Wings Aloft Fired?

Has anybody heard anything about Wings Aloft being fired by Cirrus? Just something out of the rumor mill that came my way and wondering what implications it will have on the training if it is true.

This morning, Monday, I talked to Cirrus about my delivery and wings aloft schedule. There was no mention of any change regarding Wings Aloft.

Hey Bake It’s adam. How’s AM. I might be looking that way.

My Wings Aloft instructor confirmed today that Cirrus is taking the training program in house effective immediately. Apparently, Cirrus Management and WA management did not see eye-to-eye on a number of matters (including remediation of repetitive instructor mishaps such as tail strikes). My instructor believes that there may be some short term delivery problems due to the abruptness of this decision. For example, WA was scheduled to train two owners per day all of next week but now the contract is cancelled and the Duluth-based instructors are moving back to Seattle (WA Seattle is already flooded with instructors due to recent airline layoffs, so there will be a number of experienced SRxx CFIIs out there without much in the way of gainful employment).

Perhaps COPA can make an inquiry to Cirrus about the immediate future of the factory approved training program?

George

A Wings Aloft instructor is here in the Bay Area training my partners this week. She hasn’t mentioned anything. I’ll be seeing her tomorrow and will inquire discreetly.

George

I just spoke with wings about setting up the delivery of my sr22. They told me to speak to Cirrus since they do not know where they stand but the relationship is up in the air. No pun intended.

I just spoke with the WA scheduling department in Seattle. Apparently there is a WA management group in the air heading to Duluth as I write. There is SPECULATION that something may be worked out so that WA can continue and planes will continue to be delivered.

Until we hear from CD or WA it is all up-in-the-air. In the mean time they are scheduled to train 2 pilots per day next week.

Bob

I spoke with Allison at CD this morning. She said CD would be taking training inhouse as of Monday Oct 8th. She assured me it would be transparent to owners at delivery in that some of the actual WA employees are staying on with CD to give training. She also said CD would use same format for training that WA used.

I spoke with Shrei Reynolds of Sales Admin. earlier today regarding my upcoming delivery. Cirrus took over training as of last Monday. They have hired two of the WA pilots and will use corporate pilots for the balance of the instruction. They expect to continue deliveries without interruption while looking for a replacement for WA.