June 2007 Feature Story:
Flying the Cirrus SR22
Story by Jay Wischkaemper

Cirrus is the undisputed leader in the single engine aircraft market. For the past five years, the SR22 has been the best-selling aircraft in the world. I wondered why anyone would spend a truly significant amount of money for a single engine airplane, even if it was new, performed well and had all sorts of the latest gadgets. After a little time in the left seat, I now understand.

I got the opportunity to experience the Cirrus firsthand thanks to Iggy Burkhardt and Reid Nelson at the Cirrus regional sales office at Addison Airport in North Dallas. Reid kindly put me, probably fairly classified as a average pilot, in the left seat of Cirrus’ latest model, the SR22 Turbo. This model boasts 310 fire-breathing, turbocharged, intercooled horsepower that sends you upward and forward with impressive performance in style, comfort and safety.

The aircraft is impressive from the minute you sit in the luxurious cockpit and gaze at the Entegra glass cockpit in front of you. One of the first things you become aware of are the safety features. Cirrus goes to great lengths to make this airplane as safe as possible, including equipping their airplanes with a ballistic parachute system (BRS). I didn’t think about the parachute too much during the demo flight. I think, though, that it would give comfort to a passenger who had concerns about the age-old question, “What happens if the engine quits?”

The emphasis on safety doesn’t stop with the BRS. Four point shoulder harnesses with built-in air bags complement the safety features. In addition to the externals, built into the Entegra system are several pages of safety checks designed to help the pilot be confident that the pilot, the weather, and the aircraft are ready and able to make a safe flight. Will it stop a pilot from taking off when they shouldn’t? Maybe yes, maybe no. But it certainly doesn’t hurt anything.

We fired up the big Continental and taxied to the runway. Forget paper checklists. The checklist is on the Multi-Function Display (MFD), and as you check each item off, it changes color from white to green. You’re not likely to overlook a checklist item. There is no vacuum system in this aircraft. It’s all electric, with two alternators and two batteries for redundancy. No propeller control to check. Prop speed is handled by a mechanical linkage. Make sure the pin is out of the parachute so it can be deployed. Mag check. All engine parameters in the green, and we’re ready to go.

We lined up with runway 33 and shoved the throttle forward. While this is a turbocharged aircraft, operation is no different from the normally aspirated engine I typically fly behind, except that it is simpler. There is a throttle and a mixture control, but with no prop or gear to worry about, there’s nothing to do but take off and fly. Power is set by percentage of power rather than RPM and manifold pressure. RPM and manifold pressure are there if you want to look at them, but the airplane is flown more like a turbine in terms of power management. The combination of the IO550 with a recently offered composite propeller is incredibly smooth. As I moved the power forward, I felt a definite kick in the pants as the dual turbos kicked in about that time we had reached 75 knots and I had figured out where to find the airspeed on the Entegra display. There was the slightest back pressure and we were flying. The side yoke controller is different, but feels comfortable in short order. Everything about the
aircraft is ergonomically correct; your hand falls naturally on the throttle and the side yoke. There is plenty of room. The seats are comfortable. It is a wonderful flying experience.

We arranged for another Cirrus to join us for a photo shoot. As we waited to join up east of Dallas, another safety feature of the Cirrus was highlighted: the traffic alert system (TCAS). Even before we joined up with the other Cirrus, we had been warned several times of nearby traffic, all of it exactly where the system said it would be. We were able to monitor the other Cirrus on the screen as he found us and slid into formation for the photo shoot.

After the photos had been taken we climbed to 13,500 to get a look at the performance of this machine. All the way to 13,500, we were seeing at least 1,250 feet per minute. Reid said it would maintain that rate of climb all the way to 25,000, and I have no reason to doubt it. Once level, we saw TAS of 200 knots at 100% power. That speed was burning prodigious amounts of fuel, about 31 gph, so we pulled the power back to 90% and leaned the fuel flow to 16 gph. At that power setting we saw 193 knots at 28.6 inches of manifold pressure at 2,490 rpm. With a full load of fuel, a person could cover a lot of real estate at that speed. Climb to 25,000 and pick up a 50 knots tailwind, you might cover half the continent.

Towering cumulus could be seen in the distance; looking at the MFD we could easily see where they were, how high the tops were, and in which direction they were moving. Any weather information you might need is available through the XM Radio weather downlink. The amount of information available on the display is incredible: Engine parameters, OAT, traffic, winds aloft, maps, obstacles. It wouldn’t have surprised me if I had been told I could surf the Web or watch a movie on it (and that may be coming). Not only is weather available, but so is XM Radio. Reid asked me what type of music I liked, and humored me by turning it to my favorite XM country station. Listening to Willie Nelson while cruising 193 knots over two miles above the ground… can it get any better?

