CPPP Instructors

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The COPA Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program utilizes a cadre of highly experienced flight instructors at these events. This list is intended to honor their participation year after year as well as to refer you to them for additional flight training opportunities.

These instructors combine excellence in teaching skills along with experience with a wide variety of Cirrus configurations. Imagine the variety of aircraft that might come to a CPPP, ranging from the latest FIKI tubro Perspective airplanes alongside an SR20 with a Century HSI and an ARNAV MFD parked next to another SR22 with Avidyne R9, and so on. CPPP instructors know these airplanes well.

CPPP flight participants come with a wide variety of requests for recurrent training, some for basic flying skills, some with specific areas of concentration such as instrument procedures or slow flight maneuvering, some with needs to prepare for a check ride, and even others with a desire to see what it is like to fly from the right seat!

Each of these CPPP flight instructors is a COPA member and a current CSIP instructor. Many are Platinum CSIP instructors (1000 hours dual instruction in Cirrus, etc.) You can contact them through their COPA profile.

Aaron Wedge, a Platinum CSIP instructor, who previously worked in the Flight Standards group of Cirrus Aircraft, from Duluth, Minnesota
Bill Frank, a Platinum CSIP instructor, the liaison between the CSIP advisory group of instructors and Cirrus Aircraft, and who teaches with Progressive Aviation Services from Wisconsin
Bill Graham, a Platinum CSIP instructor, who has been teaching at CPPP events since their inception in 2002, from San Diego, California
Bill Wirth, a CSIP instructor who teaches with P and C Aviation from Atlanta, GA
Carol Jensen, a Platinum CSIP instructor who teaches with Lightning Ranch Aviation Services; a COPA board member, and Chair of the Critical Decision Making seminar program, from Georgetown, TX
Chase Friesen, a CSIP instructor who teaches with The Flight Academy from Seattle, Washington
Chris Baker, a CSIP instructor who teaches with The Flight Academy from Dallas, Texas
Chuck Copley, an independent CSIP instructor from Hilton Head, South Carolina
Christian Cherniak, a CSIP instructor who teaches with P and C Aviation from Atlanta, GA
Cliff Izer, a Platinum CSIP instructor, Chief Pilot for Simtrain, the full-motion Cirrus simulator, and GM of Professional Aviation Services, LLC from Alpharetta, Georgia
Jason Price, a Platinum CSIP instructor, who founded Mach1 Aviation from Van Nuys, California
Jesse Owen, a CSIP instructor who teaches with The Flight Academy from Las Vegas, Nevada
Jim Spaller, an independent CSIP instructor, who has been teaching at CPPP from their inception in 2002, from Syracuse, New York
Joe Davis, a CSIP instructor who teaches with P and C Aviation from Atlanta, GA
John Fiscus, a Platinum CSIP instructor, the blogger for Tips from CSIP's: Staying Proficient, a former factory instructor with Cirrus Design, and co-founder and Chief Instructor of The Flight Academy from Seattle, Washington
Kelly Rudy, an independent CSIP, and manager of the FAA TRACON (approach control) for Las Vegas, Nevada
Larry Russell, a Platinum CSIP instructor, Lebanon, Tennessee
Luke Lysen, a Platinum CSIP instructor, a former factory instructor with Cirrus Design, and co-founder of The Flight Academy from Seattle, Washington
Matt McDaniel, a Platinum CSIP instructor, a former factory instructor with Cirrus Design, and founder of Progressive Aviation Services from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Matt Swart, a Platinum CSIP instructor, who has been teaching at CPPP events since their inception in 2002, from St. Augustine, Florida
Mike Radomsky, a Platinum CSIP instructor, President Emeritus of COPA, who teaches with The Flight Academy from Las Vegas, Nevada
Peter King, an independent CSIP, Chief Instructor the Cessna Advanced Aircraft Recurrent Training program, creator the ground session on Mastering the Garmin Flight Management System, from Bend, Oregon
Rich Hayes, a CSIP instructor, who teaches for Blue Sky Aviation and who operates the Simtrain full-motion Cirrus simulator from Atlanta, Georgia
Tim Rhoden, a CSIP instructor who teaches with The Flight Academy from Medford, Oregon
Tony Kaczor, an independent CSIP instructor from St. Augustine, Florida
Trip Taylor, a Platinum CSIP instructor, head of the Avidyne National Flight Standards Team, formerly a check pilot for SATSair, the Part 135 air taxi company that flew Cirrus SR22, and founder of Adventure Flight Training in Atlanta, GA

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