At AirVenture this year I sat down in the Cirrus compound with Eamon Powers, the Director of Cirrus Approach — the man who owns every piece of training content Cirrus produces, for pilots and for mechanics.

Twelve or fourteen years ago the fatal accident rate in the Cirrus fleet was, being generous, unremarkable, and there was a real argument in this industry about whether the parachute was helping at all. That number has moved a long way since. I wanted to know what actually moved it, how they know what moved it, and how much of it the rest of us can steal — because most of you listening aren't flying a Cirrus.

What I got was a lot better than a company pitch. Eamon has a PhD in instructional design, an ATP, and an A&P, and he'll be the first to tell you the business card looks a little silly.

We get into why every syllabus in America puts the first solo before lesson 20, and why that number is a leftover from World War II. What he calls "time to independence." How you keep a safety briefing from going rote. The CSIP standardization machine. The hardest number in aviation safety — the denominator. And the training nobody ever asks their mechanic about.

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Links:

Cirrus training

• Cirrus Approach — the training platform, for pilots: https://www.cirrusapproach.com/pilots/
• Cirrus Approach course catalog: https://learning.cirrusapproach.com/learning-catalog
• CAPS course — free, open to anyone, you don't have to own or fly a Cirrus:https://learning.cirrusapproach.com/courses/424/overview
• Mission Ready 2026 Simulator Sessions: https://learning.cirrusapproach.com/courses/821/overview
• Cirrus Embark — complimentary transition training when you buy a pre-owned Cirrus:https://cirrusaircraft.com/embark/
• Cirrus Training Network — find a Cirrus Training Center or a CSIP near you:https://cirrusaircraft.com/training-network/
• Becoming a CSIP (Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot): http://csip.cirrusaircraft.com
• Becoming a Cirrus Training Center: https://cirrusaircraft.formstack.com/forms/ctc_application
• Cirrus flight training overview: https://cirrusaircraft.com/approach/caps-training-course/

Also mentioned

• COPA — Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association: https://www.cirruspilots.org/
• Cirrus IQ (the data platform, built on the Garmin GDL 60): https://cirrusaircraft.com/cirrus-iq-faq/
• TRAC10 — the clean-sheet trainer Cirrus introduced in July 2026:https://cirrusaircraft.com/aircraft/trac10/

Student Pilot Cast

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• Three Simple Questions for ADM (free PDF): https://studentpilotcast.com/three-questions/
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Hope you enjoy the episode and thanks for listening! Visit the SPC website at https://studentpilotcast.com. Please keep the feedback coming. You can use the contact form on the website or send email to bill at student pilot cast dot com. The theme song for our episodes is "To Be an Angel" by the band, "Uncle Seth".

Legal Notice: Remember, any instruction that you hear in this podcast was meant for the student and only for the situation that they happened to be in at the time. Please do not try to apply anything you see or hear in this episode or any other episode to your own flying. If you have questions about any aspect of your flying, please consult a qualified CFI.

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