

this could happen to a 

person of your superior 

flying skills and talent. 

How confident are you 

in recognizing, analyzing, 

and responding to 

unexpected situations? 

A regular program of 

training and evaluation 

is an excellent tool for 

improving and exercising 

skills that prepare you to 

handle the unexpected 

Unexpected situations 

test our knowledge, skill, 

and ability to recognize, 

think, and react under 

pressure. How soon we 

recognize an abnormal 

situation usually 

determines the degree of 

difficulty we encounter in 

handling it. Recognition 

is greatly enhanced, 

or hindered, by our 

knowledge, procedures, 

and habit patterns. 

Lack of knowledge, 

sloppy procedures, and 

poor habit patterns 

hinder the recognition 

process. Knowledge of 

aircraft systems and 

limitations, consistent 

use of checklists, and 

good habit patterns 

promote the recognition 

process. Knowing what 

to expect when a system 

malfunction occurs, how 

4 • FLIGHT LEVELS UPDATE 

to identify it, and how it 

will affect your flight all 

contribute to selecting the 

right procedure to remedy 

the situation and conduct 

the remainder of the 

flight safely. 

Equipment failures, 

changing environmental 

conditions, changes in 

clearances, etc., are minor 

inconveniences to the welltrained 

pilot, but they may 

become major obstacles 

for an operator who is 

unprepared. How does 

your training program 

measure up in these areas? 

Does it challenge you? 

Does it identify areas of 

neglect and weakness? 

Remember, practice 

makes permanent. What 

have you been practicing? 

Knowledge, preparation, 

and executing the proper 

procedures render most 

unexpected situations into 

non-events. Conversely, 

failure to recognize 

a problem and react 

appropriately in a timely 

manner can allow it to 

develop into a major 

event. 

What should you know 

about aircraft systems? 

Ask yourself these 

questions: 

•What does this 

particular system do? 

•What are the 

indications of failure 

or malfunction of the 

system? 

•How can I identify an 

abnormal situation 

when it occurs? 

•What can I do to 

remedy it? 

•How will the remedy 

affect the remainder of 

the flight? 

Get the answers from 

reliable sources including 

training manuals, 

operating manuals, 

maintenance manuals, 

factory representatives, 

and your training source. 

If the information doesn’t 

sound right, question it 

to confirm it or prove it 

inaccurate. You cannot 

have too much knowledge 

of the equipment that 

is flying you and your 

precious cargo. Just 

remember to apply that 

knowledge to the tasks 

at hand. 

What about procedures? 

The Pilot Operating 

Handbook or Aircraft Flight 

Manual is the best place 

to find a list of procedures 

for the operation of your 

aircraft. When going 

through these checklists, 

ask: 

•Why are they laid out in 

this particular order? 

•Why did they include this 

or that item? 

As a pilot, 

you accept 

the challenge 

of acquiring 

and maintaining profi ciency in your 

Twin Commander. And as the factory- 

approved Twin Commander training 

organization, we can help you face that 

challenge with confi dence. At our 

Houston Learning Center in Houston, 

Texas, FlightSafety trains pilots from 

around the world. The center offers 

complete initial and recurrent training 

programs for the Twin Commander. 

Classroom instruction is handled by 

experienced professionals using a host 

of dedicated audiovisual 

training aids. Flight 

training is conducted 

in the world’s only full- 

•What would be the 

result of omitting or 

switching items? 

•Finally, after completion 

of this procedure, what 

will be the outcome and 

how will the rest of the 

flight be affected? 

Procedures are not for 

rote memorization and 

blind-faith following. 

Few malfunctions occur 

in textbook fashion, 

and each needs to be 

evaluated according to 

its unique circumstances. 

Using the questioning 

process promotes a 

better understanding 

of each procedural 

item’s importance and 

placement. This allows 

FlightSafety Twin Commander Training: 

The Best Way to Acquire and Maintain Profi ciency 

motion visual Twin Commander turbo- 

prop fl ight simulators, where profi ciency 

in normal fl ight operations can be honed 

to a fi ne edge with the utmost cost- 

effectiveness. And emergency procedures 

– even those too dangerous to duplicate 

in aircraft – can be practiced and 

perfected in the simulator with complete 

realism and safety. 

FlightSafety instruc- 

tors are seasoned 

professionals with 

operational experience 

in Twin Commander 

aircraft. They maintain high profi ciency 

at all times so they can help pilots do 

the same. Clients are also encouraged 

to learn from each other’s operational 

experiences. 

For more information, please call: (713) 393-8100, fax: (713) 393-8111, write: 

Houston Learning Center, William P. Hobby Airport, 7525 Fauna Street, Houston, TX 77061, 

or visit www.FlightSafety.com. 

continued on page 13

Flight 

Levels 

Flying the Engine 

Maximum Continuous Power - Is It a Misnomer? 

By Helmuth Eggeling 

We all know 

that FAA typecertificated 

aircraft 

must be equipped and 

operated in accordance 

with the appropriate Pilot 

Operating Handbook 

(POH) or other operating 

information. Included 

in that handbook is a 

Limitations section for 

the engine, as well as 

the appropriate normal 

takeoff, climb, and 

cruise power-setting 

recommendations. 

All turbine engines are 

designed, tested, and 

certified to operate within 

specific and defined 

maximum limits. The 

certifying government 

agencies generally 

recognize only two 

limitations: Takeoff and 

Maximum Continuous. 

By definition, setting 

the engine to Takeoff 

power is permitted for a 

maximum of five minutes, 

and only once each flight. 

Maximum Continuous 

Power is authorized for 

aircraft certification and 

for emergency use at the 

discretion of the pilot, 

with no time limits. 

The intent of the FAA 

and Honeywell is that the 

engine be operated at 

power settings consistent 

with those found in the 

approved POH. These 

recommendations, 

coupled with the approved 

maintenance plan, are 

necessary elements in 

achieving desired engine 

durability, efficiency, and 

performance. 

