Redbird Migration 2024

March 5-6, 2024 | Lone Star Flight Museum | Houston, TX (KEFD)

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Over the last 14 years, Migration has become the leading conference for flight training professionals. Featuring presentations from a wide range of industry leaders and small group breakout sessions tailored to meet the goals of attendees, Migration provides solutions to the real-world problems facing flight training organizations, flight instructors, K-12 aviation educators, and their students.

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Why Attend?

Migration is designed to inspire and equip you to take your flight training business to the next level. Hear the latest big ideas and innovative solutions from our Keynote speakers.

You'll leave Migration with pages upon pages of actionable tactics that you can apply the minute you get back to the flight line.

You'll be among your people with attendees from all over the world, representing a wide range of flight training practitioners. Migration is known for its networking and relationship building, and this year will be no different.

From the content of every Keynote and breakout session to the people you'll meet and network with, a love of aviation is core to what makes Migration so powerful.

Redbird Migration

Join Your Fellow Aviation Educators

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Sean D. Tucker
Sean D. Tucker
Aerobatic Pilot and Chairman & Co-Founder, Bob Hoover Academy

Sean D. Tucker is an aviation legend and virtuoso air show performer, best known for his airshow performances in the Oracle Challenger. Tucker is also a founder of the Bob Hoover Academy, a program focused on empowering  students in his hometown of Salinas, CA, through the power of flight. He is a National Aviation Hall of Fame inductee, International Aviation Air and Space Hall of Fame inductee, one of the 25 Living Legends of Flight recognized by the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the Chairman of EAA's Young Eagles Program, and an honorary member of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds, U.S. Navy Blue Angles, Royal Canadian Snowbirds, Brazilian Air Force Smoke Squadron, and U.S. Army Golden Knights.

2023
Main Session Speaker
Joe Brown
Joe Brown
Chairman, Hartzell Propeller and COO, Tailwind Technologies Inc.

Joe Brown is Chairman of Hartzell Propeller and COO of Tailwind Technologies Inc., a holding company that owns aviation manufacturing businesses including Hartzell Propeller, Hartzell Engine Technologies and Mayday Manufacturing. He specializes in defining and implementing operational strategies that promote product and manufacturing innovation, business growth, and improved operating metrics. Joe is deeply involved in the General Aviation industry and is a member of AOPA, EAA, and IMC Club, while serving on the boards of EAA, IMC Club, and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association. Joe is an instrument-rated pilot and flies about 300 hours a year for work and recreation.

2023
Main Session Speaker
Jack Pelton
Jack Pelton
CEO & Chairman of the Board, Experimental Aircraft Association

Jack Pelton leads EAA's board and staff in its mission of growing participation in aviation and inspiring people to fly, build, and further engage in flight. Previously, he served as the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Cessna Aircraft Company. He also is past chairman of the General Aviation Manufacturers Association board, and served on the boards of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, the National Business Aviation Association, and the Corporate Angel Network. His many honors include the National Aeronautic Association’s Distinguished Statesman of Aviation Award, the FAA’s Friend of Safety Award, induction into the Kansas Aviation Hall of Fame, and EAA’s highest honor, the Freedom of Flight Award.

2023
Main Session Speaker
Pete Bunce
Pete Bunce
President & CEO, General Aviation Manufacturers Association

Pete travels worldwide engaging regulators, policymakers, and elected officials to promote general aviation and advance the interests of GAMA’s global membership of airframe, avionics, engine, and component manufacturers, as well as the world’s leading business aviation maintenance, repair, and overall companies. He retired from the USAF in March 2005, with his last assignment as the Director of the Air Force Congressional Budget and Appropriations Liaison. During his 26-year Air Force career, Pete flew F-15s and A-10s, while commanding several large operational fighter units. He serves on the board of directors of the Recreational Aviation Foundation and Veterans Airlift Command, and is a trustee of the U.S. Air Force Academy Falcon Foundation. Pete is also a member of the FAA's Management Advisory Council and serves on the FAA’s NextGen Advisory Committee. In January 2010, he was inducted as one of the 70 Living Legends of Aviation.

