Cirrus SR22

[Robbo]

Anyone flown one of these?

 

Looking at buying one

 

 

[kgwilson]

No, but they look good, are fast and above all very expensive.

 

 

[Yenn]

You will need to be further ahead of the plane than in an ultralight. I think Cirrus do training for prospective owners.

 

 

[Robbo]

I have all the aircraft manuals and Cirrus training material from Avia at Moorabbin.

 

Forget the blokes name.

 

 

[Oscar]

Robbo: with respect: do you have a real need for the A-B performance the Cirrus delivers? (with A and B normally being larger, sealed airfields). As a side comment: if you have a good business case for owning one, where the costs can be written off as expenses, then all that follows is merely chaff in the wind.

 

It's a serious question; the Cirrus is very much over-represented in the crash statistics by comparison with other aircraft that have fairly decent PTP performance with far more 'usual' reactions to extreme flight situations.. If one follows the history of popular aircraft with seriously negative crash statistics, one would go from the A35 Bonanza ( the "forked-tail doctor killer" ) through the early Lancairs - a truly terrible aircraft - to the Cirrus.

 

As a CAR 35 engineer, a member of my family had a fair bit to do with repairs to early Cirrus 22's. He will not fly in one - and he is a CASA-endorsed Test Pilot who had a release from DoT ( the predecessor to CASA) to fly its A35 for use as his transport when RTOA for the NSW GFA. Apart from the persistent Dutch Roll of the A35, he found it quite nice and safe to fly; you may make your own judgement of his thoughts on the Cirrus from that.. He did take a flight or two in an early Lancair ( 320 or 360, from memory) and refused to fly any more than a circuit. They are that bad; the Cirrus is NOT that bad but it still has more than its fair share of issues.

 

The Cirrus does NOT meet the FAA basic requirements for spin recovery - hence the CAPS and instructions to 'pull the big red handle' if things get a wee bit pear-shaped. The subtext there is: 'this will (probably) save your life' [but the aircraft will be a write-off].

 

You might want to investigate the hull insurance implications of that. It seems to me that you have Hobson's choice if things get sticky: follow the manufacturer's POH - and end up paying the excess plus increased premiums in the future for a complete new aircraft - or trying to fly out of the situation and risking having the insurance company refusing to meet a minor claim because your did NOT follow the POH instructions.

 

Personally, if I had a compelling business case for a small, fast aircraft for commuting between A-B where A was more than about 300 k from B and both were adjacent to good, sealed airports - I'd seriously consider a Cirrus. For just general touring in Australia, a Cirrus would be at a negative on my personal list: for the money, I'd have Barry Manktelow build me a Wittman W10 Tailwind with a big-ar$e Lycoming in it.... and give the finger to Cirrus pilots as I went past.

 

 

[jakej]

I agree with the OP comments - you also need to have VERY deep pockets to pay for the maintenance as well, IMO.

 

Have a look at an RV10 - they are fast enough at 150/160kts, carry 4 if that's what you need to do, very nice & easy to fly & approach speed is 75kts. I have been involved with many aircraft certified & Sports aircraft & if I wanted an aircraft with plenty of room & to carry a resonable load then this is the one I lust for. A well equipped (IFR) RV10 will be in the $230-280K range, much less than a Cirrus. If you want to hire it out or do VFR Charter then forget my comments about the 10

 

 

[djpacro]

I think you will find that it does actually meet the normal category spin recovery requirements. Although the FAA allowed that exemption because of the chute they did not have to show compliance however I saw that another country insisted on seeing the spin test results for certification there.

 

I know a number of people who own Cirri (is that correct) and I agree with some of the prior comments - works very well for two of my friends.

 

 

[Robbo]

It is more of an investment

 

 

[djpacro]

You could put your money under your mattress .....

 

 

[Robbo]

You could put your money under your mattress .....

Nar its full of my naughty magazines, no room.

 

 

[Happyflyer]

It is more of an investment

If you want to make a small fortune out of aviation, start with a large fortune. I have quite a few hours in SR22 and a few in SR20 Cirrus aircraft. Good fast aircraft, well made, lots of technology but very expensive to own. For the joy of flying I prefer something that gets the wind in my hair.

 

 

[Litespeed]

Investment?

 

Would maybe made sense when the dollar was high but it has sunk to a pitiful level for the pacific peso.

 

Or is it a case of how to get a $100,000- start with a $1,000,000 sort of thing?

 

I would just get a nice Bonanza - not a V tail.

 

 

[Robbo]

I have a connection that would be happy to put it online.

 

 

[rgmwa]

It is more of an investment

That's what I said to my wife too, but she didn't believe me. However, I proved her wrong because it was a huge investment in time and money. I think that's what she meant, anyway.

 

rgmwa

 

 

[bexrbetter]

My biggest fear when I die is that my wife will sell my "investment" vehicles for what I told her I paid for them ....

 

Nar its full of my naughty magazines, no room.

Hey, when are you going to return my mags finally? Oh wait, ewwww, keep them .....

 

 

[Robbo]

My biggest fear when I die is that my wife will sell my "investment" vehicles for what I told her I paid for them ....

 

Hey, when are you going to return my mags finally? Oh wait, ewwww, keep them .....

Yer you won't want them I can't tear the pages apart

 

 

[pylon500]

I suppose all the Cirrus pages are stuck together?

 

 

[Robbo]

I suppose all the Cirrus pages are stuck together?

Yep

 

 

[Bevan]

I've done quite a bit of flying in SR22's (T, TN's and NA). The Gen3's with G1000 are awesome travelling machines (which is what most of my flying is - business travel). I've had a TN up at 18,000ft and did Moorabbin to Bankstown in less than 2 hours.

 

They don't handle as well as a Bonanza (where I have most of my hours) but as an A->B aircraft the comfort, visibility, avionics are difficult to beat. Oh and the aircon in summer.. uuuuughghghghhg

 

All comes at a cost though! A new one with the Aussie dollar where it is will push $1M for all the bells and whistles.

 

 

[bexrbetter]

will push $1M for all the bells and whistles.

Robbo only wants one I think, not three.

 

 

[Cloud Basher]

Robbo,

 

Just looking back through some old posts and saw this. Did you / have you / are you still looking at an SR22?

 

Noting Cirrus now have the lowest accident rate of any GA aircraft (through targeted training now) and they are an exceptional cross country machine. Where are you looking at putting it online?

 

Cheers

 

CB

 

 

[Oscar]

CB - could you provide a reference for the statement that Cirrus have the GA lowest accident rate?

 

 

[Cloud Basher]

Yep was released earlier this year and quoted in the aviation rags. I think Cirrus is now just lower than c172 IIRC. massive turn around for them since 2012 when they introduced a new training methodology.

 

There was also an article in Flying or Plane and Pilot, but not near those at the moment.

 

Cheers

 

CB

 

 

[Nobody]

A quick google turns up:

 

What The Frederick Crash Reveals About Cirrus Accident Trends - AVweb Insider Article

 

and:

 

Cirrus Accident Rates - Safety pages - Safety and Training Programs - Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association

 

This image clearly shows the decline in fatal accidents after 2011. Note that this is the total fatalities and not a rate hence the lower numbers in 2003 to 2005 when there were fewer Cirrus aircraft flying.

 

 

 

[Oscar]

Please excuse me for being cynical, but without authenticated and reliable statistics, I find it hard to believe that an aircraft that has been notorious for its accident rate has suddenly turned into the 'safest', given its considerable history. I would like something more definitive than 'I read it somewhere'.