During engine 

certification testing, 

engines are operated at 

power settings that, in 

addition to maximum 

operational limitations, 

also recognize: 

• Safety 

• Engine durability and 

efficiency 

• Maintenance 

requirements 

Moreover, Title 14 of 

the Code of Federal 

Regulations (CFR), Part 

33, requires that candidate 

(pre-type-certificated) 

engines undergo testing 

A Twin Commander 

Factory Authorized Service Center 

GLOBAL 

AVIATION SERVICES 

that simulates conditions 

the powerplant is expected 

to operate in during 

normal service. These 

flight profile models 

include power changes 

and start/shutdown cycles 

typical of expected service. 

The testing also aids 

in establishing the 

initial maintenance 

inspection intervals 

and criteria. The 

power-setting profiles 

and cycles used 

during this testing 

are considered when 

establishing the 

normal operational 

power values 

published in 

the POH. 

Furthermore, the 

airframe manufacturer 

establishes a specific 

shaft-horsepower/torque 

(SHP/TQ) limitation, 

which usually is based on 

structural limitations and/ 

or Vmc implications. By 

contrast, thermodynamic 

and gearbox engine 

limitations are specified by 

the engine manufacturer 

and approved by the 

FAA, and include such 

restrictions as maximum 

allowable engine 

temperatures and power 

settings for takeoff and 

maximum continuous 

engine operation. Because 

the engine certification 

criteria include the 


value, operators often 

erroneously conclude 

that this denotes engine 

manufacturer and FAA 

approval to operate 

continuously at 

these limits. 

Operators should 

understand that while 

certification testing 

confirms that engines can 

be operated safely at their 


temperature and SHP/TQ 

limits, it does not mean 

they can be operated 

at those settings for 

unlimited periods of time 

without an associated 

impact on engine 

wear rates and direct 

maintenance costs. 

The slightly reduced 

power-setting values and 

procedures spelled out in 

the POH are a carefully 

researched and 

tested compromise. 

They are intended to 

yield the best overall 

combination of 

safety, performance, 

cost-effectiveness, 

and reliability. 

Conservative power 

settings (somewhat 

less than maximum 

continuous) are money in 

the bank. 

For additional 

information on this 

subject or any other 

TPE331 operational issue, 

please contact me at 

(602) 231-2697 or email me 

at Helmuth.Eggeling@ 

Honeywell.com. 

Helmuth Eggeling is lead 

pilot and aviation advisor 

for Honeywell. 

All levels Twin Commander Maintenance 

Garmin authorized sales and services 

Avionics installations and services 

Paint and Interior capabilities 

Parts support 

“Dedicated to the Preservation of Aviation” 

��17725 J.F.K. BOULEVARD. SUITE 207 

HOUSTON, TEXAS 77032-6013 U.S.A. 

�� 


Flight 

Levels 

Commander Tips 

FlightSafety’s On-Site Twin Commander Maintenance Training 

Spreads the Knowledge 

By Geoffery Pence 

Customer Service Manager, Twin Commander Aircraft 

Training and 

experience—two key 

reasons why authorized 

Twin Commander service 

centers are the best 

choice for inspections, 

maintenance, repair, 

and upgrade of Twin 

Commander aircraft. 

Experience is a product 

of time, while training is 

acquired through formal 

instruction. And now, that 

training has become much 

easier to obtain. 

One of the important 

requirements of 

becoming, and remaining, 

an authorized Twin 

Commander service 

center is that the service 

center have a minimum 

of two technicians on 

staff who receive Twin 

Commander-specific 

technical training. That 

training is provided by 

FlightSafety International. 

A further requirement is 

that the service center 

send at least one of its 

Twin Commander-trained 

technicians to annual 

FlightSafety refresher 

training, known as the 


Update Course. 

Until recently, the 

only option was for 

service centers to send 

their technicians to 

FlightSafety’s Twin 

Commander Learning 

Center in Houston to 

attend the seven-day 

initial course, and the 

five-day refresher course. 

That can be problematic 

because of the time the 

technician is away from 

the service center, and the 

expense. 

FlightSafety and Twin 

Commander Aircraft have 

collaborated to provide 

service centers with an 

option to traditional 

technician training at 

FlightSafety Houston. 

Now, that training can 

be done on site, right 

at the service center. 

To encourage service 

centers to take advantage 

of the on-site training 

option, Twin Commander 

Aircraft will pay for the 

FlightSafety instructor’s 

travel expenses. 

FlightSafety’s Dave 


Lester, who conducts 

the technician training 

in Houston, will travel to 

service centers to provide 

the training. Dave comes 

highly qualified 

for the job. He 

is a veteran 

FlightSafety 

instructor who 

has been an 

A&P since 1970 

and an IA since 

1981. He’s also 

been a Twin 


service center 

manager at Eagle 

Creek Aviation, he’s 

owned a maintenance 

shop, he has a degree 

in education, and he’s 

taught A&P programs 

at two different 

community colleges. 

Dave considers himself 

more of a facilitator than 

an instructor. He doesn’t 

try to tell technicians how 

to do their job, but how 

to do it better and easier. 

In order for FlightSafety 

and Twin Commander 

to provide effective onsite 

training, we need to 

have at least four to five 

technicians in the class. 

It’s too expensive for Dave 

to hold a class for just 

one or two people. Four 

or five technicians makes 

for an ideal group. Service 

centers can work together 

to organize a FlightSafety 

on-site class, with each 

service center sending one 

or two technicians to the 

class. The location is up 

to the techs and 

service centers 

involved. 

Dave can 

conduct either 

an initial or 

refresher class at 

a service center. 

The initial 

is a five-day 

class, while the 

refresher takes 

place over four 

days. (The courses are 

longer when conducted 

in Houston because each 

course includes time 

in FlightSafety’s Twin 

Commander motion 

simulators.) 

Whereas the initial 

class is a straightforward, 

in-depth examination of 

the airframe, engines, 

and systems, the on-site 

refresher is more of a 

blend of subjects. The 

foundation of the course 

is a review of some of 

the major systems on 

the aircraft such as the 

engine-prop combination 

and environmental 

systems. A technician may 

work a lot on engines, 

and therefore forget a few 

things about the three 

different environmental 

systems used on various 

Twin Commander models. 

The review serves to brush 

away those cobwebs. 

Dave also addresses the 

latest service publications. 

Technicians normally are 

aware of all mandatory 

service bulletins and 

airworthiness directives, 

but in a busy shop service 

information letters, which 

are advisory in nature, 

can be overlooked. Dave 

makes a point of covering 

them in his courses. 

