Commander Owners Come In Many Forms
By Matt Isley
President,
Twin Commander Aircraft
It has been my distinct pleasure over the last two years to get to know some of the finest people in the world of general aviation�the folks who own, fly, and maintain Twin Commanders. It is amazing to witness the passion that Commander owners have for their aircraft, and the dedication exhibited by the people who service them.
Just a couple of weeks ago, several of us here at Twin Commander Aircraft had the opportunity to meet and spend time with the Twin Commander Flight Group at their 10th annual fly-in. This year�s outing was hosted by Aero Air in Hillsboro, Oregon, and led by Jim Metzger and his lovely wife, Sue. It was a fun-filled weekend, with some interesting discussions regarding fuel issues (see �Commander Tips�) and maintenance-related items.
The Flight Group fly-in attendees were a diverse, international group, with a fairly large contingent from Australia and the U.K. We also got to spend time with people whose names we were familiar with but had not met before. One of the most enjoyable things about spending time with members of the Commander community is that it is a re-invigorating experience. I always come away with a renewed sense of purpose and focus.
If I�ve become immersed in the day-to-day details of inventories, personnel, and cash flow�all of the management issues involved in operating a business� a visit with Commander owners provides a therapeutic, welcome wake-up call that the job is really all about supporting the people who fly our product.
You will find this same enthusiasm in our factory-authorized Service Center network, our employees here at Twin Commander Aircraft, and our vendor partners who work hard to deliver the products and support services that you and your aircraft deserve. It takes dedication and commitment from everyone involved to deliver the level of support that Commander owners have come to expect, and I�m proud to say that I believe the entire Commander support structure rises to that level.
Our visit to the Flight Group fly-in was a reminder that Commander owners come in many forms, ranging from those who appreciate the history inherent in early-vintage piston-Twin Commanders, to top executives and company owners who fly their turboprop Twin Commanders, either by themselves or with a professional pilot at the controls, on strictly business missions.
It is the latter group, the business owner/pilots, we will recognize at the upcoming National Business Aviation Association Annual Meeting & Convention in Atlanta. Twin Commanders are much like the entrepreneurial leaders who use airplanes to grow their businesses and live their dreams�big on performance, Scrooge-like on expenses, rugged, and reliable.
These days it is all about productivity in business, and that goes for business tools as well. Safe, reliable, comfortable, efficient, high-performance transportation, all for a relatively low total cost of ownership. That�s a productive package, one that has attracted smart minds to Commanders for decades.
We�ll be at booth 2519 at this year�s NBAA event in Atlanta. All you smart people flying Commanders, drop by and see us.
Discuss this article in the forums...
