Simultaneous Events In Seven Locations Addressed Key Topics To Reducing Accidents

The Malibu M-Class Owners & Pilots Association (MMOPA) held its first-ever nationwide Safety Stand Down Saturday, Oct. 12, 2019. The free, one-day event, which was open to MMOPA members and non-members, took place simultaneously at seven locations across the country and featured key safety topics relevant to safe single-pilot operations of the high-performance aircraft.

Each Stand Down was led by a MMOPA-endorsed certified flight instructor who specializes in training in the PA46 variants, including the Malibu, Mirage, Meridian, JetPROP, and M600. Additionally, the program was FAA approved under the Pilot Proficiency Program and eligible for WINGs credit.

The event, which was attended by nearly 200 pilots, was held at the following locations:

• NORTHEAST: Boston, MA, Marshfield Municipal Airport (KGHG)
• MID-ATLANTIC: Atlanta, GA, Cobb County International Airport (KRYY)
• SOUTHEAST: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Executive Airport (KFXE)
• UPPER MIDWEST: Anoka County–Blaine Airport (KANE)
• SOUTH-CENTRAL: Jacksonville, TX, Cherokee County Airport (KJSO)
• WEST: San Diego, CA, Montgomery-Gibbs Executive (KMYF)
• SOUTHWEST: Albuquerque, NM, Double Eagle II Airport (KAEG)

Based on research and analysis conducted by the MMOPA Safety Committee, each Stand Down presented material on two topics that have particular impact on the safety of the PA46 community:

Spatial Disorientation:
Spatial Disorientation is an insidious problem for all of general aviation, and pilots must understand the implications of not understanding the vestibular, proprioceptive, and visual systems of the human body and how those systems can provide incorrect inputs to the brain. In the last 12 months, spatial disorientation is the known or suspect cause of several PA46 fatal accidents. The MMOPA Safety Committee believes that spatial disorientation is an important subject, one which all pilots should understand.

Airframe icing:
Airframe icing is the known or suspect cause of several fatal accidents in the last 12 months, and all of these accidents are avoidable with increased pilot awareness of the negative aerodynamic impacts of icing, the need to properly configure the aircraft for an icing encounter, and how the most insidious type of icing (freezing precipitation) can be avoided altogether.

“The Safety Stand Down was a unique opportunity for MMOPA member pilots to get face-to-face with top instructors and other owners to gain a deeper understanding of the unique capabilities and limitations of their aircraft, as well as increase their knowledge of critical safety topics,” said MMOPA Executive Director Dianne White. “MMOPA’s primary mission is to promote safety and help our owners operate their aircraft in the safest manner possible. The Safety Stand Down is yet another way we hope to ‘move the needle’ on reducing accidents and saving lives.”

How the Stand Down Started:
Earlier this year, MMOPA invited all flight instructors who actively train in the PA46 market to attend a CFI Summit that coincided with the MMOPA Annual Convention held May 27-31 in Amelia Island, FL. To incentivize instructors to attend, MMOPA removed several financial barriers, including waiving convention registration fees and assisting with lodging costs. The organization felt it was critical to bring instructors together to share ideas and best practices, discuss trends and concerns and jointly develop strategies to improve training and safety across the entire fleet. Out of the CFI Summit, the MMOPA Safety Stand Down was born.

(Images provided with MMOPA news release)

FMI: mmopa.com