There’s good information 

in the service letters on 

maintaining Commanders 

in peak condition. 

He also likes 

to incorporate 

troubleshooting scenarios 

in the refresher. In his 

travels he comes across 

different maintenance 

problems that technicians 

have encountered. 

Some are easy to take 

care of, some leave you 

scratching your head. 

Techs have different ways 

of approaching these 

problems, and discussing 

them at on-site training 

sessions helps everyone 

get a better understanding 

of troubleshooting 

techniques. 

I call that “spreading 

the tribal knowledge.” 

When technicians from 

different service centers 

get together, everyone 

benefits from the 

specialized knowledge, 

insights, techniques, 

and tips that each tech 

brings to the table. The 

tribal knowledge from 

one service center spreads 

to other service centers, 

and is integrated into 

something we can all use. 

For more information 

regarding scheduling, 

course pricing, and other 

questions about onsite 


technical training, contact 

FlightSafety Houston at 

713-393-8100. 

Florida's Twin Commander 

Service Center 

Turbine Airframe • Engine Maintenance • Structural Modifications 

• Acquisition & Sales 

Visit Us 

At NBAA 

Booth 

#4664 

FlightSafety’s 

Dave Lester 

Twin Com Ad 2:Layout 1 8/22/08 5:24 PM Page 1 

Complete Avionics Installations & Modifications 

RVSM, TAWS, TCAS, MFD, GPS, EFIS & Entertainment 

Delivering Aviation Excellence for 29years at Ft. Lauderdale Executive Airport 

954.491.3170 800.200.2031 www.banyanair.com

Grand Renaissance Progess Report 

The long, arduous 

task of creating a 

Grand Renaissance Twin 

Commander unfolds in 

three distinct phases. First 

is the disassembly of the 

basis aircraft. In the case 

of the Grand Renaissance 

being built by Eagle Creek 

Aviation Services for the 

Kern County, California, 

Fire Department, it’s 

a model 690A, serial 

number 11300. Interior, 

windows and windshields, 

engines, de-ice boots, 

fuel tanks, flight control 

surfaces—it all comes off. 

Next follows a long 

period of detailed, 

thorough inspections 

and repair, overhaul, 

or replacement of 

components, systems, 

skins, and many, many 

other pieces and parts. A 

casual observer looking 

at the airplane in a corner 

of the hangar might 

conclude that not much is 

happening, but that is far 

from the truth. As with a 

BEGINNING OF 

A BIG AND 

BRAWNY LEGEND 

building, the secret of 

a Grand Renaissance’s 

value is the foundation 

work that takes 

place before the final 

structure takes shape, 

and the second stage in 

the creation of a Grand 

Renaissance is that 

foundation work. 

COMING TOGETHER 

The final stage— 

building the structure— 

is when it all comes 

together. And with 

each passing day, the 

Grand Renaissance in 

Eagle Creek’s hangar is 

coming together. 

The TPE331-10T 

engines have been hung 

and are ready to run. 

All new fuel bladders 

have been installed 

and at this writing Eagle 

Creek was about to top 

off the tanks for the first 

time. The circuit breaker 

panel has been installed, 

wired, and powered, and 

electrical system checks 

are underway. 

Work on the interior 

also is underway, 

including installation of 

soundproofing and some 

final sheet metal work 

on door frame jambs. 

Up in the cockpit, the 

instrument panel is being 

installed that will house 

the full Meggitt Magic 

EFIS system. 

Kern County’s 690A 

arrived at Eagle Creek 

on April 17. Projected 

completion date is 

October 15. Between those 

two dates some 8,200 

hours will have been spent 

transforming the airplane 

into a Grand Renaissance, 

the highest possible 

expression of a Twin 

Commander. 

You can monitor 

the project at Twin 

Commander LLC’s 

web site, www. 

twincommander.com. 

Paint scheme for Kern County’s Commander 

In the last Flight Levels update (Summer 2008) we published a photo of the first flight of 

the Commander 520, the first production model Twin Commander. Here we show you 

serial number 133, which, according to FAA records, was manufactured in 1954. 

This photo clearly illustrates why the Commander was considered such a revolutionary 

aircraft for its time. It was the first new purpose-built business aviation piston twin. Take 

a look at the Mooney flying formation with the 520. Like most of the general aviation 

aircraft of its day, the Mooney was small and compact by design. The four-cylinder engine 

delivered good performance on a relatively small amount of fuel consumption. 

The Commander, on the other hand, was a big, brawny airplane with a pair of geared 

Lycoming 520-cubic-inch GO-435-C2B engines growling through those impressive exhaust 

augmenters. Plenty of power, plenty of range, plenty of room in the cockpit and passenger 

cabin—the Commander made no apologies for its commanding size. Brisk sales proved 

that people were ready for an airplane of this caliber. 

The 520 pictured here resides today at the St. Peterburg-Clearwater, Florida, 

International Airport, where it is used to instruct airframe and powerplant students at 

the National Aviation Academy of Mississippi. It is unairworthy, but the engines run. The 

school uses it primarily for landing gear projects and assembly and rigging. 

More Commander history in upcoming issues. 

Our thanks to Bill Thompson, who worked at the Commander production plant in Bethany, Oklahoma, from 

1964 to 1991, for providing us with this and other historical photos that we will be publishing from time to time. 

Twin & Turbine follows 

Grand Renaisannce 

The creation 

of the Grand 

Renaissance Twin 

Commander for 

the Kern County, 

California, Fire 

Department is being 

closely followed, and 

reported on, by Twin 

& Turbine magazine. 

The magazine 

published a major 

11-page feature in 

the July issue, and 

has another major 

feature in the 

September issue. The 

lavishly illustrated 

story in the July issue 

detailed the Grand 

Renaissance process, 

and included a twopage 

photo spread 

of the disassembled 

airframe in Eagle 

Creek Aviation’s 

shop. The photos 

provide graphic 

evidence of the 

extent of the work 

that goes into the 

creation of a Grand 

Renaissance Twin 


The September 

story focuses on the 

Honeywell TPE331- 

10T engine upgrade 

that, in combination 

with the extensive 

airframe 

refurbishment, 

distinguishes the 

Grand Renaissance 

from other aircraft 

rebuild programs. 

