By Lothar Lucks and Dr. Timm Preusser

On the weekend of November 13-14, 2021, a COPA University Avionics Workshop was held in Salzburg, and I was able to attend as a guest representative of EMPOA. COPA University is the training part of the COPA Safety and Education Foundation, and its program is aimed at all pilots flying Technologically Advanced Airplanes (TAA) for a few years now, so about 30 pilots gathered in Salzburg, flying Mooney, Diamond, Piper and Cirrus.

It was the first time such a workshop was organized and all were eager to know whether the course would bring them something or not - it brings more than we all expected, is the summary I can briefly say.

Saturday started with a plenary lecture on "Automation Management. Here we really went into detail about how the various components (autopilot, GPS and NAV receivers, HSI) are interrelated, what typical operating errors occur, when signal sources switch automatically and when they don't, how vertical navigation works. A lot has changed since the introduction of the PBN procedures, and the example of a sad accident, which was excellently analyzed, made us very affected and concerned - it probably would not have happened with better knowledge of the avionics system.

Groups were then formed to focus on different avionics platforms: One workshop addressed G1000, another GNS430/530, another GTN650/750, and one dealt with Avidyne IFD and R9 systems. In all, we spent about 3 hours in the workshops, covering the ins and outs of the systems from VFR to IFR. I have upgraded my Mooney to GTN650 since 2 years and I can only say that I had not yet internalized many aspects, or in other words, that I learned a lot about operation and function - especially in the IFR area. Towards evening, all 4 groups came together again for a feedback talk, an introduction to ForeFlight, and preparation for the simulator sessions on Sunday. In the hall, the 4 simulators were already ready (procedure trainers, to be more precise), and curiously we already approached the devices. They were all different - actually equipped with G1000, GNS or GTN devices, impressive. My curious inquiry revealed that the equipment alone has a value of about 50,000 euros - certainly not a toy!

On Sunday morning, the sim sessions started, 90 minutes each, individually with one participant, one procedure trainer and one flight instructor - and the whole thing times four. These sessions lasted until Sunday afternoon, depending on the schedule. The flight instructors dealt very individually with the participants, and because they had already gotten to know each other the day before and had discussed the systems, they got into it very quickly. The sims ran smoothly and without a break, and the participants were really impressed by the realism. And here and there "lights went on" and you could hear murmurs of "ah, now I finally got that". So far I had no intensive experience with such devices, but it is clear that they are an excellent complement to the flight in the real aircraft. The pause button, the possibility of rewinding and especially the conversations with the instructor, in peace and without the stress of real flight, are worth their weight in gold.

Would I go there again next year, and would I recommend the training to all Mooniacs? Definitely "Yes”! But this also has to do with the good organization, the friendly atmosphere in the Laschensky-Hof hotel, and the really good flight instructors from FTA Flugtraining Aschaffenburg, who took care of each participant intensively and individually.