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NINTH TWIN COMMANDER UNIVERSITY DRAWS
SOLID ATTENDANCE

Some 50 Twin Commander owners traveled to Scottsdale, Arizona, in early May to attend the ninth biennial Twin Commander University. The unique gathering of owners, authorized service centers, and Twin Commander factory representatives featured three days of continuing education seminars with the focus on owning and flying Twin Commander aircraft.

�The University is a major event for the Twin Commander community, and we began planning the 2009 University more than a year ago,� noted Twin Commander Aircraft LLC President Matt Isley. �Earlier this year we became concerned that the economic recession would adversely affect participation in the University. So when we convened in early May at the Westin-Kierland Resort & Spa in Scottsdale, we were extremely pleased to enjoy solid attendance from our owners and operators as well as from our authorized service center network.�

About half of the owners who attended flew their Twin Commanders to Scottsdale Airpark, parking at Executive Aircraft Maintenance (EAM), one of 15 authorized Twin Commander Service Centers in the U.S. and six international.

EAM hosted a Friday evening dinner party in its hangar on the northwest side of the airfield for University attendees. A selection of Twin Commander models were arrayed around the hangar doors for guests to inspect, including a pristine 690A that Aero Air, Inc. in Hillsboro, Oregon had just completed. It featured an upgraded panel with dual Garmin G600s, new interior, and new paint.

STILL FLYING

The day before the University seminars got underway, Twin Commander Aircraft met with its service center partners to discuss technical issues and survey activity. �The consensus among our service centers is that business is down somewhat compared to the last few years,� Isley reported, �but they said their Twin Commander customers are still flying and the service centers are staying busy with inspections, upgrades, and maintenance," he added.

�We are seeing renewed interest in fuel-efficient Twin Commanders from government operators,� Isley said. �In fact, just prior to the University, Eagle Creek Aviation Services in Indianapolis delivered a new Grand Renaissance Twin Commander to Kern County, California, which will use it as an air attack platform for fighting wildfires. And immediately after the University, Eagle Creek began work on a new Grand Renaissance for the Mexican Navy.�

University attendees included an unusual number of first-time participants, including commercial and government operators from Japan, Mexico, and Canada.

ACROSS THE COUNTRY ON 370 PPH

The Ninth University featured a number of new seminar topics, including one called �Fuel-Efficient Flying.� Commander 1000 owner Jay Obernolte profiled his nonstop flight last October from Big Bear, California, to the NBAA convention in Orlando. Cruising at FL 350 in the RVSM-certified 1000, Obernolte used long-range power settings to average 285 knots true airspeed on the 1,848-nmi, 6.3-hour flight, burning an average of 370 pounds-per-hour/55 gallons-per-hour (total�both engines) of jet fuel. He landed with 705 pounds/105 gallons remaining.

A panel of five long-time operators including two individuals, a corporation with a fleet of six turboprop Twin Commanders, and two government operators led a session on the �Twin Commander Ownership Experience� during which they explained why they initially chose Twin Commanders and why they continue to operate them. Performance, efficiency, reliability, flying qualities, and visibility for pilots and passengers were cited as the airplane�s strong points compared to other aircraft that panelists had evaluated.

WX RADAR TRAINING

Radar Training International�s Erik Eliel conducted a six-hour airborne weather radar training program on Thursday for owners and operators, and followed it up the next day with a 50-minute session called �Arrive Alive.� Eliel, who flies for a major airline and has become the nation�s leading expert on airborne weather radar training, reviewed potentially hazardous weather conditions, including abnormally low ambient temperatures resulting in barometric errors, that can affect arrival procedures.

The 2009 University marked the retirement of Jim Matheson, who oversaw Twin Commander Aircraft for the last 17 years and owned the company for the last three. Isley was named president following the sale to Firstmark Corporation. Matheson was honored in a ceremony at the Friday evening dinner.

�The University exceeded our expectations on all counts�content, attendance, and the enthusiasm shown by our owners and operators,� Isley noted. �This is an active community, and they responded to our efforts to design a program intended to provide useful insights on owning, operating, and maintaining Twin Commanders. We�ll be back in 2011 with more of the same.�

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