A Commander Owner Makes His Way to Cannes Bob Hoover and Arnold Palmer Remembered
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
FALL 2016 VOLUME 21 NO. 1 FLIGHTLEVELSONLINE.COM MAGAZINE For owners and operators of Twin Commander Aircraft Bob Hoover and Arnold Palmer Remembered The aviation world, and the best-known owner-pilot, each performances flown in his virtually Twin Commander community, had a special relationship with stock Shrike Commander. have lost two of their brightest Twin Commanders. Palmer stars. Robert A. “Bob” Hoover, flew two different models of A PILOT WHO GOLFED who Jimmy Doolittle called the Aero Commanders early in his Arnold Palmer, who once said best stick-and-rudder pilot who career as a professional golfer, he probably would have been airport in Latrobe, Pennsylvania, ever lived, as the best stick-and- and Hoover, of course, thrilled a professional pilot if he hadn’t and liked to spend time there rudder pilot ever, and Arnold airshow audiences for years succeeded so spectacularly in golf, listening to the stories spun by Palmer, perhaps the world’s with his precision aerobatic grew up about a mile from the Continued on page 14 > Soon after acquiring his 690A A Commander Owner Makes Twin Commander at the beginning of 2016, Patrick Kenney began His Way to Cannes planning an ambitious trip for any pilot—a trans-Atlantic flight By Patrick Kenney to Europe. He plans to base the airplane at Oxford, England, but the immediate destination was the Côte d’Azur. Here is his account of the journey. Recently, I flew my still new(ish)—to me—Turbo Commander 690A from Southern California across the Atlantic to the South of France. As required by my insurance, my spouse, and common sense, I had in the right seat Tom Lopes, an experienced professional ferry pilot who also happens to be an IA/A&P and owner/operator of a Patrick Kenney, left, and Tom Lopes ready to fly to Cannes, France. couple of Turbo Commanders. Continued on page 12 > From The Factory l 3 Flying the Engine l 4 Service Center Profile l 5 Carmin Tips & Tricks l 6 Radar Basics l 7 A Genius Remembered Recognizing Engine Failure Executive Aircraft Maintenance ADS-B: What’s In Your Aircraft? What’s Back of Black? www.flightlevelsonline.com l 1 CALL NOW ABOUT OUR NEW “EXPRESS RECURRENT” DESIGNED BY PILOTS FOR PILOTS TAILORED TO YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS Exclusive Factory Approved Simulator Training Provider SimCom is proud to be the Exclusive Authorized simulator training provider for the Turbo Twin Commander Fleet. Nothing sharpens your flying skills and prepares you for the unexpected like simulator training. Visit www.simulator.com to see a video describing why SIMCOM’s instructors, VALUE. PERSONALIZED. FRIENDLY. simulators and training locations will make your training experience special. RE XP SS E ...Nothing Prepares You Like Simulator Training. CALL NOW R 866.692.1994 E T C N Visit SIMCOM’s website at simulator.com URRE © 2015 SIMCOM Training Centers. All rights reserved. www.flightlevelsonline.com l 2 FROM THE FACTORY Bob Hoover’s Shrike Commander is on permanent display at the Smithsonian’s Stephen R. Udhazy Center at Dulles International Airport in Washington, D.C. A Genius Remembered By Matt Isley, President, Twin Commander Aircraft And it’s still happening. That’s a to make sure we can devote the remarkable testament to Hoover’s time needed to plan and stage Geniuses come in all sizes and airplane was, of course, his green- impeccable reputation, and the kind of University experience shapes, but appearances mean and-white Shrike Commander. the spotlight his performances you’ve come to expect. nothing when you do what you Millions of people saw how the shined on the airplane he flew. do at a level that very few people stock Commander could safely So, please adjust your calendar can hope to achieve. With Bob be flown right-side up and upside We’ve always had the greatest for a spring 2018 University. Hoover, we got both genius-level down through low, tight loops respect and admiration for what We’ll be talking more about it in performance and an engaging and 16-point rolls with both Bob Hoover accomplished as a future issues of Flight Levels. appearance. As a young military engines running, one engine military and civilian pilot, and as an pilot Bob Hoover looked the running, and neither engine ambassador for the Commander typical, confident fighter pilot, running. When Hoover made his brand. He is gone now, and our although an unusually tall one dead-stick landing, engines silent respect and admiration is even who wore an aw-shucks kinda and propellers feathered, he did stronger. He will be missed. smile. We in general aviation so with just enough energy to got to know Bob Hoover as the slow, exit the runway, and roll to TWIN COMMANDER lanky, 6-foot 2-inch Southern a stop at the foot of the crowd UNIVERSITY gentleman who wore a