In fact, the Grand 

Renaissance is 

the world’s only 

factory-authorized 

and monitored 

twin-turboprop 

airframe restoration 

program. The Dash 

10T engine upgrade 

significantly boosts 

climb and cruise 

performance. The 

Dash 10T—essentially 

a standard TPE331-5 

engine fitted with 

an upgraded 

hot section that 

boosts the engine’s 

thermodynamic 

rating—also has a 

5,000-hour TBO and 

a single mid-life hotsection 

inspection. 

Twin & Turbine 

may be publishing 

as many as three 

stories on the Grand 

Renaissance as it 

progresses. 

For information 

about subscribing 

to Twin & Turbine 

go to www. 

twinandturbine.com. 

Twin Commander Headed 

to AOPA Expo 

Planning on attending 

AOPA Expo in San 

Jose this November? Then 

be sure to stop by the 

Twin Commander display 

at the Mineta San Jose 

(California) International 

Airport, site of this year’s 

Expo static display. 

AOPA Expo is the 

premier show for general 

aviation pilots and aircraft 

owners, attracting AOPA 

members and visitors from 

around the world. Twin 

Commander has been a 

featured participant on the 

Expo static line for years. 

This year’s Expo will take 

place in San Jose 

November 6-8. 

As in past years, Twin 

Commander will have 

at least one airplane on 

display. Representatives 

from Twin Commander 

Aircraft and several 

authorized service 

centers will be staffing 

the display. If you are 

not a Twin Commander 

operator, Expo is a great 

opportunity to learn more 

about the airplane and 

the factory and service 

center support it enjoys. 

If you are an owner and/ 

or operator, Expo is the 

place to meet and greet 

Twin Commander officials 

and have all your questions 

answered. 


contact Twin Commander 

Aircraft. Information 

about attending the NBAA 

Convention can be found 

at www.NBAA.org; AOPA’s 

web site is 

www.aopa.org. 


World’s Largest Twin Com 

Now Has Two Locations 

Eagle Creek Aviation Services has provided aircraft sales and award-winning service 

to owners and operators of Twin Commander and Citation aircraft for over 25 years. 

Now, with a new location in Naples, FL, we offer the same great sales and service that 

operators have grown accustomed to in Indianapolis at Naples Jet Center. 

• Jet and Turboprop Maintenance • Aircraft Sales and Brokerage 

• Honeywell TPE331 & TFE731 Service • After-Sales Support 

• Avionics Upgrades and Installs • Aircraft Charter and Management 

TWIN COMMANDER 1000 

N95AB, S/N 96012 

• Dash Ten Powered 

• Garmin GPS-400 

• Skywatch SKY-497 

• Long Range Fuel 

• Wide Chord Q-Tip Props 


TWIN COMMANDER 900 

N927SM, S/N 15013 


• Dual Meggitt Magic EFIS 

• Meggitt Magic Digital Autopilot 

• Meggitt Magic Digital Engine Displays 

• Freon Air, Wide Chord Q-Tip Props 

FEATURED AIRC 

GRAND RENAISSA 

N840NK, S/N 117 


• Long Range Fuel 

• Nexrad Weather 

• 7100 Hours Since New 

• 1031 Hours Since Hot S 

Eagle Creek Aviation Services • Indianapolis, IN • ph 317.293.6935 

www.eagle-creek.com 

Para español, llame a Jorge

mander Service Center 

RAFT FOR SALE 

NCE 840 

34 

ection Inspections 

Gonzalez: 239.207.1597. 

TWIN COMMANDER 690A 

N75U, S/N 11218 


• Dual Meggitt Magic EFIS 

• Meggitt Magic Autopilot 

• Only 218 Hours Since Engine Overhauls 

• Wide Chord Q-Tip Props 

TWIN COMMANDER 690A 

N690GZ, S/N 11319 

• Only 1996 Hours Since Engine Overhauls 

• Only 100 Hours Since HSI’s by Eagle Creek 

• Garmin GNS-400 

• Comfort Cabin Soundproofing 

• Fresh Air Conditioning 

Naples Jet Center • Naples, FL • ph 239.649.7900 

www.naplesjetcenter.com 


Commanders Make Dollars and Sense 

The aviation world 

is rediscovering 

something that Twin 

Commanders owners 

have known all along: 

turboprop-powered 

airplanes in general, 

and Honeywell-powered 

Twin Commanders in 

particular, make dollars 

and sense. That has never 

been more important 

than in this time of steeply 

rising fuel prices. 

In fact, it’s not a 

stretch to call the Twin 

Commander a Green 

Machine (see sidebar). 

When the AiResearch 

(now Honeywell) TPE331 

engine first appeared in 

the mid-1960s, it gained 

immediate recognition for 

its simplicity of design, 

single-shaft direct-drive 

power and response, and 

fuel efficiency. The engine 

features a two-stage 

centrifugal compressor 

section, annular 

combustor, and threestage 

axial turbine section. 

BOOSTING 

PERFORMANCE 

Tens of thousands 

of TPE331 turboprop 

powerplants have been 

produced, including the 

Dash 5 version that powers 

the 690A through D model 

Twin Commanders. A little 

over a decade ago, some 

visionaries in the Twin 

Commander family, led 

by Eagle Creek Aviation 

Services, saw the potential 

for boosting the climb and 

cruise performance of the 

Dash 5-powered models 

by upgrading the engine 

Toledo, Oh 

Lakeland, Fl 

San Antonio, Tx 

Toronto, Ontario 


to Dash 10 configuration. 

A more contemporary 

variant of the TPE331, 

the Dash 10, powers the 

695 and 695A JetProp 

Commanders (980 

and 1000). 

Following extensive 

development and testing 

by Eagle Creek, Twin 

Commander Aircraft, 

and Honeywell, the 

Dash 10T-powered Twin 

Commander debuted at 

the 1993 NBAA Annual 

Meeting and Convention 

on an experimental 690A 

provided by Eagle Creek. 

It was an immediate hit 

with operators, for two 

simple reasons. The first is 

performance. Because of 

its higher thermodynamic 

power rating compared to 

the Dash 5, the Dash 10T 

maintains maximum flatrated 

power (a gearbox 

limitation of 717.5 shaft 

horsepower) to a higher 

altitude in the climb— 

16,000 feet compared to 

about 5,000 for the Dash 

5. That means less time 

spent climbing through 

high-traffic airspace, less 

time negotiating loweraltitude 

weather, and 

more time spent 

cruising in fuel-efficient 

flight levels. 

