Jet Commander

[donv]

In case anyone is looking...

(I'm sure it's a scam).

[SKYFLYER]

Is this one of the two Homeland or DEA snagged in Alabama some years back? Seems I remember the N234G being one of them
The registration is current

[donv]

I'm quite amazed someone bothered to send the $5 in to keep the registration current. That actually makes no sense whatsoever, unless they really wanted the N number for some reason.

[Steve binnette]

Those engines can really burn fuel!

Might make yard art.

[donv]

My hangar neighbor has a Lear 25 which he says he plans to make into a giant windvane for some friend of his. Personally, I hope he gets on with it and moves it off his ramp. Not as bad as the Sabre 40 he has in front of it, with no wings or engines, though.

[Adam Frisch]

I'm probably one of the few that thinks the Jet Commander/Westwinds look great!

Chet Duncan at Compton Airport in Los Angeles restored one many years ago. He used to specialize in Commanders and his outfit was called Commandair. I didn't think it was even possible to get a Jet Commander out of the very short strip at Compton, but here she goes! Love the paint scheme.

https://youtu.be/nkDP6pVXd54

[donv]

Interesting... N60CD still shows as owned by Chet Duncan. Serial number 44.

The crazy thing is, that video was taken in 1991, so that airplane was 26 years old at that time. So, in today's terms, that would be about the same age as an early model CitationJet today... my 980 is 40 years old this year!

N60CD not looking so good any more, unfortunately...

I'm probably one of the few that thinks the Jet Commander/Westwinds look great!

Chet Duncan at Compton Airport in Los Angeles restored one many years ago. He used to specialize in Commanders and his outfit was called Commandair. I didn't think it was even possible to get a Jet Commander out of the very short strip at Compton, but here she goes! Love the paint scheme.

https://youtu.be/nkDP6pVXd54

[Adam Frisch]

Sad to see her all chopped up..

I wish they'd be single pilot certified. It would literally be the best jet to own for a owner/pilot. Almost no calendar items, only hourly items. Built like a tank and with an almost-standup cabin and great range. The story goes they could do Hawaii lightly loaded.

[donv]

The Jet Commander could go about half way to Hawaii!

You are thinking of the Westwind. Both of those airplanes really needed two pilots, given the systems and what it took to fly them. If the autopilot was working, I suppose, but if you didn't have the autopilot working in a Westwind or Jet Commander, you really needed the copilot! And the autopilot in the Jet Commander was not the best.

We had one Jet Commander where over the course of about two years, the autopilot and flight director NEVER worked.

Westwind, on the other hand, had a very nice autopilot-- especially the Westwind II. But it was considerably worse to hand fly. When people used to ask me about how the Westwind flew, I always responded that it did fine-- followed the heading bug just fine. Oh, hand fly? Well, only when you had to.

[Steve binnette]

Why is that Don?  What’s the big difference between the jet commander and the west wind that would  causes degradation in the handling?  Tip tanks or something like that?

[donv]

Yes, the tip tanks gave the Westwind a significant tendency to rock the wings, especially at altitude and when they had fuel in them. In general, the Westwind and Jet Commander were heavy on the controls, very pitch sensitive, and sluggish in roll. Not a great combination. Not unsafe, just not particularly fun or easy to hand fly.

[JMA]

Don- wondering, can you list planes that you have owned, and then those you have flown.
If Im correct you have been a jet commander/1000/980 owner from just chats I've seen you mention.
Ever look up where your old birds are nowadays?

[donv]

The only Commander I've owned is the 980. However, my dad owned an 840 (bought new), a 1000 (bought new), a Jet Commander (used, obviously) and my mom owned a Westwind II, a Falcon 10, and eventually a Falcon 50. One of my brothers owned an 840 and a Turbine Goose (as far as I know, he still owns the Goose, although I believe it's for sale), another brother owned a 500S, 690B, and then a Citation V.

I did own a C55 Baron for a while, a Great Lakes biplane, an Aerostar, and now a Citabria.

As for what I've flown... well, Commanders 500S, 690/690A/690B/840/980/1000/1000B. The only ones I haven't flown are the 900, and the pre-690 turboprops (680V, 680W, 681). The other turboprop I've flown significant time in is the Merlin IIIB.

As for jets, Citation 501/550, Jet Commander, Westwind I and II, Falcon 10, Falcon 50, Citation Sovereign (680), Learjet. Lots of time in Learjets. I was a 135 Check Airman in the Merlin IIIB, Falcon 10, Falcon 50, and Learjet at various times.

So that's my aviation resume!

[donv]

As to where the old airplanes are, my dad's 840 has only had two owners since him (although the second owner ran it through several different corporate entities). It belongs to the State of Alaska, and I saw it on the ramp at Aero Air a while back.

My dad's 1000 was sold to South America and disappeared, never heard from since.

Our old Jet Commander was scrapped long ago, I'm sure of it. I haven't checked on the Westwind in a while, but at a quick glance it appears to be in Florida and last flew in 2019... not a good sign.

As for all the others... who knows. I do check on mine... Great Lakes is still in New Mexico (I took it halfway there-- that was a fun ferry flight).

[JMA]

Don- so great.
Love Dad basically stuck with Turbo-props but mom is a die-hard jet owner!

Of them all, which is your favorite? 

Have CN on the 1000?  I'll do some sluething.