Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

[Americana_D]

Air Facts Journal published a photo I took during my Commander commute for their “Friday Photo” feature:

http://www.airfactsjournal.com

Owning and flying my 114 has been a real blessing. The things we get to see . . . .

 

[mcgrathm]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

Cool, like the picture and the story.

 

[Sherman]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

David-you said it! Forty years ago I said 'If I take just ONE Cross Country trip every year for the next THIRTY years, that's 30 Blessings. Hoping I can still be doing this 15 years from now. Beautiful photo and beautiful reasons to fly!

 

[gmores]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

Very nice David.

 

[N4843W]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

David, this is really irritating. I already cannot keep up with the 4 Aviation Rags I subscribe to ... or is it five? And now I assigned up for another one. It was too easy. Just put in your email, click, done. No details, no background, bio, confirmation email. So now I have one more cool aviation thing to read to be perpetually behind on.

 

[Americana_D]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

Sorry about that, Scott. I'm finding that aviation is not content with being only a mistress. On a sad note, I just read that Richard Collins (Air Facts author, Flying editor, etc.) died yesterday. He was a big advocate for general aviation as a real means of transportation and practiced what he preached with over 9K hours in a P210.

 

[kgrant]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

I lived for his every word from the time he started writing until he retired from Flying. It always amazed me that he actually got PAID to fly airplanes and write about it.

Until you provided the link -- I didn't realize he had continued writing. So many aviation publications to absorb -- his work slipped through the cracks.

I'll bet quite a few pilots in my generation stuck it out due to his storytelling.k

 

[Sherman]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

Am I correct that RC wrote one of the first articles on the Rockwell Commander? One of the early articles concluded with something like:
The Rockwell stands tall like a Commander should!"

He wrote well and thought he also wrote for AOPA.

Didn't like/Concerned about the unexplained/ 'insufficient' details on why - the statement
"he voluntarily retired from Flying at 74". Unstated Medical issue?

Just wondering because truthfully, '74' on my 2019 horizon and I certainly have no such plans.

 

[kgrant]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

Retired from FLYING and had his airplane destroyed. He wrote one of his last articles on the subject. It was in the early era of aircraft liability craziness and he didn't want something to happen to the airplane after his "watch".

A pretty high-time P210 if I recall. I think he bought it new.

 

[Sherman]

Re: Air Facts Journal Commander Photo

Thanks for the update & clarification Kelly. Read about another 'ole geezer' who had built his experimental. Also Destroyed it for liability reasons. What a shame one's lifetime work/joy so ends. Heartbreaking and bet that exacerbated 'Broken Heart Syndrome'.

I know how I felt a decade + ago when the 1960s 8ft Hydroplane (Still have the 1958 Popular Mechanics Magazine which had its Marine Plywood plans) my cousin and I built as 'old' teenagers-basically rotted away after 30 years.

Still have the 12HP 'Elgin' Outboard engine we used to power it at 35/40 mph (scary) and tow us as water skiers on Lake Hopatcong NJ and later Lake Delta in Upstate NY. Last I used it was in the 80s on Lake Codorus in Pennsylvania. Thought about those days on my flight to 44N a few weeks ago. Just had to share that.

Yes, Richard Collins was a blessed Aviator to have lived, enjoyed and shared with so many of us-his/our Passion for Flying.