Yesterday the sun was shining, the temperature was well above freezing in the Twin Cities, and it was a great day to attend the Minnesota Business Aviation Association’s (MBAA) March lunch meeting. Most every month the MBAA organizes one of these mid-day events at an area FBO, flight department, or other airport location.
Yesterday’s March event was sponsored by Cirrus Aircraft of Duluth, MN, and held at Premier Jet Center at KFCM. Premier Jet Center and Exclusive Aircraft Sales are located at FCM and both are part of the Fargo Jet Center family. It’s always a pleasure to visit with my friends from Fargo Jet and chat with Jim Sweeny, president and co-founder of Fargo Jet Center; thanks for hosting the event Jim.
Gary Black, regional sales director for Cirrus, provided an update on Cirrus Aircraft and some of the latest news on the SR series and the SF50 Vision jet; both types of aircraft were on display. Boni Caldeira, executive director sales, flew one of the jets into KFCM from the New York City area.
Also on display was a Quest Kodiak which Exclusive Aircraft Sales is a factory authorized new Quest Kodiak dealer for Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. This was the first time I really looked close at the Kodiak and hope to have the opportunity to look at it closer soon.
Being a member of MBAA is one way in which I stay connected to both the local and regional aviation scene. Visiting with the mechanics at Premier, the pilots who flew the display aircraft in for the event, the aircraft sales and management folks, all are a way to keep in touch with this part of the industry.
Thanks to the Minnesota Business Aviation Association, Cirrus Aircraft, and the Fargo Jet Center group for a nice day. If you don’t already, consider joining a local aviation group.
Ron
