Despite economic setbacks, the Commander line has remained in production. Latest versions are the 115 and 115TC.

In a world of sleek plastic fast cruisers, the Commander 112/114 series is a bit of a throwback. It’s all metal, relatively slow and compared to other airplanes of its day, it’s relatively complex. On the other hand, even those who own other models will admit that the Commander is one of the best looking general aviation singles out there.

It’s at once beefy and streamlined but, more than anything else, the designers got the proportions spot on. Everything on a Commander looks right and if airplanes look right, they usually fly right. And few if any modern airplanes can match the Commander in one regard: its big cabin is roomy…