The top of the line is the “GTS,” which adds dual AHRS, the Garmin GFC 700 autopilot, synthetic vision, enhanced vision, known ice protection, and top-of-the-line interior and exterior options. The “GS” group is a step up, and boasts 12-inch screens, the S-Tec 55X autopilot, basic ice protection (more on that distinction in a bit) and some higher-end interior and exterior styling touches. These are the airplanes that Cirrus has traditionally sold to flight schools and other fleet operators. They feature 10-inch displays and the S-Tec 55SR autopilot. The “S” seems as though it might stand for “simple” or “standard,” but these airplanes are still nicely equipped. (Some options are not available on the SR20.) Recognizing this, the company has created a trio of classifications for both the Cirrus SR20 and the Cirrus SR22, splitting its lineup into the “S,” “GS” and “GTS” option package groups. The top of the line Cirrus, the Turbo GTS with all the options, goes for around $650,000, though lower priced and still remarkably well-equipped models can be had for less.Īs the Cirrus list of options has grown, the designations for the various models have gotten confusing for many customers (and journalists). And customers are demanding it all, and they’re paying a pretty penny for it, too. The parade of new technologies Cirrus has brought to its high-performance fixed-gear single is mind-boggling, at least based on what we all thought we knew about small airplanes 20 years ago. The big news is a known ice protection system, but there’s a raft of other recently announced upgrades, too, with a whole host of advanced acronyms available, EVS, SVT and FIKI, among many others, making the Cirrus SR22, for the time being, the most technologically sophisticated production piston single-engine airplane in the world, by a nose.Īnd Cirrus can rightfully brag about its commitment to innovation. The aircraft cruises at 185 KTAS, but for training purposes, we flew at 55% power.Cirrus Aircraft has introduced its lineup for 2009, and the new airplanes come with some very impressive available features. This can seem overwhelming at first, especially to a student. The wheels left the ground and we climbed powerfully and decisively.Īs is true for any high-performance aircraft, there’s more going on in a shorter amount of time and at higher speeds than in a less complex airplane. The torque generated by the 310 hp Continental IO-550-N driving a three-blade Hartzell propeller demands a great deal of rudder to hold centerline, but it’s easily managed.

The true test began on the takeoff roll: smooth application of power and right rudder! What qualified as a lot of right rudder in the 172 didn’t come close in the Cirrus. The aircraft can just about turn around on a dime, a nice feature when faced with the alternative of pushing a not-so-light (3,400-pound gross weight) aircraft into its tiedown spot. Ground maneuverability was excellent, thanks to a castering nosewheel. I hadn’t given much thought to this in the 172, and it was a hard temptation to resist. Liz DeStaffany, my instructor at Santa Monica’s Justice Aviation, reminded me again and again to stay off the brakes to avoid overheating them. As a student pilot, the additional safety is comforting, although the manual’s warning that you’ll meet the earth with “the equivalent of ground impact from a height of approximately 13 feet” puts everything in perspective. (In the event of a severe in-flight emergency, pull on the overhead red handle, and a solid-fuel rocket will launch a 55-foot parachute from the aft fuselage.) The checklist instructs you to simply remove the handle’s pin, and the system is armed. Preflight inspection on an SR22 is standard, except of course for the unusual ballistic parachute system. Besides, if it’s good enough for Angelina Jolie!

Sitting left seat in this $350,000 state-of-the-art wonder, I started to feel better about my decision. Well, the future looks good! With an interior that screams “sports car,” the new Cirrus comes standard with anĪvidyne Entegra glass panel, a side stick fit for a fighter pilot and even an iPod hookup. Cirrus boasts that its next-generation airplanes are paving the way for the future. During my first lesson, however, my fears were quickly overridden by awe.

Cirrus sr22 interior