My Views on Air Command Int.

[CLS447]

First thing this morning I returned a call to Air Command. Nancy had a question about my most recent order. So we figured that out and as always she is most pleasant person to deal with.

Later today I missed a call from Doug Smith of Air Command. I promptly returned the call because I always enjoy talking to Doug. He told me he recieved an email from someone concerning my posts on my new machine. Whoever it was from, has Doug concerned that I may be bashing or degrading his company in some way or another.

I told him I was sorry and didn't mean to give them bad publicity.

Now to set the record straight. All of my dealings with the new Air Command have been nothing but positive. Doug does everything in his power to help me with any problems that may arise. If any of my statements on this forum sound derogatory, they are not meant to be.

For example: When I talked to Doug about the center mounts for my dual pedal assembly he immediately sent me another set. I still felt there was room for improvement. Anything can be improved upon, so instead of bothering Doug and asking him to machine me a new set, I took my drawings to the local machine shop. I know Doug would have gladly made them for me. But I hate to take advantage of his kindness. Doug told me these parts were left from the original company and being that they don't sell many SxS's they never changed them.

As for relocating the seats that is all a matter of personal preference and the parts he sent me were top notch and would work fine, the way they had it engineered. Alot of this machine is customized by myself.

To sum it all up, I highly recommend Air Command Gyros. I am 100% satisfied with the company and their service and value.

The tandem elite is well engineered and more thought out and this can be seen by the numbers of them out there flying and for many good reasons. But I had to have the SxS. I am sure I am not the only one who likes SxS. I think this is why so many people like the RAF, but I wanted a CLT SxS without the bubble.

Hopefully, by sharing my thoughts, ideas, and experiences with Doug and the forum we can make this machine more popular and profitable. So if anybody thinks I am bad mouthing my favorite gyro company "YOU ARE WAY OFF BASE."

Sincerely
Chris Spadafora

[GyroRon]

I hope they at least send you a hat or some stickers after a post like that

[Phil_Ruffin]

Chris, I know where your coming from. I have had nothing but positive dealings with Air Command.

I know Doug gets tired sometimes of hearing I'm on the phone wanting to talk to him but he is always very nice and patience with me. He has always been one of the most informative people I have delt with in rebuilding my Air Command.

When I was installing my CLT kit, he and his shop forman, Can't remember his name I think it's Tim, always called me back when they were not available in a most timely manner.

A few parts that I messed up, he replaced at no charge to me. You just don't get any better than that. They even swaped out my pre-rotor cable that I didn't buy from him for a longer one at no charge.

You just can't find a better group of people that make a quality product as you can with Air Command. I have flown a number of different kinds of gyros and none of the ones I flew handled any better than the Air Command. I am totally happy with my machine and the personal backing them.

Hey Ron I know you were just cuttin up with Chris, but if Chris wanted a hat or stickers all he would have to do is ask, with or without a post like that. I'm sure it would be in the mail the next day. ;D

IMHO Air Commands rule, and to quote Spock, "Air Command, live long and prosper."

Phil

[GyroRon]

Phil wants a Hat too. ;D

Well heck I will jump on the bandwagon and say I have flown two aircommands and they both were very nice. I like them. So send me a Hat or something!

[GyroRon]

I like Sportcopters rotorblades and have bragged on them a bit and they gave me a nice grey with blue lettering hat.

All the Dominators rule stuff I have posted and I got me a flight in one of Ernies ultrawhite dominators.

So now it is on Aircommand. I think I should get at least a bumper sticker.

[StanFoster]

Ron: I will jump in and say I loved my Air Command. I wish I could have kept it....but I can only afford one toy.

[barnstorm2]

I have had great service from Nancy and Doug as well. My 2-place side by side is my 3rd Air Command.

The only problems I have had are related to the fact I have the 'prototype' CLT SxS.

Hopefully, she will be in the air again by spring.

