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Cirrus Owners Focus on Learning

Jerry Seckler is Dean of the COPA University. Rob Mark
Gemini Sparkle

Key Takeaways:

  • Cirrus aircraft initially had a high fatal accident rate despite their ballistic parachute system (CAPS), but this significantly improved after 2013 due to increased CAPS usage.
  • This safety turnaround resulted from a collaborative effort between the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) and Cirrus Aircraft, focusing on robust safety advocacy and communications.
  • Key initiatives included promoting the "Pull Early, Pull Often" mantra, implementing standardized instructor programs (CSIPs), new training materials, and comprehensive transition training programs like Embark.
  • Ongoing training, such as the COPA Pilot Proficiency Program (CPPP), further reinforces a strong "Culture of Safety" by emphasizing mastery-level aeronautical decision-making and hazard avoidance, like advanced weather analysis.
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When Cirrus aircraft began entering the market around the turn of this century, some pundits were certain the new-age, glass-cockpit airplane was just what the industry needed to improve the single-engine safety record. As it turned out, the first decade or so of Cirrus operations were marred by more than a few fatal accidents, despite the Cirrus aircraft ballistic parachute system.

Rob Mark

Rob Mark is an award-winning journalist, business jet pilot, flight instructor, and blogger.

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