Page 36 - March 2016

TA h e 2 0 1 5 C J P by LeRoy Cook
tremendous turnout hosted a gala dinner party at the the International Space Station supported the 2015 gather- Cheyenne Mountain Lodge in the in September, 2006, which she ing of the Citation Jet Pilots hills above Colorado Springs, where described in detail for the group.
Association, held September 9-13 at the historic Broadmoor resort and spa in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Approximately 100 Citations crowded the huge ramp at Colorado Jet Center and the accompanying crowd brought by that fleet filled the plenary and seminar sessions in the International Center hall at the Broadmoor.
Pikes Peak’s famous bald visage overlooks the Broadmoor Resort, only 10 miles away, but there was too much to do at the convention to leave time for mountain climbing.
the crisp mountain air whetted appetites and relaxed visiting took place on the patio, viewing the city and plains below that were twinkling in the twilight.
Delivering the Keynote Address on Friday was special guest Dr. Anousheh Ansari, Iranian- born engineer who has been very supportive of space flight since her youth in pre-revolution Iran. Most famously, Dr. Ansari underwent a year of training with the Russian space program to prepare for an 11-day visit to
Previously, in 2004, the Ansari family had donated substantially to the $10 million X-Prize competition, awarded to the first privately- developed spacecraft capable of carrying passengers to make repeated sub-orbital flights to a height of 100 kilometers, defined as the beginning of outer space. The X-prize was won in October, 2004 by Paul Allen’s team, flying the Scaled Composites Spaceship One vehicle, which further inspired Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic space tourism venture.
Another major figure appearing before the CJP convention’s assemblage was NTSB chairman Christopher Hart, who is himself a Citation-rated pilot. During his Saturday presentation, Chairman Hart stressed professionalism, analyzing several historic aviation incidents that exhibited both professional and non-professional pilot ability. He decried the current U.S. aviation
The exposition hall held a sell-out vendor crowd of CJP supporters. The ever-popular silent auction of donated items and services raised funds and the companion programs kept interest high for the non-pilot attendees.
On Thursday evening, after the first full day of the convention, Platinum- Plus sponsor Textron Aviation
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MARCH 2016