I am a new pilot (just passed my check ride one week ago today) and I plan to purchase a Cirrus sometime in the next year or so. I am seriously considering attending the Migration in Duluth but wanted to get some feedback about a non-Cirrus owner attending the event. Will my attendance be as beneficial if I don’t yet own a Cirrus? Will there be Cirrus instructors that could take me up and help familiarize me with the plane a little more (I have been up in one Cirrus one time thanks to the generosity of a local COPA member). I just want to get more familiar with these planes during this time before purchasing one.
Yeah, in an airport on the go when I wrote it. I only meant a newby has more to learn and gain by attending prior to purchase. It will be like drinking from a fire hose.
First, please know that as (outgoing) Migration Chairman, I think the event is both worthwhile and lots of fun … regardless of your aircraft ownership status! [H] But, I’m definitely biased. [;)]
Migration is NOT like some of our other events: CPPP (Cirrus Pilot Proficiency Program) and CDM (Critical Decision Making). They focus on training. Migration is much more of a social event that’s centered around flying in general and the Cirrus SR-2X designs in particular. From purely an educational point-of-view, the seminars (1.5 days worth!) are all aviation-related. They cover a multitude of topics and are 1 hr. each with 15 min. breaks between them. The tradeshow features aviation-related products of all sorts. And, there are demonstrator aircraft; I can guarantee that Cirrus will have planes available to give rides to prospective clients. (BTW also we hold COPA’s Annual Meeting on Friday morning.) For non-pilot right-seaters, we have a special PIC (Partner-In-Command) course on Saturday morning. Usually spouses (or SOs) find the PIC training class extremely valuable when they realize they (not only you) can control the aircraft’s ultimate safety feature - CAPS.
If you aren’t interested in anything that I’ve already described (which would probably imply that you aren’t a pilot), we have social events. Things get kicked off on Thursday night with our traditional COPA Cabana cocktail party - casual dress preferred! Mingle and meet the people behind the COPA forum keyboards. On Friday, Cirrus Aircraft is staging a Cirrus Life event - big party, free drinks, and lots of munchies/food. During the day on Saturday, Migration has a special Spouse Program. (Usually the non-pilot right-seaters can stand only so much airplane talk!) And, on Saturday night, we have a banquet dinner (a tad more formal but a tie isn’t really required) with a special guest speaker. This year, the guest speaker will be Mark Baker, President of AOPA.
Basically, Migration is a 2.5 day event - Thursday evening and both Friday and Saturday. Put some travel time on either side of that, and you have a great formula for a longish weekend. [:D]
The Migration 14 website is about to come “on-line”. So, sign-up and find out why some of us attend year-after-year!