Aero Commander 500 Family - Operational History

Operational History

In military service, it was initially designated the L-26 though in 1962 this was changed to U-4 for the USAF and U-9 for the US Army.

Under ownership of Rockwell in the 1960s, WWII pilot Bob Hoover demonstrated the Shrike Commander 500S for decades in a variety a "managed energy" routines including single-engine and engine-out aerobatics. His Shrike Commander is displayed in the colors of his last sponsor Evergreen International at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. Bob Odegaard continued the tradition in 2012 flying a 1975 Shrike 500S in a Bob Hoover tribute routine.

One U-4B became a presidential transport aircraft for Dwight Eisenhower between 1956 and 1960. This was the smallest "Air Force One," and the first to wear the now-familiar blue-and-white livery.

As of 2004, Shrike Commanders remained in service with the United States Coast Guard and United States Customs ServiceBut were retired from service in 2012.

A single 560F was operated by the Belgian Air Force as the personal transport of the late king Boudewijn from 1961 to 1973.