TBMOPA Safety Seminar with Columbia Aircraft Sales
June 11–13, 2026 | Martinsburg, West Virginia Presented by Columbia Aircraft Services in partnership with TBMOPA
This event has a hard capacity limit. Once spots are gone, they're gone.
This Is Not a Conference. It's Hands-On Time with Your Aircraft.
Most safety events put you in a chair. This one puts you on the hangar floor.
Safety seminars create a format that goes deeper than any standard owner event, and both Columbia and our attendees take full advantage of that. For Columbia, it's an opportunity to share the maintenance knowledge our technicians work with every day. For you, it's direct access to the MX expertise that makes you a smarter, safer aircraft owner.
The Columbia TBM Safety Seminar is built around that mutual advantage. Every session, every station, and every conversation is designed to give you a clearer picture of your aircraft than you had when you arrived, in a group small enough that it actually matters.
Space is extremely limited. Register early.
Thursday, June 11 — Effective Maintenance Workshop at Columbia's Hangar
4:00 PM to 5:30 PM | Hands-On Workshop Stations
Columbia is opening its maintenance facility and hosting hands-on workshop stations with live TBM aircraft access. You won't be watching a slide deck. You'll be at the aircraft, working through real scenarios with Columbia technicians alongside you. This is the kind of direct MX access that simply doesn't exist anywhere else in the TBM community.
The small group size is intentional. It's the only way to make this format work, and it's the reason seats fill up fast.
Stations include:
- Mechanical Systems
- Electrical Systems
- Plumbing and Tubing
- Emergency Systems
Snacks and refreshments provided throughout the afternoon.
6:00 PM | Welcome Reception Dinner : Full buffet dinner and open bar hosted by TBMOPA (Twinleaf Catering). This is where the conversations from the hangar continue. Come hungry and ready to connect.
Please come prepared to stay onsite at the airport when you arrive. Transpiration to the hotel will happen when the hangar party is over.
Friday, June 12 — Full Day of Expert Sessions
Morning | Bavarian Breakfast Start the day right before diving into a full slate of speaker sessions.
Sessions Include:
Adam Kudzin | TBMOPA Director of Safety and Training
Jim Baum | Air-to-Air Photography A session that blends artistry with airmanship. Jim walks through what it takes to fly for the shot safely, a genuinely unique perspective for any pilot.
Daher Factory Representative Hear directly from the manufacturer on what's next, what matters, and what Daher wants owners to know.
SIMCOM Training Overview Columbia's training partner walks through the full picture of TBM-specific sim training, currency, and what's changed.
FAA / Avionics Expert (speaker confirming) Current regulatory landscape and avionics updates relevant to TBM operators.
Ownership Panel | Corrosion, TBO, and Resale Value The conversation every owner needs to have before they need to have it. Real numbers, real timelines, and what protects your aircraft's value long term. This session pulls directly from what Columbia's technicians see on the floor every day.
Evening | Local Brewery Outing and S'mores Cap the day with a relaxed group outing to a local brewery. Good beer, good company, and the kind of conversation that doesn't happen at big aviation events.
Why This Event Will Sell Out
The hangar workshop cannot scale. Hands-on stations with live aircraft access only work with a small, intentional group. Columbia designed the entire event around the quality of that experience, not the size of the audience.
Space is limited. Registration closes when it's full.
What's Included
- All workshop station access at Columbia's MX facility
- Thursday welcome reception dinner (full buffet and open bar)
- Friday Bavarian breakfast, lunch, and all-day coffee
- Friday evening brewery outing
- Shuttle service between Columbia facility and hotel
- All printed materials and event credentials
About Columbia Aircraft Services
Columbia is one of the leading TBM maintenance facilities in the country, with deep Daher factory alignment and a team that works exclusively on high-performance turbine aircraft. This seminar is an opportunity to see that operation firsthand, not on a tour, but as a working participant.
Hotel Information
Bavarian Inn Resort & Brewing Company
164 Shepherd Grade Rd
Shepherdstown, West Virginia, 25443
Potomac View Premier $299.00
Manor View Standard $229.00
In Aircraft Training
The focus of the owner flights will be on slow flight characteristics, associated power management, and coordinated flight in addition to recognition and proper response to stalls and engine abnormalities. The session will include a ground briefing, preflight inspections, in-aircraft flight event, and post-flight reviews.
Companions Training
A 2-hour companions’ course includes ground school and in-aircraft flight time with a TBM instructor. Aircraft time can be utilized either on the ground getting comfortable with the TBM radios and avionics or in the air.