[daveeisler]

I got my gyro from AC, and as a newby I was treated very well and I am not an easy guy to please when I am spending a bundle, but everyone at AC was great to me in fact I spent a week there and they were still great. And after I got home the service got even better. Thanks to Doug,Red,John and Nancy. And I do not want any hat's. Dave

[Bob Simmons]

I had bought a 582 elite up north. It was suppose to have all the upgrades. well,I took it to a CFI in Brewton, Al. and he noted like all my other gyro buddies, that it did not sit proper to the ground and the noise wheel was to close to the ground. Air Command was very helpful in their support to allow us to make the required corrections. I trained at the Air Command in Texas and they have always been there to help me in my questions.

[automan1223]

Call me so but what do you think I should get a hat or a bumper sticker. ? ....Maybe a flight jacket ?

Sent parts to Air Command in APRIL. For Todd's rotor head to be duplicated off of mine. Parts I got back incomplete... minus some hardware...... Also wanted some angle brackets that were square for the rear control horn so I would not beat out the small bearings again. .

after 4.5 months & 10 phone calls and promises/excuses up the wazooo.

I finally got them 2 weeks ago. Sept...

2 teeter bushings, clips, washers.
3 sets of (not so good) angle brackets.

I had to machine the angle brackets in my own mill out of the best set.
They were still off by .080. and were not satisfactory to install in a precision installation like a control system.

Now I am waiting for a sun gear for my redrive. ( nothing to do with a/c)

If I had my parts earlier I might be flying by now.


Boy its a great day.

Jonathan

[barnstorm2]

Jonathan, are you waiting on a sun gear for a NHC? Me to. I got a call yesterday, they should be here soon.

[automan1223]

Yes I am.

Larry is a real stand up guy and says he knows there is a problem. Whew, I almost fell over. Someone with the walnuts to admit........there is a problem. It was not aliens, or the men in black.......

I am soooo tired of dealing with people who are in denial. Belive me I am no angel and I have my faults and continue to be humbled by my failures and hard earned success. But I have to thank larry in person one of these days for admitting there is a problem. The sun gear looks unhappy and it might run ok on the ground but you can bet your dinner that the min I am out of site of the landing strip it would poop out.

Building this machine has been a lot of fun, education and has been frustrating at times. Of course I am the groups most constipated student pilot. Building and flying and building again since 1999. I take two steps forward, and then 3 steps back it seems.

I have frustrated the pants off of Ron A. who has the guiness book for machines owned and flown. however I am in the homestrech and I should be flying by the end of this month. So I might write an book if I had the time.

I can hear Ron thinking to himself after he reads this....
Yeah, yeah, yeah........ SURE......

Jonathan

[GyroRon]

No Big J. I am thinking.... didn't I hear this same story a YEAR ago??? ROC or bust or something like that??? you showed up on the last day, I got to see you for what a hour? Time to get it in gear Automan1223

[Friendly]

I place a call to A/C for a book on Mac engines, they sent it right away, I will order some ignition parts soon. I am grateful for all the manufactors that provide us parts for the various machines. I like the feed back on companys and understand that everyone makes some mistakes. It helps sometime to know the mistakes to make sure it is not a continuing problem. THANK YOU MANUFACTORS and keep up the good work and continue correcting the small amount of bad that seeps through.
Now Ron ,,,just how many gyros is that record.

[GyroRon]

Not that many.... Besides Chuck Irby and Mike Morgan both are close behind with their collections of machines!

[automan1223]

I do not have the luck you do Ron. I have had to suck up a lot of crap in my life and I dont lead a charmed one.

Let me correct myself.

If my redrive does not have the parts I need in time, I am gonna stay home and say f-it. I have no time flying and there is no sense dragging my machine down and letting it sit. Last year I ran into hurrican isabell. With record flooding, the transmission on my jeep pooped out along with a list of parts I had to wait on.