2023
Main Session Speaker
Mark Baker
Mark Baker
President & CEO, Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association

Mark Baker joined AOPA in 2013 as president and CEO of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA), the world’s largest civil aviation organization. He has served on numerous corporate boards and has taken leadership roles with several nonprofit organizations. Before his appointment at AOPA, Baker served in numerous senior executive roles, including CEO of Orchard Supply Hardware Stores Corporation, a leading retailer of home improvement and garden products. Baker also served in senior executive roles at Scotts Miracle-Gro Company, Gander Mountain Company, and The Home Depot. In conjunction with his role as president and CEO of AOPA, Baker is chairman of AOPA’s Political Action Committee; chief executive officer for the AOPA Foundation; president of the International Council of Aircraft Owner and Pilot Associations, representing pilots in 81 countries; and publisher of AOPA Pilot, the world’s largest and most influential aviation publication.

2023
Main Session Speaker
Ed Bolen
Ed Bolen
President & CEO, National Business Aviation Association
Ed Bolen became the president and CEO of NBAA in 2004. Prior to joining NBAA, Bolen was president and CEO of GAMA for eight years after first serving as senior vice president and general counsel. In 2001, Bolen was appointed by President Bush to serve as a member of the Commission on the Future of the U.S. Aerospace Industry, which studied and made recommendations on ways to ensure American leadership in aerospace in the 21st century. Bolen was nominated by President Clinton and confirmed by the U.S. Senate to serve as a member of the Management Advisory Council to the Federal Aviation Administration, which he chaired from 2000 to 2004. Bolen is a member of the board of directors of the National Aeronautic Association and serves on the Aviation Advisory Board of the Mitre Corporation. Previously, Bolen was majority general counsel to what is now the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and served as legislative director for U.S. Senator Nancy Kassebaum (R-KS), where he was a key player in the passage of the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994.
2023
Main Session Speaker
James Viola
James Viola
President & CEO, Helicopter Association International
James A. Viola joined HAI as President and CEO in January 2020. Prior to joining HAI, he most recently served as a Senior Executive for the Federal Aviation Administration, in the office of Aviation Safety, as director of General Aviation Safety Assurance. He was responsible for maintaining consistency and standardization in the application of safety oversight activities for the GA community. He was a government representative on both the International Helicopter Safety Team and the United States Helicopter Safety Team. Viola’s aviation career began with the US Army, with the majority of his flying done as a special operations MH-6 and MH-47 helicopter pilot. He was promoted through positions of increasing responsibility, achieving the rank of colonel. His final military assignment was as Division Chief for Army Aviation Current Operations in the Pentagon. A strong advocate for GA, Viola flies as often as he can. He holds airline transport pilot ratings for helicopters and airplanes and is a dual-rated certificated flight instructor.
2023
Main Session Speaker
Curt Castagna, C.M.
Curt Castagna, C.M.
President & CEO, National Air Transportation Association
Curt Castagna, C.M. was named the 11th President and CEO of the National Air Transportation Association in August 2022. Prior to this post, Castagna served over six years as an NATA Board Member, including two years as Board Chair and one year as Immediate Past Chair. Castagna has a diverse background and more than 35 years of proven industry expertise, including in his concurrent role as President and CEO of Aeroplex Group Partners, which focuses on airport development, airport project management, and aviation consulting. Aeroplex maintains GA and business aircraft centers at the Long Beach, Van Nuys, and Dallas Love Field Airports. Castagna has a long history of leadership roles in airport tenant and aviation trade associations. He also has over 30 years of experience as an adjunct professor in the Aviation Administration programs at California State University, Los Angeles and Cypress Community College.
2023
Main Session Speaker
Bob Hepp
Bob Hepp
Founder/Owner & Chief Flight Instructor, Aviation Adventures
After retiring as an Army Field Artillery Lieutenant Colonel in 1998, Bob guided Aviation Adventures from a one airplane, one instructor hobby, to the five-location, six-simulator, 55-aircraft, and 57-flight instructor school it is today. Along the way, the school gained FAA Part 141 certification and affiliation with Liberty, George Mason, and Purdue Global Universities. It has earned Examining Authority for seven of its 11 Part 141 approved programs, been recognized by AOPA’s Flight Training Experience Awards every year since that program began, and amassed more AOPA instructor awards than any other flight school. Bob was the recipient of AOPA’s President’s Choice award in 2013, the FAA National Flight Instructor of the Year in 2016, and the AOPA Presidential Citation in 2019. Bob purchased and oversees one of the largest GA maintenance facilities in Northern Virginia. He holds an MBA and has experience as a Jetstream 4100 Captain, an Airbus 319 First Officer, and a lead Citation captain.
2023
MAIN SESSION SPEAKER
Roger Sharp
Roger Sharp
Designated Pilot Examiner
Roger Sharp holds a handful of ATP ratings and is a designated pilot examiner for airplanes (land and sea) and helicopters. He was a U.S. Air Force command pilot, Master Instructor, and standards-and-evaluation pilot. Roger authored "20 Ways to Fail Your Flight Test: A Practical Guide to Earning Your Notice of Disapproval," which is full of (hilarious) wisdom on how to take and pass an FAA practical test. At past events, he has shared insights ranging from signs that you may have a bad flight instructor to reasons why students fail their checkrides. At Migration 2023, Roger will return to the main stage to talk about the state of flight training in a way that only he can.
2023
Main Session Speaker
Everette Rochon
Everette Rochon
Manager, Training and Certification Group, Federal Aviation Administration
Everette Rochon, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, joined the FAA in 2009 with almost 20 years of aviation experience as a Naval Flight Officer, Navy Safety and Standardization Instructor, civil flight instructor, and airline pilot. In 2014, he led the team that successively finalized part 107 of Title 14 Code of Federal Regulations, which is the first rule in the U.S. to allow pilot certification and operations of small UAS for non-hobby and non-recreational purposes. Currently, Mr. Rochon manages the group responsible for the training and certification of pilots and flight Instructors, part 141 pilot school support, FAA approval and use of Aviation Training Devices, and Aviation Safety Inspector (General Aviation Operations) qualifications and currency.
2023
Main Session Speaker
Josh Harnagel
Josh Harnagel
Vice President of Marketing, Redbird Flight

