The Commander Guy, LLC

Push the “easy button” and pickup one of these from Staples. The binder is made of a silicon type material; it’s ruggedized. Beats those weak sauce cardboard and vinyl binders all day. Easy to clean and won’t tear apart with use.

Extended seat rails really pay off when the center console is rearranged and cut back. Imagine “walking” into the flight deck and sitting down!?

Stay on taxi centerline! The commander is renown for being able to fit in shorter strips. Remember, short means narrow and usually even narrower taxi and questionable markings. If you cut your turns you may end up in the mud or possibly catching a taxi light with the prop. Notice this qtip bird sunk to the brake calipers but retained prop clearance.

Don’t try to “power” out, you will only drive deeper into mud. Don’t try to pull out with towbar, the nose wheel is no where near strong enough. Instead, wrap tow straps around main, dig out dirt from wheel and place a long
2x8/10 for the wheel to crawl on to. Be careful of hoses and such on gear leg and always pull forward on the leg since the gear retracts aft. We used a tow bar to steer; just walk it. The straps were attached to a pickup. We used 10k straps.

No… I didn’t do it, but I know who did! This is probably the 4th commander I’ve helped dig out. The names have been changed to protect the guilty…😉

Control column covers, worth it!
They hold your writing sticks. On the other side I have a pocket for a mini mag dead battery holder. Besides dressing up your interior they cover any exposed wires and that important column pressurization boot from wear and tear.

An easy path to saving weight is use this stuff in baggage compartment and pilot footwells. It’s super tough, doesn’t absorb liquid, resists odor, lightweight, won’t mildew, easy in/out for maintenance. It’s a semi rigid plastic material, no insulation required.

During my training I’m often asked “how do I know when the main gear bungees are bad?”

This pic is clearly a bungee that has failed. The thin part is broken strands. If yours are getting skinny in certain places they are beginning to fail.

The one on the right is healthy although the twist could cause accelerated wear and premature failure. Take care with the bungees, petroleum products will cause premature failure as well.

I’m departing for Orlando, have a pair of recurrent trainings in a 695A. Gonna be a busy month...stay tuned!

After several years of talking and thinking about filling the training void left by Larry York's retirement I have launched the TheCommanderGuy, LLC. My intent is to pick up where Larry stopped and provide thoughtful, safe and operational oriented in-plane flight training for the Turbo Commander community.