New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

[CenAir]

Just wanted to say hello to all you Commander Owners as I finally picked up my new plane in Three Rivers Michigan and flew it home to Worcester MA (KORH), have been trying to find a window were the weather cooperated in Michigan through Buffalo/Niagara Falls area and into MA and isn't easy at this time of year and cancelled 5 weekends in row due to the weather in both areas not cooperating, finally made the trip last Sunday in a lot on snowy conditions.

My name is Paul Richard and moving up from a 82 Piper Archer to a Commander-114 N530CD S/N# 14250 just want to say a special thank you to Judi who was there everyday helping me get a difficult transaction finally done, as well as Pat Murphy with all his assistance and knowledge on the Commanders and did me so many favors while the plane was in annual in MI. Pat gave me some flying lessons and tips on the Commander and I wish we had more time to fly together as he is so knowledgeable on the Commander
and invaluable with all his information and assistance looking forward to seeing him again at the next COG fly in for some more tips on the plane.

Filed an IFR flight plan prior to leaving MI VFR but didn't activate it and took off for the 700 nautical mile trip home in what look like it might get ugly on the way home and it sure did, tops forecasted were 7000' and went to 9000k and when I got near Lake St Clair got much worse and activated the IFR plan in flight and started to pick up some Rim Ice and climbed to 10K, got worse en-route and started the descent to Buffalo for refueling stop and landed in pretty good snowstorm at KBUf who I think has the worst weather in the country in winter due to the lake effect, Niagara is usually better and an option but had lower ceilings 300 feet than Buffalo.

Took off again and finally made it home and landed in another pretty good snowstorm and my friend Art who has a nickname for every plane now calls my Commander SnowBall, and nice to finally get her home in all this bad weather in the North. Looking forward to meeting other Commander Pilots/Owners and there family and friends as the Commanders are the best 4-seat single engine plane every built.

Flight Tracking Home;

http://flightaware.com/live/flight/N530CD

 

[N4843W]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Whoa! What an ordeal. Many won;t go years running into that much stuff in their birds and you had it in your first Commander solo cross-country. Great Job.

 

[janderson]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

as you get into taking care of all the squawks, get the mains up to proper inflation levels.

Welcome to COG, Paul.

Judi

 

[CenAir]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

as you get into taking care of all the squawks, get the mains up to proper inflation levels.

Welcome to COG, Paul.

Judi

Judi

Already on it and she is on steroids in the stands doing some gear swings today and checks as the left main gear light didn't come on for about 40 seconds after selecting the gear down in the snow storm on the final leg coming into to Worcester, another trying moment in the final minutes before landing.

Its with my mechanic now to chase out some demons and ghosts in the plane from the past owner, and N530CD SnowBall will be looking pretty nice real soon with some major avionics improvements too and will post them too.

 

[CenAir]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Judi

Already on it and she is on steroids in the stands doing some gear swings today and checks as the left main gear light didn't come on for about 40 seconds after selecting the gear down in the snow storm on the final leg coming into to Worcester, another trying moment in the final minutes before landing.

Its with my mechanic now to chase out some demons and ghosts in the plane from the past owner, and N530CD SnowBall will be looking pretty nice real soon with some major avionics improvements too and will post them too.

Judi

This is a better pic and already up on the stands getting the gear checked to see if it was the gear coming down slow on the left main, or the light and betting it is the light or micro-switch and will take care of this plane with some TLC and will ben a beauty when I am done with her.

 

[CenAir]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Whoa! What an ordeal. Many won;t go years running into that much stuff in their birds and you had it in your first Commander solo cross-country. Great Job.

Hey Scott,

You started it all after I contacted you first as I new you were in MI and refereed me to Pat Murphy who made it all happen with a difficult purchase, so just wanted to say thank you to as well and forget to mention you and would be great to meet you at the next COG destination.

Ya the weather was terrible for the past five weeks, when it was nice in MI was horrible in MA and nice in MA poor conditions in MI, and when both MI and MA was good KBUF/Niagara was real ugly as it usually is in winter. The conditions en-route got so bad could barely climb less than 300 fpm at 10K if you look at Flight Aware about 12:41 and on, a thin wing Commander doesn't handle Rim Ice like a fatter wing in the Pipers and one of those trips when you are glad to land.

 

[wab003]

as you get into taking care of all the squawks, get the mains up to proper inflation levels.

Welcome to COG, Paul.