Josh Harnagel is a CFI, CFI-I, MEI with 3,000 hours. He currently serves as Vice President, Marketing for Redbird Flight, where he oversees a team responsible for marketing, communications, product development, and customer success. A member of the Redbird staff for 14 years, Josh has held a number of key positions and been an instrumental contributor to the company's explosive growth. At Migration 2023, Josh will present his initial takeaways from Redbird's third-annual State of Flight Training Survey and Report, a comprehensive resource on the current state of the flight training industry that is designed to provide strategic data to flight training professionals. 

2023
MAIN SESSION SPEAKER

At the 2023 conference, we offered a dedicated track for K-12 aeronautics for the first time, and thanks to the amazing group of teachers that made it so successful, we're bringing even more educational and hands-on sessions to Houston in 2024! With the proliferation of aeronautics topics in STEM and career and technical education programs across the country, school districts and their educators need regular opportunities to interact and exchange ideas with the broader aviation industry. Migration is uniquely positioned to facilitate those conversations, helping K-12 schools and flight training organizations better collaborate on shaping the pilots of the future. 

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Redbird Migration 2024

Lone Star Flight Museum
11551 Aerospace Avenue
Houston, TX 77034
Ellington Airport (KEFD)

Carrier Pigeon

Due to the unreliability of this service, we recommend you use one of the other methods of communication. But if you are really itching to use that carrier pigeon and would like to try it out, be our guest. We have never received anything via bird before … it might be interesting.