MORE POWER, LESS 

FUEL 

At altitude the Dash 10T 

generates more torque— 

power—compared with a 

Dash 5, and that means 

more speed. Operators 

routinely see cruise true 

airspeeds of 300 knots or 

better, especially when 

the engines are teamed 

with optional Hartzell 

wide-chord Super Q-tip 

three-blade propellers. 

That’s a good 30-knot 

improvement over the 

same Dash 5-powered 

Twin Commander. Faster 

climb and faster cruise 

mean shorter flight times, 

which translates to an 

estimated seven percent 

lower fuel consumption 

over the same trip 

length compared with 

a Dash 5-powered Twin 


The second major 

benefit of the Dash 10T 

conversion is lower 

cost of operation. A 

major contributor to 

this is the Dash 10T’s 

extended hot-section 

inspection (HSI) and 

overhaul limits. At the 

time of conversion 

an owner can choose 

one of two engine 

maintenance options. 

The first is to overhaul 

the engine at 5,400 

hours, with a hotsection 

inspection at 

1,800 hours and a second 

hot-section plus gearbox 

inspection due at 3,600 

hours. A second option is 

to overhaul the engine at 

5,000 hours with a single 

hot-section inspection due 

at 2,500 hours. 

The undeniable benefits 

of the Dash 10T conversion 

have led scores of Twin 

Commander operators to 

make the switch. 

For more information, 


Aircraft or your authorized 


service center. 

Green is the New Black 

That’s the title of a 

promotional card 

sent recently to Twin 

Commander owners 

and prospects, including 

several thousand 

owners and operators 

of high-performance 

singles, piston twins, 

turboprops, and some 

light jets. 

The promotion is 

one of several that 


distributes annually 

to communicate 

the benefits of 

owning and flying a 

Twin Commander. 

“Talking about Twin 

Commanders to the 

aviation community 

generates interest 

and, ultimately, new 

customers,” explains 


Aircraft Vice President 

Mark Matheson. 

“The more we get 

people thinking and 

talking about Twin 

Commanders, the better 

National Flight Services 

A Service Center Network That Provides The Best 

Aviation Maintenance in the Business 

TPE331 Engine Experts 

800-669-2704 

www.nationalflight.com 

TPE331 Overhaul - Line Maintenance Pre-Purchase Evaluations 

24 Hour Technical & Parts Service -10T Conversions 

All Airframe Inspections Paint, Interior, Avionics 

Service Bulletin Maintenance Component Overhaul & Repair 

it is for existing owners 

and operators because 

it helps to maintain and 

even increase the value 

of their aircraft.” 

IN THE BLACK 

The copy for the “Green 

is the new Black” card 

said: 

“In business, everyone 

wants to operate in the 

black. 

But today, with the 

seemingly endless rise 

I S T H E 

GREEN NEW BLACK 

TWIN COMMANDER AIRCRAFT 

300+ knots • Operate in the Green • 75 gal.hour 

in the cost of fuel along 

with a conscientious 

desire to take care of our 

environment…operating 

‘in the green’ has never 

been more important. 

Traveling at 300 knots 

true airspeed while 

sipping a modest 75 

gallons per hour, you’re 

not only a true friend to 

the environment, you’re 

a best friend to those 

green guys in your wallet. 

Operating green in a 

Turbine Commander 

means you’re operating 

in the black. 

Contact your local 

service center to learn 

how green a Twin 

Commander can make 

you.” 

Other promotional 

cards include the “Well 

Spoken For” series, 

which profiles Twin 

Commander operators, 

and “Where Are They 

Now,” which revisits 


operators. 

You can read more 

about the “What We 

Fly” and “Where Are they 

Now” profiles at www. 

twincommander.com.

Flight 

Levels 

Business Flying and Taxes 

IRS Proposes New Passive Activity 

Grouping Rules 

By Louis M. Meiners, Jr. 

One of the most 

potent weapons 

the IRS has to challenge 

aircraft deductions is 

to classify them as a 

passive activity. Passive 

activity losses may not 

be used against other 

income to reduce 

income tax liability other 

than from other passive 

activities. On the other 

hand, if a loss is not 

classified as passive it 

may be used to offset 

income from any source. 

If an aircraft is used to 

support a business that 

the taxpayer is actively 

engaged in, the taxpayer 

may elect to treat both 

businesses as a single 

undertaking; therefore 

the combined business 

becomes active. The 

regulations on this 

election have never 

clarified what steps the 

taxpayer must take to 

make the “grouping” 

election. On August 1, 

2008, the IRS issued 

Notice 2008-64 in which 

it solicits comments 

on a proposal to 

require taxpayers to 

affirmatively disclose 

groupings and 

regroupings of their 

activities and note the 

addition and disposition 

of specific activities. 

PROPOSED REPORTING 

The IRS is considering 

whether to change the 

reporting requirements 

for taxpayer groupings 

under Code Sec. 469. 

Although the IRS has 

considered a number 

of approaches, the 

proposal described 

in Notice 2008-64 

would generally require 

taxpayers to report 

to the IRS, as part of 

their regular annual 

return, changes to their 

groupings. The proposal 

would apply to all 

persons or entities to 

whom the rules in Reg. 

§1.469-4 apply. It would 

not apply to persons or 

entities who have made 

the election in Reg. 

§1.469-9(g), relating to 

real estate professionals. 

Specifically, the 

proposal would require 

a statement with 

specified information 

as detailed in Notice 

2008-64 to be filed with 

respect to these events: 

New groupings. 

A taxpayer would 

have to file a written 

statement with his 

original return for the 

first tax year in which 

one or more trade or 

business activities or 

rental activities are 

Neast Air ad cmmndr.qxd 8/31/07 11:16 AM Page 1 

• Your full-service shop for all Leading Turbine 

& General Aviation Avionics Manufacturers. 

• RVSM & TAWS INSTALLATION 


Service Center #FTURO30E 

originally grouped as 

a single activity or as 

separate activities. 

Addition of new activities 

to existing groupings. 