Judi

Was EXACTLY my first thought looking at the initial pic. Must be a "great minds" thing, eh? LOL.

 

[Carbine31]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Paul - I really like the metallic gray color of your Commander. What is the particular shade, if you happen know it?

 

[gmores]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Congratulations on getting your new Commander home Paul. This has been a trying stretch of weather recently. At least you've got some time to get some squawks straightened out before spring.

And remember, the first annual is the worst

 

[janderson]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

not as dark like Charcoal gray metallic, my guess is Cumulous Gray met. CAC painted dozens w/that color in the '90s/ they had tons of it. was very, very popular. they were usually very good about documenting the codes, but if it's not in the logs, Paul; I hv the paint charts in my store rm.

Judi

Paul - I really like the metallic gray color of your Commander. What is the particular shade, if you happen know it?

 

[Pat]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

This is reason to celebrate.
A good Commander gets a new owner that that cares, wants the plane to be right and takes pride in doing it right.
I am looking forward to see N530CD at the next Fly In
Pat

 

[CenAir]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Paul - I really like the metallic gray color of your Commander. What is the particular shade, if you happen know it?

Not sure and will look it up and see if its the logs for the color and PMA Numbers, Judi said its Cumulous Gray and sound about right and it is a dark grey with with specks and nice metalical grey. The pics aren't great and will take some more in some nice natural sunlight, as the pics I posted were after the the plane was just buffed with 3M compound in the hanger and should look even better after I wax it with Collenite #845 finally.

 

[114ALLC]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Hey Paul,

Congrats and welcome to the Commander family. Very nice looking bird.

You are clearly a man who wanted to get his new toy home. Exciting first trip

Look forward to meeting you and 530CD soon.

Keith

 

[Sherman]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Welcome again Paul! We all remember our first Take home flights; or flight to CAC in the 90's. I had to quit in Springfield Mo (ice after takeoff).From BWI west. Bought plane from gent coming from Mancgester NH. Same weeks of delays. Got stuck in SFG for 3 days. 18" snow/ ice etc.

Congrats and be safe! What a story!!
S

 

[CenAir]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Hey Kieth

Looks like we are almost neighbors and see you are in Lawerence KLWM who is another victim of the FAA airports getting closed to like mine in Worcester KORH, and too bad for all us as I prefere towered airports with the additional safety from the controllers. I have been into Lawerence a few times for fuel and a nice airport and friendly tower too, how many other Commander owners in the area that you know of and I now know Glenns in our airspace, and Radu who gave me my firsdt ride in a Commander about 10 years ago?


Sherman- Ya that first flight home in your new Commander you never forget even in good weather, and looks you had the same problem like me and you even got stuck for a few days with our NewEngland weather which doesn't cooperate much with GA planes and nice to make it home with your new plane finally. Almost launched late in the day on Saturday night the day before taking the Commander home as the weather was a tade better, but an IFR in so so weather at night in a new plane I am not 100% familar with was a bad idea, and spent the night out to dinner with Pat and Betty who helped so much in the purchase for the plane and wouldn't have happened without all there assistance. Looking forward to meeting you and other COG members real soon.

 

[jclambertjd]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Congrats Paul! I am in CT but fly to MVY very regularly. In annual now and have to drive. When we drive, we pass right by the Worcester airport. This is my second Commander. I have memorable first flight stories. Bought a 112B in the 1990s from Canada. Hired the only 6000 hour non instrument rated pilot around! Took weeks to inch the plane down to Texas where we were living at the time. My current 112TCA was bought 12 years ago from MT. I flew to Missoula twice commercially with an IP before braving the trip back to its then new home at SUS. Since then, we have logged nearly 2000 hours together. She is the family van!

 

[CenAir]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Jerold

Funny you hired a 6000 hour non instrument pilot and must be the only one in the world I think with that kind of time, and flying from Canada in Winter to your home base would be a problem and hopefully got better as you went south.

My flight didn't trying to get home as after leaving MI a large portion of the flight was in Canada and the ceilings and weather got worse than forecasted, this is a picture of the wing on the Commander picking up some Rim Ice descending into Buffalo in a pretty good snow storm for a fuel stop and kept the speed up with a 8000+ runway in KBUF, note the dark blue on the leading edges ice and wing tips and time to land.

 

[Micky Grana]

Re: New Commander-114 in MA "SnowBall" N530CD

Congrats I just got mine n58789n about three weeks ago I luv her just like I am sure u will love yours have fun