Fly-in, drive-in, walk-in -- any way you can, come join other COPA members and their partners at our safety programs. Some programs deliver intense learning experiences for Cirrus pilots, some focus on the flying partner, some are more social. But anytime COPA members gather, the discussions inevitably turn to safety.
COPA introduced the Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program in 2002 and more than 350 COPA members attend each year. Many choose to make the CPPP, with its Cirrus-specific ground and flight training, a key part of their ongoing recurrent training, attending every 12 to 18 months. A wide range of ground sessions and flight training allow each attendee to tailor the course to their personal training needs.
The primary objective of CPPP is to enable pilots to operate their aircraft with greater confidence, safety and enjoyment. Safety comes from many facets of a pilot's knowledge base; including plane handling, weather knowledge and utilizing the advanced avionics the Cirrus pilot has available. As pilots we get satisfaction from executing a text book approach and take pride after a smooth landing. Most of us review our performance after every flight. Nonetheless, the safety performance of SR2x pilots to date has not met our high expectations and the inherent safety advantages of the aircraft are not being realized. We hope that CPPP will help us all be safer pilots! More information
A Critical Decision Making (CDM) seminar isn't really a seminar but rather a facilitated interactive hangar-flying session where the group looks at general aviation and Cirrus statistics, reviews case studies of Cirrus accidents, and participates in the reenactment of an actual accident.
This isn't just for low-time pilots. Higher-time pilots often add useful experience to the discussion. And, although lower-time pilots often lack the experience that aids judgment, higher-time pilots sometimes use experience to justify risky behavior. Almost half the accidents in Cirrus, to date, have been by higher-time pilots. The seminar is free. Lunch is included. More information
COPA Partner-In-Command Seminars
Frequent Cirrus right-seaters need to understand and prepare for the unlikely eventuality that the pilot may become incapacitated during a flight. The material covers much more than simply “pull the CAPS handle”. Does your partner know how to talk on the radio - even if isolated on the audio panel? What to say? How to squawk 7700? How to find and activate the ELT from the right seat? How to help a choking victim? How to recognize and react to Carbon Monoxide poisoning? Hypoxia? How to use the autopilot to steer to a CAPS-suitable area? What to do on the way down? After landing? These are among the many topics covered in the seminar, aided by a beautiful set of panel photographs for home reference, and a booklet that also serves as a checklist for use in an emergency.
Partner-in-Command are held during COPA Migration, in conjunction with most CPPP courses, and occasionally at other times.
COPA Migration
The speaker program at the COPA annual migration presents a wealth of insights and experiences to make your flying safer. Yet another reason to migrate with your COPA friends.