Thanks for the update, glad to hear the plane is in good hands. I stumbled on a youtube video back in 2006 where a commander is used extensively during snow etc… can’t find it anymore but I was impressed and a sweet spot for commanders stuck with me! 
Snoopy – you might have been seeing video of one of Central Air’s 500B’s they use in the midwest for cargo and stuff. Those things fly in every kind of weather and they even developed their own TKS de-icing STC for the 500B.
AdamFrisch wrote:
Had aimed for 16000ft, but pressurization diff was even lower than last time we flew (maybe the door seal had dried up?), so had to drop down to 12000ft. Here she burns 74gal/hr, rather than 64gal/hr, so this put a dent in my range. But was stopping halfway anyway, so didn’t really make a difference.
No oxygen on board ?
Me thinks that the busier shops are probably weeding out the “ratty” planes and their “cost sensitive” owners… just say’n …
Thanks Michael. It’s always nice to get a small insult served with your effort to fish for a regulatory infringement.
AdamFrisch wrote:
Thanks Michael. It’s always nice to get a small insult served with your effort to fish for a regulatory infringement.
Adam – Seriously, I was NOT thinking about the potential reg violation, just the utility of having even a portable Oxy cylinder on-board to use at altitude.
And sorry if you took the “ratty” & “cost sensitive” as an insult, that was not the intention, just pointing out the obvious: The “big” shops near big cities are swamped, can you really blame them for using Night Club triage tactics at the door ?
A nice TBM 700 privately owned on a manufacturer maintenance programme might be found for less than $1MM, and I think the cockpit/cabin is reasonably comfortable, and the ACS (aircraft cabin system) is much better – hopefully your investment in your nice TC is well under that figure.
I would venture that the safety record of the SET TBM700, while not as impressive as the PC12, may be better than a 60/70’s vintage twin turboprop.
It is also a reliable second hand value, so selling risk is low.
Wasn’t one of the benefits of the commanders that they’re good on grass / dirt and short strips, also high wing. A TBM seems like a very different prospect.
The Aero Commander series are not that blessed by ground clearance for the belly so not your typical off airport bush plane. In addition to the risk of the nose wheel sending FOD into the belly.
Off_Field wrote:
Wasn’t one of the benefits of the commanders that they’re good on grass / dirt and short strips, also high wing. A TBM seems like a very different prospect.
TBMs are routinely operated off grass strips.
Michael wrote:
TBMs are routinely operated off grass strips.
The only chap I know with a TBM operates a tarmac only policy, I had assumed there was prop clearance issues or low wing issues.
