From CJP President Mark Aloe, Lifetime Member

If your flight instructors were like mine, they ingrained the phrase “stay ahead of the airplane” into your brains from the earliest days of your training. That ability is not only a mark of being fully aware and cognizant while at the controls, however.

By anticipating an upcoming clearance, having the next Center frequency already dialed in on the com, and familiarizing yourself with the STAR before beginning the initial descent, you are not simply staying “ahead of the airplane”; you are also displaying your aptitude and competence as a truly professional pilot.

I find myself thinking of this axiom often of late, as I consider how dramatically the role and mission of CJP has evolved over the past five years. What began as a small assemblage of Citation owners, operators and enthusiasts has quickly grown to become one of the premier aircraft ownership associations throughout the global general aviation community. All CJP Directors understand the seriousness of this responsibility, and we are constantly evaluating what the future may hold.

So, as we look towards our annual CJP Association Convention next month at The Greenbrier resort in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia, this seems an appropriate time to also update our Members about two steps that we are taking to keep CJP at the forefront of not only the Citation pilot community, but of GA as a whole.

These are truly exciting times, and our goals are straightforward. CJP must remain a preeminent source for education and information about owning and operating the Citation series of aircraft.

Our Association must also remain engaged with our Members, and in turn seek their participation in developing, maintaining, and growing the available base of knowledge we may all draw from as we seek added proficiency and expertise in the operation of our aircraft.

In light of those objectives, I am pleased to report that work continues on developing the Russ Meyer Library, offering Members a single point of information about all things Citation. We intend this additive, wiki-style resource to be the one place to find answers about practically any topic regarding ownership and operation: from how to properly detail your aircraft, to resolving a shimmy in the nose wheel, and where to look for information about servicing the removable lav on a CJ3.

Our Members have asked for this kind of resource for some time. While we are taking a deliberately measured approach in rolling it out – because we want to do it right the first time – I also expect to share additional information about the wider unveiling of this important information initiative in the near future.

Beyond the expansion of our educational resources, CJP is also working to improve upon the capabilities and accessibility of our web site, online forums and bulletin boards. This includes our ongoing work to bolster our technological infrastructure to better meet the needs of our expanding membership, and answering requests from the growing base of owners and operators already utilizing the online Citation Pilots Forum to discuss a wide range of topics related to the proper operation of their aircraft.

With these and other efforts in the pipeline, I fully expect CJP to remain “ahead of the airplane” as we continue to expand the educational opportunities, training resources, and other benefits to Cessna Citation owners and pilots throughout the world.

I also speak on behalf of all CJP Board Members in inviting you to The Greenbrier from Sept. 17-20 as we gather to celebrate everyone’s efforts in making CJP the best organization it can possibly be!