Whenever a taxpayer 

adds a new trade or 

business activity or a 

rental activity to an 

existing grouping within 

a tax year, he would 

have to file a written 

statement with his 

original return for the 

tax year in which the 

new trade or business 

activity or rental activity 

is added to the existing 

grouping. 

Disposition of activities 

from existing groupings. 

Whenever a taxpayer 

disposes of a specific 

activity from an existing 

grouping within a tax 

year, he would have to 

file a written statement 

with his original return 

for the tax year in 

which the disposition 

of the specific trade 

or business activity or 

rental activity within 

the existing grouping 

occurs. 

Regroupings. 

Under Reg. § 1.469–4(e) 

(2), if it is determined 

that the taxpayer’s 

original grouping was 

clearly inappropriate or 

a material change in the 

facts and circumstances 

has occurred that makes 

the original grouping 

clearly inappropriate, 

the taxpayer would 

have to regroup the 

activities and file a 

written statement with 

his original return for 

the tax year in which the 

regrouping occurs. 

FAILURE TO REPORT 

In general, if a 

taxpayer failed to 

report, then each trade 

or business activity or 

rental activity would be 

treated as a separate 

activity for purposes 

of applying the passive 

activity loss and credit 

limitation rules. 

EFFECTIVE DATE 

The proposal would 

be effective on the date 

that final guidance is 

published by IRS. 

COMMENT 

Although Notice 2008- 

64 is a mere solicitation 

of comments on 

proposed disclosure 

of grouping activities, 

taxpayers may be well 

served to make the 

disclosure with their 

PH: 207-774-6318 • FX: 207-774-0176 

www.northeastair.com • 1011 Westbrook Street, Portland, ME 04102 • avionics@northeastair.com 

continued on page 14 

Comprehensive Troubleshooting, 

Repair and Installation 

BORDERS 

JOINS TWIN 

MANAGEMENT 

TEAM 

Dennis Borders 

has joined twin 

Commander LLC as 

Materials Manager. 

Borders, who has 

extensive experience and 

education in the field, 

will focus on managing 

vendors who supply 

replacement parts to Twin 


Borders replaces Sharon 

Anderson, who retired 

recently. 

“Sharon did a superb 

job for Twin Commander 

Aircraft, especially in 

our efforts to control 

the price of replacement 

parts,” commented Twin 

Commander Aircraft LLC 

President Jim Matheson. 

“We are sorry to see her 

go, but we are confident 

in Dennis’s ability to 

contribute significantly to 

our mission of providing 

the best possible parts 

and technical support to 

Twin Commander owners 

and operators.” 

Borders has spent 

his career in materials 

procurement and 

management, working for 

a variety of companies 

in Washington state 

including several in the 

aerospace industry. He 

was at B/E Aerospace 

Flight Structures Inc. in 

Marysville, Washington, 

for more than 10 years 

managing a $35 million 

annual materials budget. 

Most recently he was 

manager of materials/ 

procurement at Intermec 

Technologies in Everett, 

overseeing $320 million in 

annual spending. 

He earned a B.S. in 

Business Administration/ 

Accounting at Central 

Washington University, 

and is a certified member 

of the Institute for Supply 

Management. 

For more information, 


Aircraft LLC. 


Twin Commanders Around the World 

continued from page 1 

“They’ve done very well 

for us,” he says. “The 

acquisition price is good, 

there is good support 

for the airplane, and 

when you add up the 

fuel and overhaul costs, 

the Honeywell engines 

are more economical 

to operate than Pratt & 

Whitneys. Even with the 

Dash 5 engines they are 

fast and efficient.” 

FIRE-FIGHTING 

Among the huge army of 

firefighters and equipment 

that mobilize to battle 

wildfires that threaten 

people, homes, and 

businesses in the United 

States and Canada each 

year are dozens of Twin 


The U.S. Department 

of the Interior, which 

oversees firefighting 

resources across the U.S., 

has many piston and 

turboprop Commanders 

under contract for various 

firefighting-related duties. 

Many more are seeing 

similar action in Canada. 

Kern County, California, 

will soon join that list 

when it takes delivery 

this year of a Grand 

Renaissance Commander 

being built by Eagle Creek 

Aviation Services. Kern 

County will assign the 

Grand Renaissance to the 

county’s Fire Department 

for use in fire-fighting 

aerial command and 

control. 

The Commander’s 

high wing, generous 

horsepower, speed range, 

and maneuverability 

make it ideally suited to a 

tactical firefighting role, 

primarily reconnaissance. 

“Our customers like 

them,” says Perry 

Dancause, Operations 

Manager at Air Spray 

in Red Deer, Alberta, 

Canada. “They provide 

good visibility, they’re 

maneuverable, and have 

lots of power in the 

mountains.” 

Although its primary 

mission will be fighting 

fires, Kern County’s Grand 

Renaissance also will be 

available in the off season 

to county officials. The 


passenger cabin will be 

configured for executive 

transportation. 

COUNTY SHERIFF 

Another even larger 

California county to 

the south of Kern 

County has been flying 

a Grand Renaissance 

for eight years in 

support of the county 

sheriff’s department. 

Wayne Pliss, 

chief pilot for the San 

Bernardino County Sheriff 

Department’s aviation 

unit fixed-wing division, 

is as enthusiastic about 

the Grand Renaissance as 

the day it arrived. “I still 

love it,” he says. “It’s my 

favorite airplane.” 

The sheriff’s department 

uses the Aero Air-built 

Grand Renaissance to 

move executives around 

the county—the largest 

in the United 

States—as well as for 

prisoner transport 

and various other 

law enforcement 

missions that call 

for fast, discrete 

movement of people 

and evidence. San 

Bernardino’s Grand 

Renaissance also serves 

as an airborne command 

post for fighting wildfires. 

Pliss also flies the 

department’s King Air, 

a military surplus C-12 

that has been converted 

to civilian King Air 200 

configuration. “If I have 

a choice, I’ll fly the 

Commander any day,” says 

Pliss. Compared to the 

King Air, the Commander 

has more speed, better 

full-fuel payload, lower 

fuel consumption, and 

lower engine overhaul 

costs. “Everything about it 

makes more sense,” Pliss 

says. 

