Kelly Grant, N4645W
Kelly Grant was flying airplanes before he could legally drive a car.
Owning a Commander was a dream that started in the late ‘70’s
attending to one based at the airport where he worked in college.
Fast forward to the summer of 2006 when Grant commenced searching for the
“right Commander”. A natural
curiosity and mechanical ability gleaned from growing up in farming and
taking over the family automobile dealership came in handy searching for a
project to call his own.
His wife, Anne consented to purchasing N4645W, a 112-TCA in September of
2006. It wasn’t the first Commander he found during his search.
He discovered it tracing sequential serial numbers and cold-calling
owners. Nor was it front-line ready. But he was excited to take a
Commander grounded for almost a decade and make it his own.
Kelly first flew it in Santa Monica. The test flight after engine overhaul
over the LA basin was his first TC experience.
The next day it was eastbound to it’s new home in Bolivar, Missouri
with limited working avionics.
Anne met the plane when he arrived at home, stuck her head inside, &
suggested he do some work.
Cosmetically, the exterior was well preserved, but the interior badly
deteriorated. If it was rubber, plastic, or electronic, it got replaced
during the subsequent 4-year restoration.
Under the supervision of a host of A & P’s, the airplane panel was
removed, factory installed oxygen, 8-track, & DME were jettisoned, seats,
interior panels, wiring, avionics, & electrical systems upgraded, and
numerous STC’s installed.
Learning to fly instruments in the late 70’s, Grant retained the 6-pack
but installed an Avidyne EX500 multifunction display for WSI weather and
graphic flight plan information. A
Garmin 430W coupled to the refurbished Century III autopilot created a
fully functional IFR platform. A P/S Engineering audio panel, MaxDim
controlled Fiberlites, a 406 ELT, revised ComDat antennas, and a
refurbished KX-170B with glideslope were installed in a newly designed
panel.
Advantage Avionics in Chino, CA worked with Kelly, creating multiple
plastic overlays during the panel design process. Lower sub-panel overlays
were created by Aircraft Engravers in Connecticut. New primary engine
instrumentation was provided by EI.
Leather seating and armrests, wool-covered new interior panels, and
carpeting completed the interior replicating a style used in later
production Commanders.
Kelly’s wife Anne finally got her first ride 4-years into ownership!
“If it weren’t for the Commander Owners Group, I would have never pursued
my dream of owning a Commander. The website gave me information but the
people I’ve met both online and at the fly-ins gave me the confidence to
get it done.” Kelly said. “A
particular individual pushed me hard after the 2007 fly-in at the Cape.
When I hit the wall trying to figure something out I always ask
myself -- What would Sven do?”.
A 2013 deer strike on landing roll-out at his home airport lead to an
engine teardown, new motor mount, lower cowling, and Hartzell 3-blade
prop. Once again, Kelly was back in his element improving on his earlier
refurbishments.
N4645W has made a home for itself “chasing cars” in the midwest on a
regular basis for Kelly’s business. Longer trips to Detroit, Phoenix, Las
Vegas, Orlando, Melbourne, New Orleans, Raleigh, Gulfport and Colorado are
a lot more comfortable than the family Skyhawk he still maintains. The
highlight of his Commander flying was the COG Colorado Mountain flying
course just completed September 15, 2017.
More
recent upgrades to 45W include RCM Normalizing’s baggage door STC, An
Avidyne IFD-440, and cowling heat improvements available through Aerodyme.
On the “scheduled list” are the ADS-B upgrade, new gear hardware,
and revisions to primary engine & flight instrumentation not available
when upgrade decisions were finalized at AirVenture 2008.
“The Commander airplane is perfect for my cross-country missions”, says
Grant. “It’s comfortable, eye-catching, and everyone wants to look at the
plane. In my previous 30-years of flying, they never looked at the Skyhawk
like that.” he added.
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