Hello everyone my name is Franco Rotunno a Venezuelan pilot so sorry for my English.

Finally I am in the last curve to own an airplane, a company where my father is parts of it needs an airplane so they gave me the responsibility to choose and buy one. Based on the trips 300 miles, no mountains, between 1 to 5 people, I choose twin engine non turbo, non pressurized. I made a list with Cessna 310, piper Seneca, bc barón 58. (I don’t like big pistons as 402 or Navajos so bad reputation about one engine flight). While comparing those airplane the owner of the 310 I was looking at told me about the AC 500s I started my investigation since then I felt in love with. It’s out the shape as anything flying around. Can carry 7 people what is the perfect number for us, easy entry, so great for big people, and very roomie inside, a good reputation in bad runway, in less words the perfect plane.

But we know anything is always perfect some issue I have been reading it’s around my head in nights. The spar AD, I have been reading all the articles and everything that shows up related in google. That’s make me scary and make thing about what I will be when my family goes for a fly in. All coments from 500s owners are great and all of them says that the spar is nothing to worry about it, never a 500s have fallen for a spar problem, just check every 36 months and that’s it. Other comments are like never get in a 500S the wing will fall apart while flying. I’m writing to know your opinion about this AD.

In my country the engines have to be overhauled at TBO or 12 years old( weird laws) fuel is cheap, well is free and I’m not kidding about it. With 1$ you can buy like 50.000 gallons something like that. Not as cool as you thing.

Well as far I have 3 airplane on my list

1) 7000 total time, engines 0 time, interior have to be refurbished as week as avionics asking price 200.000$

2) 1600 total time, 381 hours on engines, everything perfect, great avionics, auto pilot, great interior, great paint. 220.000$

3) 4300 total time. 900 hours on engines, incredible good, winglets, outstanding avionics, a/c, oil filter recolocation, 1/2 inch stick windows, and more important for me, the spar caps were replaced so no more ad. Asking price 275.000$

1 and 2 can be imported to venezuela with no problem. 3 have to get the engines overhauled, for me I get the 3 but is a little out of price because the price of new engine, which price for what I have read is around 25 to 40 k$.

Please help me to decide, any advice will be well received.

Pd: people here talk about twin bonanza and queen air being better than 500s but are not to many of them for sale, and what it is in the market are really cheap. Any reasons why?

Really cheap Twin Bonanzas generally need 150k+ worth of work to get them into shape... engines alone are 80k to overhaul. The premium ones are prized and don't come up all that often, but there are some. Case Ketting has a great one in the for sale section, and there is also a really nice D50E for sale with near TBO engines but priced right. A really nice queen air just sold as well. I really like the AC500 but I don't think I'd want to put 7 in one. 200k should get you a really nice AC500, TwinBonanza or QueenAir. Good luck with your search!

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.

In a land of cheap fuel and oil, I would want radial engines!

Looking forward to reading what folks say about the 500 series. I think they are cool, too.

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.

5 people would rule out a Seneca. 310R seems viable.

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.

Really cheap Twin Bonanzas generally need 150k+ worth of work to get them into shape... engines alone are 80k to overhaul. The premium ones are prized and don't come up all that often, but there are some. Case Ketting has a great one in the for sale section, and there is also a really nice D50E for sale with near TBO engines but priced right. A really nice queen air just sold as well. I really like the AC500 but I don't think I'd want to put 7 in one. 200k should get you a really nice AC500, TwinBonanza or QueenAir. Good luck with your search!

how i say before wont be 7 men adults. well flying in venezuela is very different than fly in the states. I live in the flatlands and i can get to the beaches, the snow montains, or the jungle in no more than 2 hours flying in the ac50. Short distances and cheap fuel so I care more about reliability and being strong is rought fields.