114TC Cross-Country

[Frank A Alvarez]

Hello folks,

On January 7th, I accepted my 114TC from my mechanic at the Monterey, CA shop. It required a two-hour hard run break-in flight due to a #3 cylinder overhaul I had completed due to a suspect exhaust valve.
Sunday, January 9th, I began the long cross-country repo flight to bring our aircraft home!
I have been flying aircraft for others my entire life, but finally having our own framed this into a new light.
My journey from Monterey, CA, to Charleston, SC had taken nearly three days of flying at 17,500 with the aid of the O2 cannula.
22.3 hours later, Karen and I were tucking our new airframe into its new home here on the east coast.
An adventure I shall never forget!
What an incredible personal transportation platform.
Thanks to the guy’s like Bill Bailey, and my other Commander driver, Steve Elks for their guidance.
Frank

 

[DonG]

Congratulations, Frank! Beautiful bird!

 

[sshore]

That is a beautiful airplane. Sounds like a great trip too. Send us some panel pics!

 

[David Price]

That is one beautiful ship! How about some performance numbers.......

 

[Commander91gm]

Congrads and welcome to the group.

 

[rringgold]

Congratulations! Love to hear about those long cross country trips! Enjoy your new bird!

 

[Pete]

Nothing like a Turbo and getting up there.

 

[Frank A Alvarez]

Hey guys, and gal’s,

Thank you for the kind words! While not quite matching the book values regarding fuel flow, I did manage to close in on them.
FL 160, and the FL 180 cruise charts depicted a target flow of 12.7, and 12.3 respectively when leaned per the TIT method.
However, due to the previously mentioned reconditioned #3 cylinder, I stayed slightly north of that value. I consistently settled on a comfortable flow of 14.9/15.1 for most of the journey at 17,500. TAS hovered around the 156kt tick mark.
Not a bad run averaging 2.7 GPH greater than book. I’m confident now that the #3 cylinder has comfortably endured the treck , I will next time up lean per book using the TIT for the Turb-charged power plant. At altitudes, we should start to see rather pleasing fuel flow numbers.
I am having some difficulties loading up photos. Bear with me as I navigate this forum, and it’s limitations.

Crossing the lower Rockies, Mohave dessert, and in a previous photo seen thru the prop arc, the Mississippi River.

 

[plight]

Welcome Frank. Great looking Commander. Can't wait to see some pictures of the panel.

 

[Quest4Air]

That sounds like a fun trip ....Sadly (and kinda happily) ... when I bought mine in May ....and although was about to go buy one in either California or Florida before I found it .....

It was literally only 1.5 hour drive from me ....and a 38 minute flight.

Your trip back looks like it was WAY MORE FUN than mine!!!

But I've put 200+ hours on her since then .....and cannot say enough good things about the Commanders ......OR THE PEOPLE IN THIS FORUM!!!!

Congrats!!!! I'm in SE Ohio. Where is your 'home base'?

 

[gmascelli]

Frank,

Beautiful plane! Sounds like a fun trip east.

 

[Commander91gm]

Hey guys, and gal’s,

Thank you for the kind words! While not quite matching the book values regarding fuel flow, I did manage to close in on them.
FL 160, and the FL 180 cruise charts depicted a target flow of 12.7, and 12.3 respectively when leaned per the TIT method.
However, due to the previously mentioned reconditioned #3 cylinder, I stayed slightly north of that value. I consistently settled on a comfortable flow of 14.9/15.1 for most of the journey at 17,500. TAS hovered around the 156kt tick mark.
Not a bad run averaging 2.7 GPH greater than book. I’m confident now that the #3 cylinder has comfortably endured the treck , I will next time up lean per book using the TIT for the Turb-charged power plant. At altitudes, we should start to see rather pleasing fuel flow numbers.
I am having some difficulties loading up photos. Bear with me as I navigate this forum, and it’s limitations.

Crossing the lower Rockies, Mohave dessert, and in a previous photo seen thru the prop arc, the Mississippi River.

Really helpful if you add your model, Serial # and home base to your signature.
That way when you have questions related to your specific plane (and you will) the responses will be more correct.

 

[Codeeno]

Congrats! What a great trip and memory! The first of many!

Dean