Commander Spotlight

Like most people on the COG web, I've been interested in flying and airplanes since childhood. I took some lessons right after I graduated from The Ohio State University in a Piper Cherokee 140. I got about 30 hours under my belt, before I ran out of money and had to start working for a living. Fast forward about 25 years.

Mike Carpenter, N5424D

I am now married, have two daughters in high school, and a successful cardiovascular business. I am a Executive Territory Manager for Abbott Vascular. I am in the Cath Labs helping with the implementation of Cardiac balloons and stents that go in your arteries. Then one day, in the summer of 2003, my wife's brother flew up to Cincinnati in his new (new to him) 1967 Skymaster. He had just got his instrument rating and was excited to show off his new purchase. In my head, I was already starting to rationalize why I should get my pilot's license. When the girls went away to college, Kim (my wife) and I could fly to see them. We could go on family vacations together. We could fly to exotic hamburger joints for dinner. You get the picture. But before I could even start to bargain with my wife, she suggested that I get my pilot's certificate! And that, ladies and gentlemen, is one of the many reasons why we've been married 27 years.

I started my training in October 2003, at Sporty's Academy in Cincinnati. I had a great experience there obtaining my Recreational and then my Private certificates in 2004. In the summer of 2004, I started to get the itch to own my own plane. My oldest daughter was going to school in Nashville and youngest daughter had accepted a swimming scholarship to the University of Wisconsin. I needed a plane......to....uh.....go visit them. Yeah, that's a good enough reason. To my pleasant surprise, my wife, was all in favor of the idea. I started looking at different planes. I liked my brother-in-law's Skymaster, but insurance and fuel and maintenance, would kill me. Then came the obligatory look at A36s, Cirrus, and Columbias. None of them seemed quite right for me, for one reason or another.

I started looking more online and then I read about the Commander in the Used Aircraft Guide. I loved the looks of the plane the first time I saw one. More and more research, and I kept coming back to the Commander. Finally, I decided that a 114 would suit my needs the best.

I started reading about the planes on the COG website and you guys helped to hook me. All the positive comments and praises about the plane. Judi steered me towards a 1979 114A (N527GT). It was a perfect fit for me. Did all my instrument training in that plane. I flew it to a fly at the Cape, what a great time! .. started visiting my daughter in Nashville and my youngest in Madison at Wisconsin; went to Omaha, Nebraska with Kim to see Kasey swim in the Olympic Trials in 2008. We even managed to go to some exotic hamburger joints for dinner. Ah...life was good.

After about a year, I moved the plane from Sportys to KHAO, home of the Commander legend Bill Bailey. As you can see, it's not Angelo's deluxe man cave, but it's not a bad hangar. I added a bathroom and Dish TV, cornhole, a card table and a refrigerator. Not too shabby. Plus, Bill has a been a tremendous help with my many questions about the Commander. I appreciate his time and passion for the Commanders. As you can see by my pictures, this would be a great story in itself. I have a great wife and co-pilot, two gorgeous daughters ( who by the way both transferred to Miami of Ohio), a nice hangar and a great plane. Ahh........but like some of us.....I wanted more. I wanted to go farther, higher and faster. I wanted a P51D!! But, my wife wanted air conditioning and four seats. So, I started looking again. The new Cirrus G3 was nice. So was the Lancair, no, Columbia, no, the Corvalis. How about a Baron 58 or Cessna 310R. I Iooked at and flew most of them. But, I still kept coming back to the Commander.

Then Judi called me and told me about a low time 115TC (N5424D) sitting neglected in San Carlos, Ca. She sent me pictures and log books. I still loved the Commander. It was only eight years old, had AC, and was a little faster than my first child. I bought 5424D in March of 2009 while still owning 527GT. Not the smartest move in a down economy, but I really liked the 115TC. Nine months later, I let Don Hoover from up near Canton, Ohio adopt 527 GT. It really is like seeing one of your children leave when you sell a Commander. Anyway, Don loves the plane and is working on his IFR ticket in that plane. I put a 530W/430W in the plane along with an EX500. I added a 696 for weather and charts. I am a happy camper. I flew it home at 17K across the Rockies at night, up to Boyne for the fly in last year and look forward to seeing everyone at Jekyll Island in September. I would recommend the Commander and its members of the COG to any pilot looking for a great single with a great support family.

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