A Journal, with Pictures

On Monday we flew to Colorado Springs after changing our flight plan to fly north around thunderstorms to Fort Dodge, Iowa. We refueled then continued on to KCOS. We packed a lunch to shorten our ground time but battled headwinds the whole way. We spent eight hours in the air and were happy to see the Rockies looming to the west. We arrived at 2:30 local time, due to the time change, and couldn’t believe the number of Cirrus on the ramp. More than twenty had come for the pre-migration courses or to tour in the area. We went to the Cheyenne Mountain Resort after tying down and immediately started meeting COPA people. After cocktails and dinner we hit the sack having had a long day of flying.

Tuesday morning after the breakfast buffet at the resort, I attended the Mountain Flying course put on by Colorado Pilots Association. The two instructors were seasoned mountain pilots and one was a ATC controller from Denver Center. This was like drinking from the proverbial fire hose. We went back to VFR flight planning which most of us haven’t done for years. The course covered high altitude performance, weather, leaning, operations in the mountains, emergency procedures, survival and a whole lot more. We started the planning for our next days cross country flight and finished it that evening as home work. It was a very full day. The next day we got up to IFR weather when we were going on a VFR mission. I met with my instructor at seven A.M. and declined the opportunity to take off in 300 overcast. At eight A.M. it was up to seven hundred and we took off IFR and cancelled on top then headed west into the mountains that were clear. We flew by pilotage and dead reckoning over rugged terrain, through passes, landing at Kremming, Aspen and Leadville. Leadville is the highest North American Airport at 9927 feet. Fortunately we refueled there then headed back to Colorado Springs. We arrived and it was still IFR so we were number 20 waiting to land and held for 45 minutes before doing the ILS. Four hours of great flying, sight seeing and a lot of learning and relearning.

Both evenings we met at the COPA Hangar for cocktails and had dinner with COPA friends. Its only Wednesday and we feel like we have had three days of M9.

COPA pilots that had not come in early started arriving on Thursday morning. After a work out at the resort I went to the airport for a demo flight in the Eclipse Jet. WOW, what a treat. This is a exciting airplane and must be considered in where I go next in my flying life. When I made my approach for landing there were Cirrus every where coming in to Colorado Spring. This is exciting stuff and I still get a lump in my throat when I see one Cirrus after another land and taxi in. The Colorado Jet Center handled the steady stream of Cirrus perfectly. You taxied up, unloaded, were taken to the Jet Center hangar for registration. After registration you could grab a snack and visit the exhibits that were all set up. Buses then took the arriving attendees to the Cheyenne Mountain Resort. At 6:30 PM everyone gathered for welcome cocktails and very heavy Hors D’ Ouvevres at the traditional COPA Cabana with a Cowboy flavor. There was a real buzz as old friends reconnected and new friends were made. All the exhibitors where there so it was a big party.

Hangar Day was a new idea for Migration with everyone going back to the airport. The Colorado Jet Center main hangar was the site for our exhibitors to display their wares. In front of the hangar air frame vendors had aircraft to fly. Included were Cirrus, Piper, Extra, Lancair, Daher-Socata and Eclipse. There was also a beauty pageant for Cirrus that had been modified. In the hangar every booth space was taken. Buses transported attendees to the airport with the Partners in Command arriving after their class room session at the resort. RJ Siegle CEO of LoPresti announced a new run flat tire for the Cirrus. The keynote speakers for the day were the officers from the Air Force. They flew in the new SR20 trainer and briefed us on this program conducted at the near by Air Force Academy. Lunch was served, door prizes were announced and it was a day to learn about planes, products as well as socialize with fellow COPA members.

We gathered for cocktails and socialized after a full day at the airport. Dennis Haber had a sun burn from working the arrival line the day before. The gala dinner was served perfectly by the Cheyenne Mountain Resort and I must admit our dinners were good which is a miracle based on past experience with banquets for close to 350 people. Last year and this years COPA gala clearly are the exception. After dinner Andy opened the program and introduced a instrumental trio and five faculty, students and alumni from the Colorado Springs Conservatory. They entertained us with extraordinary talent and a show with a flying theme. We then heard from the wife, pilot and ATC controller who were involved in the incredible incapacitated pilot event that had occurred just a few months earlier. COPA awarded hero awards to those involved. We then visited the COPA Hangar for a night cap, which was jumping, and then hit the sack to be ready for a full day Saturday.

Saturday was Seminar Day for the pilots and the spouses went touring to Pike Peak and Garden of the Gods. The large room seminars were video streamed to all of COPA starting with Curt Sanfords “State of COPA” address, the bottom line is we are doing well. Then Cirrus”s Dale K and Brent W gave the “State of Cirrus” and the bottom line was the future is bright, but we had a near death experience. Then Rick Beach put on the annual safety review and presented a compelling case for considering CAPs as an early option verses a last resort. Lives can be saved was the message. Since the mainstream was video archived I attended the NEXRAD presentation by Dr. David Strahle, which caused me to realize how little I really knew. This was excellent stuff. As a foot note, when I returned, I viewed the Cirrus reliability presentation on the web, which means you can be in two places at once with the aid of technology. I will watch the other large room seminars in the next few days. This means I will attend seven presentations, which is about the same number I usually attended in two days at prior Migrations.

Saturday evening had perfect weather for the outdoor evening festivities. Cocktails by the pool, while Doug Ritter did his survival class, which include demonstration of various equipment including rafts in the pool. We chatted with Dennis Haber who is heading for Alaska after M9. We enjoyed a buffet and then received the traditional weather briefing. At dinner we talked to New Zealand COPA members and a volunteer who is working on organizing a Bahamas trip for COPA. I continue to marvel at all of things going on with COPA members. Weather looks good tomorrow, so it up early and back to Ohio.

Joyce and I were up early and after filing our flight plan were off to the airport. We preflighted, picked up our box lunch and received our clearance. At 7:30 local we started for runway 17L and lined up behind five Cirrus. As we prepared to leave there was a constant stream of Cirrus taking off into the clear Colorado skies, what a great sight. We were cleared to take off on our way back to Ohio, with a fuel stop at New Century Airport near Kansas City (KIXD). It was VFR with a tail wind, life doesn’t get better than this. We made our fuel turn in less than thirty minutes, and were on our way to Dayton. We ate lunch in the air and had to dodge a little weather near Indianapolis and landed in Ohio at 4:30 local time. We had six hours to reflect on our week. We had interesting flying, socialized with many old friends and made new ones. We learned a lot, had a great time and visited a beautiful part of the country. Thank you Cirrus and COPA for our magic carpet and a chance to belong to a group of great people, who share our passion.

As a prolog we had breakfast in Colorado Springs, and that evening watched the conclusion of the PGA Golf Tournament, grilled a steak and enjoyed a glass of wine in Ohio (well maybe more than one glass). Try that flying commercial.