(Rockwell, North American, whatever) Commander 114/115 grass strips?

jsstevens

jsstevens

Final Approach
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jsstevens
So how does the Commander 114 and/or 115 do on grass? Good as a Bo? Never take off pavement?
 
No issues. The trailing link landing gear is ridiculously over engineered. I don't know where Rockwell pulled that design from.

Way overkill.
 
Stephen Shore said:
No issues. The trailing link landing gear is ridiculously over engineered. I don't know where Rockwell pulled that design from.

Way overkill.
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Overkill? Possibly, but you don’t often hear of many Commander owners with gear issues. Obviously there’s a lot fewer Commander owners running around but Rockwell must have got the design right since everyone seems to love it.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Overkill? Possibly, but you don’t often hear of many Commander owners with gear issues. Obviously there’s a lot fewer Commander owners running around but Rockwell must have got the design right since everyone seems to love it.
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Exactly. Notice in my signature line that I own two airplanes - a Commander 114B with the trailing link carrier plane landing gear and also a Beech Sundowner with the infamous "donut" (as in Mooney) rubber biscuit landing gear. I honestly don't know how a pilot could mess up a landing in a Commander. The Sundowner - not so much. Very bad to land with too much speed in that airplane!
 
What type of grass then conditions/weight? Is it a ‘triple-tree’ field, light aircraft, 55 degrees out? Or are we talking a 2000’ strip at 4500 MSL at 83 degrees?

The answer could swing either way, depending.
 
It's a good gear. Heavier than the Vero Beach Piper offering, otherwise identical system in the gear down failure mode simplicity.
 
sourdough44 said:
What type of grass then conditions/weight? Is it a ‘triple-tree’ field, light aircraft, 55 degrees out? Or are we talking a 2000’ strip at 4500 MSL at 83 degrees?

The answer could swing either way, depending.
Click to expand...
Yeah. That. How about it?
 
Friend of mine landed his Commander 112 in a field after an engine failure. Said it landed just like normal.
 
Grass is not a problem, the bottom of the fuselage is 2 foot off the ground.

The normal issues need to be considered just like any other plane, soggy field, short field, higher than normal grass etc.
 
My landings are always better on a nice, dry grass runway. Softer, forgiving of crosswind gust during the touchdown, and easier on the brakes. Sorry but no experience in a commander. They sure look nice and that gear ought to soak up anything I'd throw at it.
 
sourdough44 said:
What type of grass then conditions/weight? Is it a ‘triple-tree’ field, light aircraft, 55 degrees out? Or are we talking a 2000’ strip at 4500 MSL at 83 degrees?

The answer could swing either way, depending.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I'm not sure a Commander 112 would be able to do the latter even if it was a paved stripped.
 
The later is fine but I wouldn't do it if it's grass. I could land there but I might never leave!
 
Been in and out of Indiantown, fl (KX58) with my commander 112 TCA several times. 6,300 ft well tended grass sod. Some soft SOFLA sugar sand +/- ist 5oo ft from threshold runway 13, (13-31). No prob.
 
Plenty of folks have taken their Commanders into Gaston's.
 
Still looking for 114 commander pilots who fly on grass strips. I am interested in a 114 commander need to know how much grass runway is needed.
 
Still looking for 114 commander pilots who fly on grass strips. I am interested in a 114 commander need to know how much grass runway is needed.
I have been flying a m20e Mooney out of an1800 foot runway for 28+ years with no problem.

@steingar said: "If I can land my Mooney on grass anyone can land their Commander on it."​

 
JOHN JR said:
Still looking for 114 commander pilots who fly on grass strips. I am interested in a 114 commander need to know how much grass runway is needed.
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ping @GMascelli

Plane & Pilot says 1145' t/o, 720' ldg:
https://www.planeandpilotmag.com/article/commander-aircraft-114-115/
; adding a 20% factor for grass (that I just made up) increases the t/o distance to 1374'.

Here's the POH:
http://www.commander.org/bergcom/tech/Documents/Commander_114_POH_ 07_16_86_Rev_11.pdf
 
POH indicates reasonable take off distances. Issue with unimproved strips like grass is not the surface per se - it’s the condition - rutted, muddy, lumpy, etc. Also prop clearance may play a role. So like so many things, it depends!
 
Stephen Shore said:
Exactly. Notice in my signature line that I own two airplanes - a Commander 114B with the trailing link carrier plane landing gear and also a Beech Sundowner with the infamous "donut" (as in Mooney) rubber biscuit landing gear. I honestly don't know how a pilot could mess up a landing in a Commander. The Sundowner - not so much. Very bad to land with too much speed in that airplane!
Click to expand...
Then fly the numbers like you’re supposed to.
 
I've been in and out of a few grass strips. The plane is fine if you fly it by the numbers in terms of performance. The landing gear is amazing, so I don't worry about my gear. The cabin sits higher than some singles, so I have good visibility and clearance. I do know that the 114 isn't light, so as long as I am respectful of my w&B, temp/density alt/winds/conditions, engine condition (keep it running right) I don't have any qualms putting down or taking off from a good grass strip.

That being said, I am also picky about what grass strips I would use. I have retractable gear, nosewheel steering, a shimmy dampener and maybe some other aspects that would be expensive to repair - and for some reason - my money tree isn't producing! LOL

Look at the POH and see what your normal W&B and weather is like - then compare it to your grass strips.

Dean
 
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