![]() The Comanche is a testament to amazing engineering and robust aircraft design. If I could wave a magic wand and change anything about the Comanche, I’d bring it back into production. I’ve had multiple opportunities to think about “upgrading.” The problem is, it’ll cost anywhere from $100,000 to $500,000 more to gain any appreciable improvement in what the Comanche 260B already does for our family. Minutes of each other, taxied to the ramp, and unloaded everything to a waitingįor my mission of taking myself to meetings and family on vacation from Colorado to Atlanta, I’ve yet to find another type that is as good as the Comanche. Harvey’s tailwinds only to hear helicopters still doing medevac flights and aįew military helicopters coming in and out. ![]() We approached Houston’s airspace riding the backside of I met two other aircraft, and we loaded the planes in the waning twilight with somewhere more than 100 crates of chemo, antibiotics, and other drugs. ![]() One of the largest drug suppliers could not get trucks into or out of their warehouse and the next best way was to fly drugs from North Texas direct to William P Hobby Airport (HOU) in Houston.Īrmed with only a screwdriver, it was all I needed to remove the back seats in less than 20 minutes. In the hours after the landfall of Hurricane Harvey, a friend of a friend posted in one of our aviation social media groups that that they needed a plane to fly supplies to Houston within a few hours. A pencil-whipped 1,000-hour gear inspection will likely end up in a gearįailure at some point before you knew there was ever a problem. Handled by replacing with the “Aussie horn,” which eliminates any reinspectionĮver. Inspection and the second is the tail-horn inspection. There are two ADs that come to mind that can be There’s no shortage of greatĪdvice from the brain trust of the Comanche community known as simply, “the Support is good from a good network of suppliers. The worst part of the Comanche is that it’s old. Bottom line advice: Get a good prebuy from a good Comanche A&P. It’ll involve finding an A&P/IA who will let you turn a wrench, but when you know your plane, there’s nothing better. I’m beginning to see more and more stories of these planes being rescued. When you find one, and even one that needs some love, grab it. Part of the problem with Comanche owners is that we’re in love affairs with our airplanes, and no, we don’t give them up easily. The fact that Piper decided to zinc chromate the airframe has protected them well against corrosion. It comes right through the cabin under the rear seat. The wing spar looks like an I-beam from a skyscraper. The Comanche is one of the most robust and well-built airframes ever made in general aviation. Precise pilot and will punish the sloppy. Would describe handling as fluid, responsive, and smooth. Without much excess speed to bleed - and just wait for it to quit flying. More often for me when I get it within a foot or two of the runway - hopefully It has a big laminarįlow wing that when it wants to quit flying, it quits in a hurry. Speed, and remember to give it some aft trim, it’s great. Coming in hot, it’s easy to arrive nose wheel firstīecause it’s the same big wheel as the mains. We’re happy to go searching for favorable winds. It’s happy to fly up high and with portable oxygen, It trues out usually somewhere between 160 and 165 knots and Coming out of Durango, Colorado, fully loaded with familyĪnd packed to the gills with skis and gear, we comfortably climb over 500 fpm.Ībove 6,000 feet, I’ll fly it firewalled and it’s happiest and fastest aroundĩ,000 feet. To be at pattern altitude before I’ve reached the far end my home airport’s 6,000-foot Holding somewhere between Vx and Vy, it’s easy to exceed 1,000 fpm. When it’s just me in the plane headed out for a business trip or meeting, Inside, the cabin is wider than a Bonanza. With three big 6.00-6 tires, it’s at home on grass Little more, or land a little shorter, but I’ve yet to find one that does itĪll as well as the Comanche. Sure, there are planes in its class that are a little faster, haul a The best part of the 260B is there’s really not much itĬan’t do. It’s flown families and patients from the far-flungĬorners to major medical centers, and it’s even been on at least one late night It’sīeen a difference maker in winning more than one business deal. It’s more than 50 years old and I’ve barely owned it 5 years. I’ve only owned this Comanche for less than 10% of its John’s Comanche was the cover plane for the April 2020 issue of PIPERS. Photo by Jack Fleetwood, By John Bielamowicz John with his wife, Molly Beth, and their sons, Matthew and William.
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