It’s widely accepted that airplane owners trade their rides every three to five years. There are some who hold out for a decade, and a few more who might have the nostalgia to hang on to their airplane for even a generation. Having an airplane in the family for nearly 60 years? That’s practically unheard of. Ricardo Otaola’s 1962 680F, now with its second-generation owner, is the best kind of heirloom.
Otaola’s father Juan owned a construction company in Venezuela that created large public works projects, and airplanes were a great way to commute to the company’s construction sites around the mountainous country. He flew Twin Commanders from the beginning, upgrading from earlier 680S to the 680F in 1962. It was delivered new from the factory in Oklahoma City to Venezuela, and in addition to the unusual pedigree the airplane has a number of unusual features from the factory. It was ordered with a front door, one of only a few that Otaola thinks was installed at the factory as most were retrofitted by Downtown Airpark. It also came with extended fuel of 270 gallons. Unfeathering pumps also were installed on the engines, which was particularly unusual. Ricardo said it even caught Bob Hoover’s eye when he would fly to Venezuela to do shows and demos.
The family was airplane crazy. Seeing what great Commander customers they were the factory asked them to start a dealership in Venezuela and Representaciones Otaly was born. According to Ricardo they outsold many dealers around the world in the 1970s and 1980s. Aero Centro, the longtime Venezuelan dealer and current Twin Commander Factory Authorized Service Center, succeeded the Otaola family business.
For many years Otaola’s father flew the family around in the 680F, and practically everyone caught the bug. “I started flying before I was born,” Ricardo said. He even earned his initial pilot certificate in the airplane. Today his brother owns a 690D with Dash-10 engines, and he has flown and owned a variety of other Twin Commanders over the years, including the Gulfstream 100, a derivative of a jet-powered Commander.
Over the years the family upgraded the 680F, including adding on a Miller nose and radar, and a number of panel changes. It now sports an Aspen Avionics primary flight display, Garmin GNS 650 navigator, and ADS-B. Ricardo still proudly uses the Collins VIP20 radios from an upgrade 20 years ago.
With a maximum gross takeoff weight of 8,000 pounds, and an empty weight of 5,200 pounds, the airplane boasts a full fuel payload of 1,150 pounds. Those impressive numbers are partially due to the beefy IGSO-540 engines, rated at 380 horsepower each. Otaola said he cruises at 31.5 inches and 2700 rpm while burning between 45 and 50 gallons per hour. “It’s a gas guzzler, but you’re doing 200 knots.” Part of that high fuel burn is because the engines must be run rich of peak. “I aim for optimum temperatures and smoothness,” he said. “I do everything very slowly.” The goal is to keep the cylinder heads below 210 C in cruise, and above 150 C on takeoff.
Three years ago, Otaola made the decision to emigrate to the United States, in part because of the flying opportunities. He describes Venezuela as a great place to fly, but mostly oriented at weekend joy rides to the same few places. Flying in the United States offers considerably more places to go, and people to meet. There’s also the added safety benefits of a robust ATC and airport system.
Getting the aircraft registered in the United States was not easy. Anyone who has ever worked with a Latin American government will recognize the struggles. Importing the airplane to the United States was easy. Exporting it from Venezuela was another story entirely. In Venezuela the engines are supposed to be overhauled at 10 years, and because the 680F engines were 12 years old the government required an overhaul before the airplane could be deregistered. Otaola saw an opportunity. No overhaul shops existed in Venezuela, so he ferried the aircraft to its future home in the United States, and then tried to deregister it. But Venezuela told him he had to first bring it back home, re-up the registration, and then deregister it. This cycle continued for almost two years until a lawyer finally was able to get the paperwork straightened out.
Today he proudly flies it around the Southeast, and shows it off wherever he goes. Being a second-generation-owned airplane means every time he flies it the memories come back. “I remember when, after dad had upgraded to a 690A, we would meet at some point in the geographical vastness of Venezuela, and he would jump back on this special-ordered aircraft with front door to do a couple of fly-bys, get his adrenaline going, and then a few minutes later land and act like he was 18 again. He walked around like he was Bob Hoover, reminiscing about his good ole days”
Otaola loves the mechanics of the airplane, and the sensations of flying it. “The symphony of the engines, it’s something wonderful. When you hear them roaring in cruise and you have that 180-degree view in front of you, you’re enjoying every color in the crayon box.”
A family airplane needs a fun name, and this 680F has a good one. “Popeye II will continue to roar the skies, and leave all other twin pistons gasping for air, as it cruises at more than 200 knots with amazing payload, range, and unique performance.”
