Page 5 - April 2017 Twin & Turbine

Airmail
Kudos to Kevin Ware’s “A Hole in the Ice”
Just wanted to send a quick note to say how much I enjoyed Kevin’s article (February 2017), and appreciated the discussion of the analysis that went into the go decision, and to how he f lew the descent and approach.
I fly a Baron in the Great Lakes area, so while I can’t completely appreciate all that goes into this decision making, but there are certainly parallels. Baron 8TH has boots, a hot window plate, hot props, pitot, etc., so it’s pretty capable. But I can’t get over stuff at FL430, so the on-the-ground analysis of my options is awfully important, and the quick descent strategy has worked for me as well. •
Thanks for a terrific article. Mike Lepore
Riverwoods,Illinois T&T
I’ve been a Twin & Turbine reader since the dawn and read the latest On Final by David Miller (March 2017) with interest. A friend and I owned Twin Commander 1000 N79PH for 12 years. We got jet fever and moved to an Embraer Phenom 100 N43EP for the last seven years. The Phenom
has been a great airplane, but the Commander remains a favorite.
There is a dramatic difference between the Commander 840 and 1000. The latter were the last 100-plus planes built and offer FL350 ceiling, 300 knots cruise speed, and 1,800 nm range. With something like 20 North Atlantic crossings in this plane, the long range was a marvelous asset. For instance, my wife and I flew non-stop from Rotterdam, The Netherlands to Crete, Greece.
The other issue is the Commander, like any turboprop, has none of the contaminated runway issues of a jet. During a New England winter we are locked out of many airports with the Phenom, that would be open to a Commander especially with reverse prop thrust.
Commander is
a Pilot’s Airplane
The Commander 1000 does not have the big picture windows in back, and new thick windows and better soundproofing make it a very comfortable aircraft. Flown solo with a light fuel load the plane has the same gross weight and horsepower as a P-51 Mustang. The initial climb rate is phenomenal. •
Finally, I heard long ago, “The Commander is a pilot’s airplane; the King Air is a passenger’s airplane.”
John Wood
Concord, Massachusetts T&T
April 2017 TWIN & TURBINE • 3