In case you’re not paying enough attention to the radar returns and you stumble into some ice, TKS de-icing is an option. The airplane isn’t certified for known ice, but the TKS system offers you enough time to possibly escape in one piece.

Two autopilots are offered by Cirrus. The 55 SR and 55X by S-Tec are offered. Both are very capable, with the 55X being able to track the glideslope. Another feature of the 55X is the ability to pre-select an altitude and have the plane level off when it gets there. With the autopilot engaged, the airplane was rock solid.

Speed checks done, we told the autopilot to give us a 1000 fpm descent and stopped by the airport at Mesquite, east of Dallas, for some landings. This is a very easy airplane to handle in the pattern. Controls are light and responsive. Put it in a bank, and it stays there. The Bellanca I normally fly has a reputation for being responsive, but I think the Cirrus has it beaten, which is saying something. If this airplane had any nasty traits, I couldn’t find them. It comes down final at a comfortable 80 knots, and the landing is straightforward. I managed a decent landing on my first attempt, the only problem being that (since I forgot this is a taller airplane than I am accustomed to) we arrived about eight inches sooner than I expected. Speed control on final takes a little practice, but the airplane is forgiving for those who don’t yet have it nailed. Trim is all electric, and being accustomed to a trim wheel, I found it a bit unusual. I am sure that with a little time it too would become second nature. There is also aileron trim in case you start leaning one way or the other because of fuel imbalance.

Reid then suggested a stall. Power at idle and with stick full aft, the airplane would not stall. Reid took over, and managed to get the airplane to do all it will do, which isn’t much. You could feel a burble, and nose would drop a little, but you would have to be pretty ham-fisted it to stall this airplane. The wing is designed with an outboard cuff to prevent stalls. The outer part of the wing still provides lift and control after the inner part of the wing has stalled. Even 30-degree banked turns with the stall horn blaring seem rock solid.

It was time to head back to Addison, which was simple enough to find with the moving map. Another acceptable landing at Addison, and I had to give the plane back. After wiping the drool off my face, I surrendered the keys to Reid and began to dream. Half a million seems a little out of my price range, but obviously, it’s within the price range of a lot of people, because the majority of the planes that have been sold are one of the several models of the SR22. The basic SR22 has a base price of $371,200. The GTS model is $469,990, but the option list is short. Same with the turbo: the basic airplane is $439, 985, but anyone buying this class of airplane probably wouldn’t be happy without some options. Add all the options to the turbo, and you’re looking at $532,990. It’s a lot of money, but it’s a lot of airplane. There are obviously a lot of people who can write a check for that amount, because they’re doing it, and after experiencing what this airplane will do, if I had that kind of money, I’d be in line to do it as well.

But what about those of us who can’t exactly write that size check and still stay married? There is hope. If you can’t afford a whole Cirrus, how about part of one? How many people own a high performance single worth $100,000 or more whose flying fails to justify the fixed costs of owning such an airplane by themselves? If you are in that category and fly 50 or so hours a year like a lot of people in that situation fly, it might make sense to find four other people in the same situation and pool your resources to get a plane with the safety features and performance of Cirrus.

Don’t know four other people in that situation? Cirrus has a solution. Under the Cirrus share plan, they will assist in finding others of like mind who will partner with you. There are also several organized shared ownership plans in larger cities that, for a one-time charge and monthly maintenance fee, as well as hourly usage fee, will put you in the seat of Cirrus and take care of all the details. All you do is pay and fly.

While the SR22 is a fantastic airplane, you don’t have to spend $500,000 to get Cirrus safety and performance features. You have to spend that to get the SR22 with all the bells and whistles, but maybe you can do without all the bells and whistles. For example, if you can get by with an airplane that “only” cruises at 155 knots with a fixed gear, you can get the 200-horsepower SR20 for as little as $200,000. Granted, that’s a more basic airplane, but somewhere in the $225,000 range will get you a very capable traveling machine. You may not be sitting on cow hide, but you will be sitting behind the Entegra flight display with IFR capability and all the safety features built into every Cirrus. Even adding all the options you would want on the SR20 you’ll still probably be under $300,000. (A nicely equipped plane can be had for $257,045, including autopilot, Garmin 430 and Garmin 250.) A top of the line SR20 with everything is $342,235. You have to ask yourself if 100 extra horsepower and 25 extra knots are worth a hundred grand. For a lot of people it is, but if the cost of the SR22 is out of your price range, the SR20 is a viable option for a plane that outdoes everything in its class. Get a few partners, 20-year financing, and a Cirrus is within reach. Trade in your old plane, and it might not be much of a stretch at all to get into the modern age of aviation.