When Bruce Byerly of Byerly Aviation was looking for the perfect airframe for a good friend, he turned south. Byerly found the airplane in Guatemala, and after a year of refurbishment and upgrade, the 900 is ready to be delivered to some happy customers.
The process of finding the right airplane isn’t an easy one. Every buyer is different, and it’s up to brokers such as Byerly to try and match the right airframe to the right buyer. For the project to be successful the deal must work out both financially and mechanically.
Byerly’s friend had owned six or eight aircraft, half of which were Twin Commanders. There was a 690B and an 840, but Byerly said the customer, “Really wanted to have the king of the fleet.” His requirement was to have as new of an airplane as possible. With a limited amount of choices on the market, they knew they would be undertaking a refurbishment. That widened the options, and Byerly’s knowledge of the available airplanes brought him to a US-registered airplane in Central America. But just because it was based internationally doesn’t mean Byerly didn’t already know the airplane. In fact, Byerly Aviation had owned the airframe in the early 1990s, and from there it took a tour of the Americas through Canada, Louisiana, California, Panama, and Guatemala. “If you have a knowledgeable source you can combine what the client wants with their budget,” Byerly said. “We weed out the airplanes we know won’t meet our standard before we get to the deal stage.”
Because the client knew he wanted dual Garmin G600TXi displays, he knew he wasn’t going to find a ready candidate. Accepting that, it comes down to finding the right airframe. This one was on an engine program, had a good autopilot and environmental system, was one of the last built and, as an added bonus, had a cargo door. Byerly estimates it’s one of only two such examples in the United States.
With any airframe there could be surprises when the job starts. With one maintained outside the Twin Commander Authorized Service Center Network or to a foreign certification standard, the surprises can quickly mount. Byerly played it safe, and after a test flight in Guatemala, flew the airplane to the company’s base in Peoria, Illinois, for a full inspection. Only after an acceptable inspection did the deal officially go through.
The full panel upgrade included the dual Garmin touchscreen displays, dual GTN750 touchscreen navigators, new paint and interior, a few environmental modifications, and all the necessary inspections. There were only minor mechanical setbacks through the job. Because an air ambulance operator in Canada had operated off unimproved runways, a gravel kit had been installed. The shop removed that almost immediately and found moderate damage, which required a fair mount of metal work to repair.
Doing a complete refurbishment of an airplane is a rewarding experience for a Twin Commander Authorized Service Center and an exciting, if not sometimes stressful endeavor for the owner, but it does take time. Unfortunately, the owner never got to see the finished product. He passed away before work was complete. Byerly consulted with the family, who decided to keep the airplane and fly it. The shop pushed ahead, and was able to create an aircraft that the service center, broker, and family can be proud of.
