I was around one many years ago, but never operated one. I've never heard anyone say anything negatives about them. I think Pilots like their flying qualities. They are a little slower than most twin cessnas (more like a Navajo)but not enough to make much of a difference on a 300 mile leg.

However as far as your mission and airplane don't rule out Navajos or the 400 series cessnas. You won't have any complaints from passengers riding in either and especially in a Colemil Panther Navajo.

I really like the smoothness of Continental Engines in twin cessnas but the Lycomings are more bulletproof when you're operating them for commercial purposes and especially if multiple pilots will be operating them.

Don't let eye candy (Shrike) lead to a emotional rather than a practical decision.

I would add that if you may have to deal with thunderstorms having a pressurized FIKI airplane may give you more options and outs with bad weather. But of the list you provided I went with #2, assuming that the plane has been flown a lot lately. Not sure about the year but 1,600 hours for an older plane is not a lot of hours. If it hasn't flown a lot I would check the engines for corrosion.

Here’s the forum to answer all of your questions about the Twin Commander...

http://www.twincommandergroup.com/

Very helpful knowledgeable owners over there.

Hola, Capitán Rotunno: Mensaje privado enviado.

TN

I had a 500B for 15 years. One suggestion would be to widen your search to include the 500B/U which don't have the spar inspection. Otherwise they are basically the same airplane except for some cosmetic issues. Try to buy the best maintained version that you can. These are old airplanes that do not tolerate neglect and sitting around. Avoid airplanes that have not flown much in the last several years. If you want to guarantee that you receive an airplane in good working order, maybe hire someone like Bruce Byerly to find, inspect, and fix one for you. That way you have a known quantity when you show up to pick it up. Also you'll have a resource in the states to help you maintain it which is important.

The Shrike Commander is hands down my favorite piston twin, it is the coolest airplane of it's era! There was a lengthy thread a while back viewtopic.php?f=49&t=81960

I agree, don't overlook the 500B... the Shrike does look better and has more of a cult following, but the 500B is basically the same airplane.

From the three above I'd want the 7000 hr airplane, low time airplanes scare me.

welcome Franco,

Wish I knew more about the 500 for you. As you probably know, most aircraft in this class really can’t haul as many adults as they have seats, so taking seven in a 500 might be too much.

Would love to hear what you can share about flying in venezuela.

Don't overlook an Aztec. A stout heavy hauler. Clearly not the sex appeal of a Shrike, but a reliable and capable workhorse.

Franco - it was great to meet and fly with you and Maria today! I hope you enjoyed flying the plane.

Whatever you decide to do , you should buy something for which you have a passion. It shouldn’t be a spreadsheet exercise though you have to start somewhere. The trouble is, internet specs and spreadsheets don’t tell you much about old planes. They don’t tell you that the last 10 years have been pencil whipped annuals or if anything works like it should or if the engines are rusty and likely to show problems in the future, etc.

I like the Shrike - the planes are easy to get in and out of. They have decent performance with unmatched stability. A quality feel, lots of room. They have about the best piston engines ever made. They are comfortable with easy to use systems that are somewhat luxurious compared to some comparable planes. They are cool because not everyone has one. A bit like a Tbone. A cool classic Yet they are still very practical.


Since I decided to spend my kids' tuition on plane for them, the 500’s I’ve owned have given me outstanding reliability. Of course, I’d like more speed and longer range and pressurization and, for that matter, burning JetA would be a plus too. And I could fit a Baron in a hangar that cost less – a lot less. On 900 miles, I could save an hour in the right Aerostar. But 4 turbos and the smaller cabin keep mean it's just a different set of compromises, like all planes. And Mark M, I’ll forgive you for suggesting the Aztec, but I’ll admit I enjoyed flying the one I ended up with last year. It was fun too even though it was about 1/100 as nice as yours. Now that I have a kid who decided to enroll herself in a NH boarding school , I could use a 1,250 mile range! Or maybe just the cash? A Mirage might work but I think I carry too much stuff for any piston single to work. It never ends!

But I do get a kick out of flying the Commander because it’s a nice flying plane, it’s mine, and I have a passion for it which makes the work side of the operation more like fun.