The TBM Owners and Pilots Association’s (TBMOPA) 2019 convention brought together TBM owners from around the world.
Converging at the Rocky Mountain Metropolitan Airport in Denver, Colorado, were 102 aircraft representing all TBM versions produced by Daher, including the TBM 700, TBM 850, and TBM 900 series. In total, 345 participants — including 135 owners, of which 51 were first timers — attended the convention, held Sept. 25-29 at the Denver Marriott Tech Center.
TBMOPA’s members attended three days of learning sessions customized for TBM owners and operators. The primary focus was on airmanship and safety, with the performance of safe landings as topic of a special session moderated by Raphaël Maitre, the Daher Airplane Business Unit’s Vice President of Customer Support. The special session also included Igor Lucas of Simcom and Dierk Reuter, a TBM 930 owner.
“The 2019 TBMOPA convention was the opportunity to unveil our development plans to a selected audience, including how the Quest Aircraft Company’s acquisition will generate benefits for the TBM flying community,” said Nicolas Chabbert, Senior Vice President of the Daher Airplane Business Unit. “In Denver, we were able to meet many new members of the TBM family who represent different backgrounds and profiles.”
As part of the 2019 TBMOPA convention, presentations were made by Daher as the aircraft manufacturer, along with Pratt & Whitney Canada (producer of the TBM’s PT6 turboprop engine) and Hartzell (the TBM propeller supplier).
Among the convention’s key speakers were aviation legend Dick Rutan, who spoke about his around-the-world record breaking flight with the Voyager aircraft and Dierk Reuter and Phil Bozek, describing their New York-Paris non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in a TBM 930. Dr. Ian Fries, a TBM owner, explained the challenges of a pilot’s medical examination. Erik Eliel from Radar Training International provided tips on the TBM weather radar’s optimal use.
The next TBMOPA convention will be held Sept. 8-12, 2020, in Montreal, Canada.