straw hat, at air show center. Every time. We’ve been asking you in and who could fly an airplane a series of polls where the next like no one we had ever seen. Those performances cemented FLIGHT LEVELS MAGAZINE Bob Hoover’s reputation as the Twin Commander University Over the years, millions of greatest pilot of our time—a should be held. The results For Twin Commander air show spectators watched in genius—and the Commander as pointed to one of several Texas Owners and Operators. Published quarterly with a open-mouthed awe as Hoover an airplane worthy of the genius cities as the favored venue. circulation of 3,600. climbed into a standard twin- pilot’s attention, skill, and respect. For a variety of reasons, we’ve © 2016 All rights reserved. engine business airplane, took North American Rockwell’s had to make the decision to delay off, and flew a low-level aerobatic PUBLISHER decision to assign Hoover the job the University, to spring 2018. A routine that surpassed in both Twin Commander Aircraft LLC of promoting the Commander rebounding economy means that precision and spectacle the 1176 Telecom Drive more companies, associations, and athletic gyrations of a purpose- brand by flying one at air shows Creedmoor, NC 27522 groups are having conferences. built aerobatic airplane flown by was a stroke of marketing genius. P: 919.956.4300 That has made it difficult to find F: 919.682.3786 a professional air show pilot. There’s no telling how many pilots bought Commanders because an appropriate venue that can That twin-engine business they saw Hoover perform in one. accommodate the University PRESIDENT in our preferred time frame. Matt Isley EDITOR / EDITORIAL OFFICE Also, we’ve been very busy Mark Twombly, 1615 Serenity Ln. at Twin Commander Aircraft with Sanibel, FL 33957 various projects, and we want P: 239.565.9151 [email protected] PRODUCTION /ADVERTISING OFFICE Matheson Media Corp. 1024 1st Street #204, Snohomish, WA 98290 P: 360.862.8040 [email protected] or [email protected] www.flightlevelsonline.com l 3 FLYING THE ENGINE Recognizing, Managing, and Avoiding Engine Failure By Rob Erlick Although we’re going to mismanagement, or anything that engine instruments, you’ll notice discuss engine failure, it is can restrict the flow of fuel or air. the failure almost immediately. encouraging to note that with more Also, you’ll likely get an auto than 13,000 engines delivered The second type of engine ignition light. But the absolute failure is engine fire or severe and more than 125 million hours most definitive indication of an the takeoff using appropriate damage. An engine fire involves of flight time, the TPE331 is one engine failure is the RPM indicator, reference torque, be vigilant of component failures, which of the most reliable and proven since it provides information engine instrument indications, increases the urgency to act. turboprop engines in the world. directly relating to the rotation of and maintain proper handling With an engine fire or any other Designed in 1959 and certified the engine components, without technique. Fly safely and strive condition involving component in 1965, the TPE331 was the first which there can be no thrust. to always understand the current failures, there can be no engine Honeywell turboprop engine. condition of your engines. It was developed for multiple restart considerations. However, the single most important action before identifying Please remember that applications within military, Examples of causes of the problem should be in the these tips are intended to be regional airline, agricultural and severe damage are bearing front of every pilot’s mind: supplemental to the published general aviation aircraft. Recent failures, turbine wheel or blade aircraft control. Maintaining operating procedures. For a data shows that over the last failure, propeller shaft coupling control and simply flying the complete study on aircraft planning 12-month period examined failure, or the failure of any other airplane is the single biggest and operations for takeoff, please (2015-2016), there were only 8 internal rotating component. inflight shutdowns (IFSD) reported priority ANYTIME there is any refer to the procedures and from more than 1.3 million The second most important problem with the airplane’s flight recommendations published in total engine hours operated action involving an engine failure characteristics, especially and more the FAA/CAA-approved Airplane for that same time period. is recognizing the problem. specifically with engine failures. Flight Manual (AFM) and POM for the appropriate make and Managing an engine failure is There are two types of engine The first noticeable sign of an model Twin Commander. As one thing; avoiding one is another. failure, which we define as an engine failure probably will be a always, pilots can make the Calculating and complying with incident that will result in no sudden yaw.