Along with the big 

California counties, 

at least one state 

currently operates a 

Twin Commander in an 

official capacity. The 

Arizona Department of 

Transportation purchased 

a 690B Twin Commander 

nearly 25 years ago, and 

after 15 years of service 

had it transformed into a 

Grand Renaissance Twin 

Commander. Since then 

it has flown thousands of 

hours on missions ranging 

from photography—it is 

fitted with a belly camera 

port—to passenger 

transport. 

Arizona’s diverse 

landscape means the 


operates out of airports 

that run the gamut from 

Phoenix International to 

desert strips, with field 

elevations varying as 

much as 7000 feet, and 

temperatures ranging 

from below freezing to 110degrees-plus. 

Flights last 

15 minutes to just over an 

hour, and pilots can log 

eight legs a day. 

Whether for observation, 

photogrammetry, 

research, air ambulance, 

aerial command and 

control, or government 

or military transport, 

Twin Commanders play 

a crucial role in fulfilling 

the hard-working needs of 

utility operators. 

Jetprop Owners: Look 

For ECU Survey 


Aircraft is working 

on a replacement for the 

troublesome Sunstrand 

environmental control unit 

(ECU) for JetProp models 

(840, 900, 980, 

and 1000), and is 

planning to survey 

owners on the issue. 

The survey, which 

will be distributed 

in September, 

is intended to 

determine how 

many JetProps 

are equipped with a 

Sunstrand ECU, and 

how many have been 

upgraded to an Enviro 

Systems installation. 

Twin Commander also is 

interested in finding out 

how many Sunstrandequipped 

JetProps have a 

separate air conditioning 

system, either factory 

installed or aftermarket. 

Enviro Systems has been 

working on improving 

its ECU by making it 

more reliable, and using 

a new temperature 

controller that does a 

better job of maintaining 

cabin temperature at 

the selected value. The 

improvements would be 

made available to JetProp 

owners with Enviro units, 

and the entire Enviro 

Systems ECU would 

be offered to JetProp 

owners with Sunstrand 

units. Those Sunstrandequipped 

airplanes with 

air-conditioning would 

not have to replace their 

AC units.

Control 

Column 


you to logically carry out 

the procedure with the 

confidence that it will 

accomplish what it was 

meant to accomplish. 

The questioning method 

also alerts you to other 

situations that may exist. 

Do not limit procedures 

and checklists to 

equipment operation. 

They exist for all phases 

of flight including 

preparations for arrival, 

instrument approaches, 

missed approaches, and 

post-flight reflection of 

events. Remember that the 

majority of accidents and 

incidents are not caused 

by equipment failures, but 

by human factors. 

Application of your 

knowledge and skill is 

reflected in your habit 

patterns. Training and 

evaluation not only 

increase your knowledge 

and skill level, they also 

allow you to modify and 

create habit patterns to 

take advantage of that 

knowledge. You may have 

a wealth of knowledge and 

be familiar with all the 

procedures, but if you fail 

to consistently apply them 

you are degrading your 

ability to perform. 

A regular program of 

training and evaluation 

designed to develop 

an increased working 

knowledge of your 

aircraft, and use of 

the proper procedures 

embedded in good habit 

patterns, should result in 

the prompt recognition 

of unusual situations. 

Prompt recognition leads 

to prompt action, which 

minimizes any ill effects. 

A controlled situation 

is a non-event. An 

uncontrolled situation can 

lead to a life-threatening 

event. Prepare for the 

unexpected. If it ever 

comes, you’ll be able to 

tell stories about it back at 

the coffee shop. 

FlightSafey International 

conducts Twin Commander 

pilot initial and recurrent 

training at its Houston, 

Texas, Learning Center. 

Engine Wizard: 

Aymert Villamil 


experience with the 

Commander has made 

him an unqualified 

fan. “It’s the short-field 

performance, the safety 

record, the panoramic 

window,” he says. “The 

high wing is a great 

selling point. You can sit 

back there in the cabin 

and see your house 

go by.” 

In Aymert’s view, the 

Dash 10T engine has 

made a great airplane 

even better. “The turbine 

section is the beauty 

of it,” he says. “We can 

run cooler temperatures 

compared to the Dash 

5, so we can get more 

power. It’s fun to play 

with air 

traffic 

control 

when 

you’re 

flying with 

Dash 10Ts. 

You’re 

climbing 

so fast that 

ATC radar 

can’t keep 

up. They 

call and say they’ve lost 

your Mode C. So you 

push the nose down a 

little to reduce the climb 

rate, then ask if they are 

getting it now. When 

they say yea, you just 

pull back a little on the 

yoke and tell them they’re 

about to lose it again.” 

Some 20 years after he 

retired as a pilot, Guido 

Villamil was visiting his 

son in Indianapolis, and 

had an opportunity to fly 

a Dash 10T-powered 690A 

Twin Commander. He 

turned down the left seat, 

but did go along for a 

ride. Later, Hagans asked 

him what he thought. 

His answer, according to 

Aymert: “It’s simple. It’s 

two 690As, one strapped 

on each wing.” 

Aymert says he must 

give “credit and kudos” 

to two people who, 

years ago, took a freshly 

minted Spartan School 

of Aeronautics mechanic 

and taught him about 

engines. Those two are 

Kenny Morgan, who 

managed the engine 

shop at what used to be 

Rockwell Aviation Services 

in Dallas, where Aymert 

landed his first job, and 

Gary Riggs, who also 

worked at Rockwell. Riggs 

now owns and operates 

Mid-Continent Airmotive, 

Inc., at C.E. Page Airport 

in Yukon, Oklahoma, west 

of Oklahoma City. “I still 

stay in touch with them” 

Aymert says. “I am what I 

am today thanks 

to them.” 

Over 250 years combined experience… 

Full service is our Legacy. 

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Price Reduction For 

Parts Kits 


Aircraft has adjusted 

the prices on several 

parts kits, in one case 

because of successful 

efforts to secure new 

vendors for the affected 

parts. 

The prices for three 

separate shoulder 

harness installation kits 

for the 500S, 685, 690, 

and 690A/B were cut 

after Twin Commander 

found more reasonably 

priced vendors to 

fabricate the parts that 

make up the kits. The 

price of kits already in 

inventory was dropped 

to match the price of the 

newly fabricated kits. 

