I flew the Aerocommander 500 U in the Argentine Air Force from early 1987 to late 1995. It was such a smooth and elegant airplane that one day, due to a crack in a cylinder, I had only a second to shut down the left engine. I flew for 25 NM with one engine starting a driftdown at FL 075 to destination. I reached the airfield at 2000 feet, made a couple of turns and landed safely. We were a crew of 3 and had 70 gallons of fuel. It was the best landing of my entire career!
When I first flew a Twin Commander Shrike, the sensitivity was mind blowing. You just barely curl your toes around the top of the rudder pedal and try for just a breath's worth of pressure, or the airplane will bang to a stop like it hit a wall.
The CAF has an Eisenhower era Commander 500 that was used to fly the President from DC to his ranch at Gettysburg; I was never aware the 720 model was used
I have a number of hours in the 500S Shrike Commander. It was a great plane to fly other than a noisy cabin. Surprised they used skydrol back then as the modern airliners I flew used it. I also wonder why if Eisenhower flew in it why it didn't have a military designation rather than an N number
He is pulling that prop forward @3:00 is he not? If so, dumb. Always pull the prop backwards - the mags will never fire because the impulse coupling doesn't catch that way.
I flew the Aerocommander 500 U in the Argentine Air Force from early 1987 to late 1995. It was such a smooth and elegant airplane that one day, due to a crack in a cylinder, I had only a second to shut down the left engine. I flew for 25 NM with one engine starting a driftdown at FL 075 to destination. I reached the airfield at 2000 feet, made a couple of turns and landed safely. We were a crew of 3 and had 70 gallons of fuel. It was the best landing of my entire career!
When I first flew a Twin Commander Shrike, the sensitivity was mind blowing. You just barely curl your toes around the top of the rudder pedal and try for just a breath's worth of pressure, or the airplane will bang to a stop like it hit a wall.
The CAF has an Eisenhower era Commander 500 that was used to fly the President from DC to his ranch at Gettysburg; I was never aware the 720 model was used
Me gustó el relato, lo disfrute, trabaje en uno de ellos, estaba abandonado, y lo pusimos a volar🇻🇪
I have a number of hours in the 500S Shrike Commander. It was a great plane to fly other than a noisy cabin. Surprised they used skydrol back then as the modern airliners I flew used it. I also wonder why if Eisenhower flew in it why it didn't have a military designation rather than an N number
thank you for conserving humanity historic artifacts . saludos
....BIG COMPLIMENT ... Super !!! Kind regards from Switzerland !!
@@joergwiesmann4261 Beautiful country! thanks for your comment!
Nice plane so glad it was restored. You don't really need a hazmat suit to work with skydrol, been doing it now for almost 50 years.
Bravo!
What were preference specs like?
He is pulling that prop forward @3:00 is he not? If so, dumb. Always pull the prop backwards - the mags will never fire because the impulse coupling doesn't catch that way.
They are geared engines. You never pull geared engines backwards.