Last fall, the Malibu & M-Class Owner’s and Pilot’s Association (MMOPA) announced a new program to encourage and enhance safety, the Master Aviator Program.
The MMOPA Master Aviator Program was designed as a system to recognize those in the Piper PA46 community who strive to become the best pilots they can be. Each year, those who have achieved each of the levels in the program will be honored at the MMOPA Convention (the 2020 MMOPA Convention will be in Tucson in the spring of 2020) by getting Wings pinned on.
What is the heart behind the MMOPA Master Aviator Program, you ask? Here’s a quote from the MMOPA Website:
This program is the result of MMOPA having identified areas of flight operation that need improvement to increase safety. It provides a path forward for training for the PA46 pilot, honors those pilots that elect to participate in the MMOPA Master Aviator Program, and rewards those pilots that progress upwards to ultimately reach the highest level (MMOPA Master Aviator).
The main focus areas of the MMOPA Master Aviator Program are pilot flight experience (flying more during a year increases skills), stall/spin awareness, and operations in the runway environment (improper aircraft handling during takeoff, landing, and go around, with a particular emphasis on rudder control).
The MMOPA Master Aviator Program tackles these three areas in each of the different levels of achievement: Aviator, Senior Aviator, and Master Aviator.
To achieve the Aviator Wings, a PA46 pilot must do the following:
- Complete Initial Training with an Approved Training Provider
- Fly 100 total hours in a PA46
- Attend an Approved Mid-Year Training Event (M-Class, MMSTF, MMOPA Safety Standown, MMOPA Maintenance Standown, to name a few)
- Attend the MMOPA Convention once in the last 3 years
- No accidents/incidents in a PA46 in the last 3 years
To achieve the Senior Aviator Wings, a PA46 pilot must have received their Aviator Wings and do the following:
- Completed at least one yearly Recurrent Training Event
- Fly 200 total hours in a PA46
- Go through an approved Upset/Recovery Training course provided by an approved training provider
- Attend the MMOPA convention once in the last 3 years
- No accidents/incidents in a PA46 in the last 3 years
To achieve the Master Aviator Wings, a PA46 pilot must have received their Senior Aviator Wings and do the following:
- Completed at least two yearly Recurrent Training Events
- Fly 300 total hours in a PA46
- Receive a tailwheel endorsement
- Attended the MMOPA convention once in the last 3 years
- No accidents/incidents in a PA46 in the last 3 years
To incentive PA46 pilots, MMOPA offers a $400 voucher to program participants to accomplish the Aviator Mid Year Training, the Senior Aviator Upset/Recovery Training, and the Master Aviator Tailwheel Training. A PA46 pilot is only eligible for one voucher per year.
I received the Master Aviator Award at the MMOPA Convention this year. All told, there were close to 40 participants who received one of the three levels of achievement at the MMOPA Convention in Amelia Island, FL this year.
Interested in applying to be a part of the MMOPA Master Aviator Program? You can find out more information on MMOPA’s website.