Should You Buy a Rockwell Commander?

Thinking about buying a Rockwell Commander 114? In this video I dig into what this North American Rockwell / Rockwell International design is really like to live with day-to-day: not the brochure fantasy, but the real-world numbers that current owners see. We talk about where the Commander 114 and 114B came from after the original 112 line, how Gulfstream Aerospace ended up with the type certificate, and how Randall Greene’s Commander Aircraft Company restarted production at Wiley Post Airport in Oklahoma City and Bethany, Oklahoma in the 1990s.

You’ll see how this “mini cabin-class” four-seat tourer actually performs: real cruise speeds in the 140-150-knot bracket, typical 11–13 GPH fuel burns from the Lycoming IO-540, and what it’s like to cruise between 6,000 and 10,000 feet on typical US and European trips.

We get into useful load, how modern glass panels and air-conditioning have changed empty weights, and why some Commanders will haul four adults plus bags and real fuel, while others feel more like heavy four-seaters with compromises. I’ll also talk about the hot-spots owners and shops watch closely, elevator spars, gear attach points, and the fuel system quirks the Commander Owners Group is always teaching new pilots about.

Then we cross-shop it against the usual suspects: Mooney M20J “201” from Mooney Aircraft in Kerrville, Texas, Beechcraft Bonanza from Wichita, Kansas, Piper PA-32R Saratoga and PA-28R Arrow from Piper Aircraft in Vero Beach, Florida, the Cessna 182 / 182RG Skylane from Cessna Aircraft, the Cirrus SR20 from Cirrus Aircraft in Duluth, Minnesota, and European exotics like the Socata TB20 Trinidad out of Tarbes, France. We talk comfort, cabin width, doors, support network and real ownership cost per hour so you can see where the Commander really sits in the used market. Along the way I reference upgrades driven by engineers like John P. Healey and the later Commander 114B / 115 refinements, plus the role of Commander Premier Aircraft Corporation (CPAC) in keeping parts support alive.

If you’re a pilot flying two or three people on 300–500 NM legs and you’re wondering whether a Commander 114 is an underrated gem or an expensive mistake, this deep-dive is for you.