The machine got grounded because the rudder cables broke and required complete rework of course the machine is a hybrid and is not a factory ac build. March and April of this year I did fly and learned the control sticks were getting beaten out, a'c upgraded the round to square stock and back together it went only to fail in no time. Thus discovered the defective cnc'd parts.
Then my engine finally burned itself up, I put a new one on and found the reason why the first one went away and had shaky power output. So now I am correcting that before it toasts the new 22. Only my luck.



ars is in gear but you know some things just fight you along the way. The story of my life.

Jonathan

[BUD ONEAL]

Ron,
Aircommands don't have a bumper,How could you attach a sticker?

[Screw]

Screw-In

Not that anyone asked me, but the part about this thread that I find disturbing is the fact that "Someone" took it upon themselves to call Aircommand and question what Chris does or doesn't do.

I had similar experiance after SX Days. "Someone" took it upon themselves to call Steve McGowan and question my training. :D

Chris shares because he wants too, and if he chooses to compliment or badmouth his experiances, it is his decision. Mind your own.

If anyone chooses to question my training or flying, I would apprciate being asked personally. I usually have my log book.

Not that I'm trying to high jack a thread, I'm just using similar examples of people not minding thier fences.

Trust me, if whoever called Aircommand was soooo concerned, they would have spoken with or sent Chris a private email rather than put him in an ackward position. Same with whoever called Steve. :D

Screw-Out

[GyroRon]

Bud, I guess we could find somewhere to stick one on!

Jonathan, I ain't that lucky bro! I just plug away at things full force till they are done. I can not stand having a project sitting around half completed. When I went to first learn to fly - started with fixed wing ultralights - I drove down to Greer South Carolina to the training school first thing in the morning - almost a 3 hour drive one way - and stayed till dark flying and learning, went home and came back the next morning and stayed till dark and do so day after day till I was soloed and done. Same thing with learning to fly the gyro, was there at Bensen Days 2001 to meet Steve the Saturday before the fly in began and was either in Steves tent, Steves Machine or sleeping for 10 days and was soloed at the end of the fly in. My flight training to earn my Private Certificate was slammed out in a short time frame. Flew nearly every day for two months and then took my checkride, no need to drag it out over the next year like most folks. My new Dominator... I know alot of folks think I got a nearly done project, but knowing all the work I had to do to get her finished, I know it would have been several months to a year or better at the rate most people work on these things. Even though it was just about the busiest and hottest time of the year for me, I got her done in about a month and a half. NONE of this makes me special, I am just pointing out that when I set my mind on something I like to see it happen quickly. I guess this is why I can't understand why your not ready to beat the air into submission with me yet, But I DO understand that most people aren't as in a hurry as I am to do stuff. I am sure one of these days we will get to fly. just hope that it is before we are old enough to get a Seniors discount on our post flight lunches!

Screw, I also agree with you. I still don't know what you did in the first place that was so bad that someone had to go out of their way to contact Steve to complain. I also don't know who the rat was. It sure wasn't me cause the last time I spoke to Steve was at Bensen Days.

[CLS447]

John, you are absolutely right! That really is the disturbing part. Thanks.

[Rotornut]

Ok I am Lost! Where is the thread on somone calling AirCommand about Chris? Help MJ :(

[Screw]

Screw-in

Sorry MJ, it was an email, not a phone call. Chris returned a phone call based on an email:

"Later today I missed a call from Doug Smith of Air Command. I promptly returned the call because I always enjoy talking to Doug. He told me he recieved an email from someone concerning my posts on my new machine. Whoever it was from, has Doug concerned that I may be bashing or degrading his company in some way or another.

I told him I was sorry and didn't mean to give them bad publicity. "

My mistake about the median of communication.

Screw-Out

[automan1223]

I know running a busines is tough and its impossible to please everyone all of the time. I do believe that for some reason my stuff fell thru the cracks into chaos land and that is not the norm. I am just that lucky I guess.

Jonathan