Gallery Update: My Poor Twin Comanche...

So last month, I was informed by my multi-engine flight instructor out of Aurora that Aurora Flight Training's Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche, the plane I was doing my multi-engine flight training was totaled in a landing accident down in Corvallis after the the renters who were flying made a series of poor decisions (from what I understand); thankfully, there were no fatalities and those on board were able to walk away. Apparently, this occurred at the end of April and I didn't even know about for a month!

This is a major setback for me when it comes to flight training because it means I'm going to have to have to find another twin-engine airplane to complete my multi-engine add-on in somewhere down the road. I decided three weeks ago to terminate my membership with Aurora Flight Training afterwards because there was no point in paying monthly flight club dues for insurance when they no longer had the airplane I want to fly in available (while they're working to get a replacement twin, I just can't justify in waiting on them). It goes with saying, but I have nothing but good things to say about Aurora Flight Training, it's people, and of course my multi-engine instructor. But I am frustrated.

I'm frustrated that I'm going to have to go find another twin-engine airplane to complete my training in somewhere (and likely shell out more money in the process because this Twin Comanche that got wrecked was the best deal out of all the places I looked into for multi-engine flight training!)! I'm frustrated that my single-engine commercial certification and checkride has been dragging for way too long with all the delays, setbacks, and constant rescheduling; I HAD hoped to be done with the single-engine commercial early in the year and I should've had my multi-engine done by now as well (well-before the loss of the Twin Comanche that I flew!). I'm also starting to feel resentful of the fact that I feel left behind. I resent that many of my peers whom I went to school with are already flight instructors and are well-on their way to fulfilling qualifications to become airline pilots. I'm also slightly bothered by the fact that many of my peers and former classmates have had better luck (and track record!) than I have, as they were able to get their certifications done in a shorter period of time and are better-positioned than I am at the moment. I should be in the career field by now at least as a flight instructor, but I'm not...

Not having Aurora Flight Training as a viable option anymore has been a HUGE bummer and once again served to remind me that I've consistently had the worst luck with the one thing in my life that I'm passionate about. Believe me, I'm getting sick and tired of all the setbacks!

Corvallis (CVO) 8

Preview:

Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche (N125RJ) at her final resting place.

Props all bent up, right-main and nose gears collapsed.

My poor Twin Comanche!

Seeing it in this sorry state fills me with a mix of sadness, anger, and frustration.

Nothing more than a pile of scrap.

Anything that is salvageable will likely become spare parts to support other airworthy Twin Comanches, since production of the Comanche and Twin Comanche lines ceased following the great Susquehanna River flood of 1972, wich flooded Piper's Pennsylvania manufacturing plant, destroying airframes, parts, and much of the tooling necessary for production. Rather than rebuild the tooling, Piper chose to abandon production of the Comanche and Twin Comanche lines (which is a shame!) and continue with two newer designs already in production at their Florida facility at the time.