1972
Year
C-FRBD — 1972 Aero Commander 500S
C-FRBD is a 1972 Aero Commander 500S (2 engines) based in DRYDEN, Ontario, listed on the Transport Canada Civil Aircraft Register (serial 3118).
Piston twin
Category
Ontario
Based
5
On CA register
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The aircraft
Year built1972 · 54 years old
Airframe typeWhether Transport Canada classes it as an aeroplane, a helicopter, a glider, a balloon or a gyroplane.Aeroplane
Engine typeHow the engine makes power. Piston engines run on avgas like a car engine; turboprops and jets burn turbine fuel, cost far more to overhaul, and are usually reserved for bigger or faster aircraft.Piston
Engines2
Max take-off weightMaximum take-off weight: the heaviest the aircraft may legally be when it starts its take-off roll, including fuel, people and baggage. It's the number that decides what licence and ratings you need, and what it costs to park.3,062 kg · 6,750 lb
Where it's based
BasedThe city or airport Transport Canada holds as the aircraft's base. Where the field holds a four-letter code like CYXE, that's the airport's ICAO identifier.DRYDEN, Ontario
Transport Canada officeThe Transport Canada regional office that administers this registration. It follows the owner's address, so it isn't always the nearest office to where the aircraft actually sits.Toronto
Identity
Serial numberThe manufacturer's own number for this individual airframe, stamped on a plate. Unlike the registration, it never changes. It identifies the aircraft across every country it's ever been registered in.3118
ManufacturerThe full legal name of the company that built it, which is often not the name on the tail. A Cessna 172 built in 2022 was made by Textron Aviation.Aero Commander Division North American Rockwell
Built inWhere the aircraft was manufactured. Most of Canada's fleet was built in the United States.U.S.A.
ICAO 24-bit addressA unique 24-bit number your transponder broadcasts with every Mode S and ADS-B message. Flight trackers key on it rather than the tail number. Canada's block runs C00000 to C3FFFF, which is why Canadian aircraft nearly all start C0 to C3. Transport Canada assigns it against the registration, so it changes if the aircraft is re-registered.C02D02
Registration
Registration typePrivate, Commercial or State. Commercial means the registration permits use for hire or reward, like charter, flight training or aerial work. It describes the registration, not who owns the aircraft.Commercial
AirworthinessThe standard certificate: the aircraft conforms to its approved design and is maintained by a licensed engineer. No restrictions beyond the type's own, and it's what buyers and lenders expect to see.Certificate of Airworthiness
Basis of registrationThe rule the aircraft is registered under. Most are registered against a type certificate, meaning they're a factory design approved by the regulator; amateur-built and ultralight aircraft come in under their own standards.CAR Standard 507.02, 507.03 - Type Certificate
Type certificateThe approval number for the aircraft's design, issued to the manufacturer. Every aircraft built to that approved design shares it, so it's a good way to confirm exactly which variant you're looking at.6A1
Registered sinceWhen the current registration took effect. A recent date usually means the aircraft changed hands or was re-registered. It isn't the year it was built.14 December 2017
Where C-FRBD is, and how to track it
C-FRBD transmits ADS-B under the 24-bit address C02D02. Trackers key on that address rather than the tail number, so it finds the aircraft even on flights flown under a different callsign. Transport Canada assigns the address against the registration, so it changes if the aircraft is re-registered.
Most private aircraft spend most of their time on the ground. If a tracker shows nothing, it's probably just parked.
The owner of record and the certificate history are on Transport Canada's own lookup: see C-FRBD on the Transport Canada register →
How rare is C-FRBD?
The Aero Commander 500S is very rare in Canada. There are 5 on the register.
- All 5 are in Ontario.
- Half of them were built before 1971. C-FRBD is newer than most.
- Canada has 77 Aero Commander aircraft of all models.
- Canada has 1,496 piston twin aircraft, 415 of them in Ontario.
- 49 aircraft are based in DRYDEN. See them all →
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Reported occurrences
Transport Canada has 2 reports on file mentioning C-FRBD (2003–2024). One records damage. The other one is filed with no damage recorded. Those are things like bird strikes, air traffic events and equipment reports, which get logged whether or not anything was harmed.
Minor · Jan 24, 2003
Incident — parked phase
Transport Canada describes CADORS entries as preliminary and unsubstantiated, and subject to change. Reports reach the system when somebody files one, so a clean record doesn't prove an aircraft has never been damaged. It doesn't replace a title search, an AD check, a pre-purchase inspection or the logbooks. One entry has a Transportation Safety Board file number; those are investigated separately and the TSB publishes its own reports. Source: Transport Canada, Civil Aviation Daily Occurrence Reporting System (CADORS), under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Other Aero Commander 500S in Canada
C-GETJ 1976 · C-FMUM 1971 · C-GETH 1968 · C-GJLO 1968 · all Aero Commander 500S →
Own this aircraft?
You can list C-FRBD here for free. We already have the year, make, model, serial and engine from the register, so most of the form is filled in for you. Buyers contact you directly and we take no commission.
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Canadian Civil Aircraft Register, current to September 17, 2026. Aircraft data reproduced and distributed with the permission of the Government of Canada. MarketPlane.ca is not affiliated with Transport Canada.