N17MB

N17MB is William’s 1966 B-model Piper Twin Comanche (PA-30B) based at Gallatin, Music City Executive (KXNX), near Nashville, TN. 17MB seats four adults (plus two removable seats), cruises at 170mph, burns 17 gallons an hour, and carries 84 gallons of usable fuel.

The Twin Comanche is the second most efficient general aviation light twin, second to Diamond’s DA twin series. It takes William just under 4.5 hours to fly between Nashville and San Antonio, all while burning 10 less gallons than his Tahoe would burn making the same drive but over a total time of about 14 hours.

Mike using the tug to move the Twin Comanche.

17MB was previously owned by former American Airlines pilot Mike, of Music City Aircraft Sales, who still retains 5% ownership and helped instruct William to get his multi-engine rating. Together they have put many hours on 17MB since becoming part owners in April, 2021.

William & Mike @ KSPG, St. Petersburg, FL
N17MB is equipped with a Garmin GTN 750 GPS and a Garmin GNX 345 transponder with ADSB In + Out. This setup pairs nicely with ForeFlight for excellent situational awareness.
Fueling in Lafayette, Tennessee
A rainy departure from Atlanta Dekalb-Peachtree (KPDk).
N17MB near Shreveport, Louisiana.

Here is some video of N17MB in action:

The Alaska Trip

In July 2022, together with friends Robert, James, and Daniel, William flew N17MB to Anchorage Alaska from the lower 48. They flew the coastal route from Seattle, overflying Canada to Ketchikan and Yakutat around the Gulf of Alaska.

The Seattle Trip

William along with James and Daniel flew N17MB from San Antonio to Seattle and back during the summer of 2021. Below are a collection of videos of the trip:

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Resources:

International Comanche Society PA-30 Twin Comanche POH

Piper PA-30B Twin Comanche POH

Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche Service Manual

STEC 40 Autopilot Operating Manual

Shadin Digital Fuel Flow Operating Manual

JPI EDM-760 Digital Engine Monitor Operating Manual

Lycoming IO-320 Engine Operator Manual

PA-30 Twin Comanche Generic Checklist

PA-30 V Speeds