The kits are CK129-1C, 

-2C, and -3C, priced at 

$2,169.00, $2,169.00, and 

$2,174.00 respectively. 

Each kit includes an 

inertial reel and shoulder 

harness. The differences 

in the kits have to do 

For personal or corporate aircraft, 

Legacy Aviation provides: 

with different brands of 

crew seats. 

Twin Commander also 

has lowered the price of 

the pressure regulator 

for the bleed-air driven 

gyros (part number 

3H64-6). The old list 

price was $5,664.57; the 

new list price is $3,995.00 

“We’ve been working 

aggressively for three 

years to reduce or 

hold the line on parts 

pricing,” explains Twin 

Commander Aircraft 

President Jim Matheson, 

“and we are pleased 

to be able to add the 

shoulder harness kits 

and pressure regulator 

to the growing list of 

parts affected by this 

effort.” 


contact Twin 

Commander Aircraft or 

your authorized Twin 


service center. 

Parts: Extensive selection 

Maintenance: From basic repair to full modification 

Avionics: Full capabilities on installation packages 

Interior: Highest quality refurbishments 

Paint: Exterior, logos, custom designs 

Modifications: Excel in special missions 

Aircraft Sales: Just ask us 

CE Page Airport (F29) 

1701A N Cimarron Road 

Yukon, OK 73099 

Phone: (405) 350-2100 

Fax: (405) 350-7600 

www.legacy-aviation.com 

Repair Station L50R364Y 


New Upgrades Underway 

for Twin Commanders 

continued from page1 

the recessed, covered 

ports used in the nose 

recognition light kit, and 

will serve as both landing 

lights and recognition 

lights. One light will be 

aimed straight ahead 

and the other slightly 

downward for maximum 

visibility of the runway 

at night, and maximum 

conspicuity of the Twin 

Commander to 

other aircraft. 

Installation of the HID 

lights, and removal of 

the standard landing 

lights, will remove the 

airspeed limitation for 

extension of the standard 

lights. Extending the 

wing-mounted lights 

at too high an airspeed 

is a major cause of 

maintenance problems in 

the system. 

The HID lights will be 

at least as bright as the 

standard landing lights, 

but the 2,000-hour lamps 

will provide longer life. 

The HID light kit should 

be available to operators 

this fall. 

HYDRAULIC SYSTEM 

Another major project 

in the works at Twin 

Commander is updating 

the hydraulic system 

with new components, 

and the first step in that 

effort is designing a new 

priority valve for the 

landing gear doors. The 

data package for the new 

priority valve is nearly 

complete, and the first 

new parts could be ready 

by the end of the year. 

Follow-on efforts 

will focus on hydraulic 

valves, the hydraulic 

accumulator and 

regulator, and the 

engine-driven 

hydraulic pump 


also is working on 

replacement parts 

for the trim position 


indicator, and the 

oxygen regulator 

pressure gauge. The 

issue with the trim 

position indicator is a 

scarcity of replacement 

parts for the mechanism 

that monitors the pitch 

trim tab and sends a 

signal to the position 

indicator in the cockpit. 


is developing a kit 

that will allow service 

centers to replace the 

worn components in 

the mechanism in place 

rather than removing 

the entire transmitter. 

The oxygen system 

pressure gauge, 

which is calibrated 

in cabin altitude, 

measures oxygen flow. 

Replacement gauges 

have not been available, 

and Twin Commander 

is working with a vendor 

to produce the part. 

Stay tuned for more 

information on these 

and other upgrades 

in the works at Twin 


YOUNGSTOWN-WARREN 

REGIONAL AIRPORT (YNG) 

F.A.A. Repair Station #W6NR985J 

800.837.4964 Ext. 625 

maintenance@winner-aviation.com 

www.winner-aviation.com 


University Scheduled 

Mark your calendars— 

the 2009 Twin 

Commander University 

(TCU), is scheduled to 

take place May 6-9, 2009 

at The Westin Kierland 

Resort and Spa in 

Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Scottsdale has proven 

to be the favorite 

venue for the biennial 

University. The 2007 TCU 

held at the Radisson Fort 

McDowell Resort was a 

great success, with more 

than 200 attending. 

That marked the highest 

turnout of owners in the 

history of the event. 

The site for the 2009 

University, The Westin 

Kierland Resort and Spa, 

is a AAA Diamond-level 

desert retreat featuring 

the Agave Spa with 21 

treatment rooms, the 27hole 

Kierland Golf Club, 

fine dining, and a full 

menu of resort amenities. 

We Install & Service All major brands of avionics. 

AUTHORIZED 

Factory 

Service Center 

FOR 

The University will 

feature a variety of social 

events as well as a full 

schedule of informative 

seminars covering 

all aspects of owning 

and operating a 

Twin Commander. 

Details about the 

University and seminar 

program will be 

published, mailed, posted 

on the Twin Commander 

web site (www. 

twincommander.com). 

In the meantime, make 

plans now to attend the 

2009 Twin Commander 

University. 

Business 

Flying 

TWIN COMMANDER 


next tax return to 

provide evidence of 

their grouping intent. 

The regulations specify 

that the taxpayer’s 

election will normally 

be respected, and rarely 

will an aircraft owner 

find a grouping election 

detrimental to their tax 

positioning. For further 

discussion of grouping 

your trades or business, 

see “Electing to Group 

Your Aircraft with Your 

Operating Business 

May Yield Income 

Tax Savings” at www. 

advocatetax.com. 

Advocate Consulting Legal 

Group, PLLC is a law firm 

whose practice is limited to 

serving the needs of aircraft 

owners and operators relating 

to issues of income tax, 

sales tax, federal aviation 

regulations, and other related 

organizational and operational 

issues. IRS Circular 230 

Disclosure. New IRS rules 

impose requirements concerning 

any written federal tax advice 

from attorneys. To ensure 

compliance with those rules, we 

inform you that any U.S. federal 

tax advice contained in this 

communication (including any 

attachments) is not intended or 

written to be used, and cannot 

be used, for the purpose of (i) 

avoiding penalties under federal 

tax laws, specifically including 

the Internal Revenue Code, 

or (ii) promoting, marketing 

or recommending to another 

party any transaction or matter 

addressed herein.

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