The TBM Owners and Pilots Association (TBMOPA) has dedicated its 2026 Annual Convention, held from 28 October to 1 November, to three days of activities exploring the principles and practices of sound aeronautical decision-making.

Held in Phoenix, Arizona, this year’s event attracted more than 300 attendees, including TBM owners/operators and their companions, equipment and services suppliers, along with representatives of Daher Aircraft, the TBM manufacturer and a key TBMOPA sponsor.

A total of 78 TBMs were flown to Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport, representing the full family range of TBM 700, TBM 850 and TBM 900 series aircraft. They arrived from across the US and from Canada, the Bahamas, Switzerland and South Africa. Nine of them were TBM 980s, the latest version, which Daher Aircraft began delivering to international customers in January.

The decision-making theme addressed the decisions pilots face throughout a flight, beginning with the go/no-go assessment and extending to hazard identification and risk management. Interactive “Passport to Safety” sessions brought together roundtable groups, where TBM owners and operators shared their experience and considered practical ways to apply sound decision-making in their own operations.

Nicolas Chabbert, CEO of Daher Aircraft, led an 11-member delegation from the company’s operations in France and the US. He briefed attendees on how the commitment to safety is reflected in Daher Aircraft’s continual enhancements to the TBM’s capabilities and the reduction of pilot workload through technology. His presentation concluded with key takeaways organised around the acronym PSCD: Prepare; develop Scenarios; be alert and Compare scenarios; Decide.

Chabbert says: “TBMOPA and its members are to be applauded for the commitment to advancing flight safety, especially as the TBM in-service fleet and its aviator community continue to grow, with more than 1,330 airplanes delivered to date.”

The Daher Care customer support team presented on TBM system and software updates, along with the continued development of digital services such as the Me & My TBM application.

JJ Suarez, TBMOPA chairman, adds: “Flight safety is a responsibility that we all share, and this year’s convention once again demonstrated what can be achieved when owners, operators and the wider TBM community come together with a common purpose.”

The programme opened with an in-depth review of the investigation into the 2003 Columbia space shuttle accident, presented by Nigel Packham, a former NASA associate director of safety. It examined critical decisions and missed opportunities that contributed to the loss of the spacecraft and its seven-member crew during atmospheric re-entry.

The first class of pilots to complete the TBM Advanced Aviator Program (TAAP) also took part in a ceremonial “graduation”. The voluntary programme encourages TBM pilots to meet a comprehensive annual standard of training and proficiency, with the goal of building and supporting the safety culture within the TBMOPA.

The TBMOPA Foundation raised $360,000 through live and online bidding. The Foundation supports multiple aviation-related scholarships as well as the association’s safety seminars and videos. Daher Aircraft contributed a Bahamas getaway package with transportation in a TBM or Kodiak, which attracted a winning bid of $7,500.