Aviation drew me in as a youngster. My dad had been a pilot with the Army Air Corp during WWII ferrying new aircraft from the factories to the war front. I’d ride my bicycle to the local airport and watch planes land & take off. The year I graduated from high school all able-bodied young men got called in for a physical for the Selective Service System which classified us for the military draft. I was classified as 1-A (available for military service).Unfortunately, I was drafted in my second year of college. While in basic training I was offered Officer Candidate School and once commissioned as an Officer, I’d be able to apply for flight school. Passing all the tests and qualifications my application was approved and a flight school start date got assigned. Then came the TET Offensive of 1968. My flight school date got cancelled and I ended up in Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Leader for a year. When I returned home, I was offered flight school once again. This time finally learned to fly helicopters. I then tested night weapons systems on AH-1G attack helicopters for one year before returning to Vietnam as a Gun Ship Pilot.
After military service I used the GI Bill to transition into fixed wing aircraft and to get my instrument rating. I had great aspirations to fly commercially but no opportunities presented themselves and I needed to make a living. I spent the next 40 years in the Concrete Forming & Concrete Pumping Industry. I started my own Forming Company after 11 years with a national Forming manufacturer. I rented planes and was fortunate to have friends with helicopters that fed my flying wants. While working in Oklahoma City once in 1997 I happened upon the Home Office of Rockwell Commander in Bethany, OK. They had a mockup of the Commander Cabin in their front office. I climbed in and immediately fell in love with the spacious interior and modern look. I knew then that I wanted to own one of these magnificent machines one day.
Many years later in 2010 I bought and built a Rotorway Experimental Helicopter kit. Deviating from the original normally aspirated engine that Rotorway manufactured and provided with their kits, I decided to build mine with a turbine power plant. Seven years later I finished that project and flew it till I sold it in 2022. That’s when I started the search for my Commander.
The Rescue Mission
I finally found the aircraft with the help of Judi Anderson after looking at a few prospects. N515CA was going to be a Rescue Mission from the start. Stranded on a remote airfield in Utah with no fuel or mechanical services available, sitting on flat tires, a hole in one of the wing tips, the whole plane looked to be a bird sanctuary and of course “Out of Annual”. Probably not a project for just anybody but I flew in to take a look and after inspecting the logs decided this aircraft had good bones and needed some serious TLC and most importantly it needed to be rescued.
I purchased the aircraft on Dec 28, 2023, but had to wait till spring for a mechanic to get it ready for a ferry flight to a location for initial restoration and Annual which occurred May 1, 2024. New battery, new elevator tips, new dorsal fin fairing, new wing tips w/LED nav & collision lights, bird nest removal and service with an Annual inspection and I was finally able to fly it home to Texas by August 2, 2024. I went through a lot of anxiety in those 7 months wondering whether I had made a good buying decision.
I flew the plane for a while to get to know it and fix items as needed. Replaced the Mag Compass and had to send the Garmin 530W back to Garmin for repair. I then decided the first major upgrade would be an air conditioning system, for the wife’s comfort of course. After researching alternatives and discussions I chose the Peter Schiff Aero “SofieLite” electric air conditioning system. It required a 70amp to 100amp alternator upgrade but for the added comfort it all turned out great and Schiff Aero did a more than professional job with the installation.
My Annual was coming due in August 2025 and I wanted Circle “C” Aviation to do that inspection. I met Adam Clark and his father at the 2024 Fly-In in Fredericksburg, Texas, and wanted someone with his experience with this model to give the airplane a thorough evaluation on its next annual. During the inspection, Adam found a cracked elevator spar that needed replacement. While waiting for parts from Jim Richards, decided to upgrade the panel and remove the vacuum pump and old instruments. I considered three Garmin 275s, a Garmin G3X Touch, and several other options, but ultimately chose the certified Dynon HDX SkyView, which Circle “C” installed. Moving to a digital panel was an easy decision. Beyond the modern look of glass cockpit displays, this has been the best upgrade I have made. N515CA is a marvelous airplane and flies beautifully, but it is still a rescue in progress, and I feel a responsibility to be a good steward of the model.
FLY SAFE OUT THERE
Ed Sinayi
