70MD- The future of the Twin Commander
Aero Air has been involved with Commanders since the day they first started coming off the assembly line. Started by Swede Ralston in 1956, Aero Air was a new Twin Commander dealership and currently markets used aircraft to numerous loyal clients. Aero Air has been an Authorized Twin Commander Service center for more than 30 years.
Over those many years Aero Air’s business has changed dramatically. The current building dwarfs the one seen in early pictures, larger airplanes now stand on the ramp, and Swede's grandson, Kevin McCullough, now provides the leadership for the Portland-Hillsboro Airport (KHIO)-based company. One thing hasn't changed however, and that is the importance of the Commander aircraft to Aero Air.
"The Commander remains the center of all the work we do here,” McCulloch says. “We realized our own Commander should be the model of how an airplane can stand the test of time and still be a modern and effective business and pleasure aircraft.”
With the help of Ken Molczan, the long-time Commander guru at Aero Air, and the various departments within the service center, McCullough put a plan in motion to change and update the company’s own 690A, N70MD, to exemplify Aero Air’s Commander abilities.
First, they began with an updated look and floor plan for the interior. McCullough and the interior technicians chose a cream color scheme to use with high-quality leather, adding updated plated seat belts, new drink rails, and sidewalls. "We put a high-end executive interior into a Commander, and it really is something special," says Director of Maintenance Steve Boyce.
"The focus was on the look and feel, because that is really what the passenger notices when they get on the airplane," McCullough explains.
"It is amazing what a new interior can do for your Commander," Molczan says. "It went from being a nice looking airplane to an incredible airplane."
Next, McCulloch decided to update and simplify the cockpit by installing the new Garmin G600 electronic flight and multifunction display package. Aero Air was the first Twin Commander Authorized Service Center and Garmin dealership to do the G600 install on a Twin Commander. Aero Air's avionics department completed the install, and by all accounts the G600 has completely transformed 70MD.
The G600 features dual LED screens in identical 10-inch-wide bezels. The Primary Flight Display (PFD) combines information on the aircraft's speed, position, altitude, vertical rate, and flight progress. The adjacent Multifunction Display (MFD) provides a moving map as well as flight plans and navaids, all in full color. Soon the G600 will have the capability to display synthetic vision as well.
"The G600 completely changes the way a pilot flies,” says Avionics Sales Manager Bruce Franklin. “It reduces the workload, and provides all the information they need right in front of them. It is dramatic how it simplifies the cockpit."
The finishing touch was updating the paint scheme. 70MD hadn't had a change in decades, and McCullough wanted a design that was simple but modern. He designed the scheme himself, focusing on a basic white background with black, brown, and gray stripes and brown accents.
Aero Air debuted 70MD at the Twin Commander University in Scottsdale in May. By highlighting the ability of its service center, Aero Air wanted to show Commander operators how a few well-thought-out updates can completely change an aircraft, and how it is possible to take a classic airplane and truly make it timeless.
For more information, contact Aero Air at 800-448-AERO, or visit the company’s Web site at www.AeroAir.com.
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