“Nothing surprises me,” says Vincent. “We were on a sugar high in 2021 and 2022, fed by essentially free money. Now with middle single-digit loan rates, we’re getting back to a more normal market.”

Adds Ron Epstein, senior equity analyst at Bank of America: “The COVID recovery was kind of a weird thing. We’re getting back to a normal [growth] trajectory pre-COVID.”

Rising interest rates haven’t yet been much of a damper on new aircraft sales, as up to 60 percent to 70 percent of purchases now are all cash or 50 percent cash down/50 percent financing. Less than one-third involve a large loan. Some buyers look at 6 percent aircraft loan rates in relation to the 8 percent returns they’re making on investments, so they’re choosing to finance aircraft purchases rather than tying up cash.

The current market cooldown is more related to supply chain snags, particularly as noted by the heads of Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream. Éric Martel, Bombardier’s CEO, says fewer of the firm’s suppliers have problems, but the remaining ones have systemic issues that need remedial work. Bombardier has its own specialists embedded with key suppliers to provide support should issues arise.

Dassault chief Éric Trappier points out that supply chain issues in 2023 are worse than last year, partly from the fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Some materials, such as titanium, are in short supply, and European aerospace manufacturer’s energy costs have soared. In mid-July, Trappier disclosed that sales had slowed in the first half of 2023 as compared to the same period in 2022 in large part because of the war in Ukraine.

Gulfstream president Mark Burns says that while supply chains are constricted, the Savannah, Georgia, firm began reordering parts and materials two years ago, resulting in fewer challenges. Phebe Novakovic, CEO and chairman of General Dynamics, Gulfstream’s parent company, has modestly scaled back projected deliveries for 2023.

There’s an upside to supply chain snags, says Epstein, because “it prevents anybody from spoiling the party because it forces production discipline.” Simply put, manufacturers cannot flood the market with an oversupply of airplanes.

Market growth also is being constricted by aircraft certification delays. Similar to many other organizations, the FAA encouraged many employees to work remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic. Several staff members have been reluctant to move back to FAA offices after experiencing the freedom and flexibility of their remote workplaces. Industry observers claim sparsely staffed FAA certification offices are creating long delays in paperwork processing.

In addition, the FAA has doubled down on its aircraft certification checks in the wake of the Boeing 737 Max debacle, delaying by several months the type certification of the Dassault Falcon 6X and Gulfstream G700 and G800, plus potentially the Beechcraft Denali in 2025.

Prospects for smaller turbofan aircraft already in production remain bright. Cirrus, for instance, delivered 90 single-engine SF50 Vision Jets in 2022, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) aircraft shipment report. Demand for the entry-level Vision Jet remains strong because it’s an easy step up from Cirrus’ piston singles, owing to its combination of docile handling, human-centered flight deck design, passenger amenities, and top-notch customer support. It’s very similar to the success that Cessna enjoyed 50 years ago when it introduced the mild-performing, twin-turbofan Citation 500 as a modest step-up product from its 300- and 400-series piston twins.

The Vision Jet is the only turbofan aircraft as of yet to offer both a standard airframe parachute system and Garmin Autoland—branded Safe Return—providing unsurpassed peace of mind to occupants. Similar to the long-term growth plan that Cessna had with its Citation500 family, Cirrus is expected to develop faster, higher, and farther-flying turbofan aircraft as follow-on products to the Vision Jet. As FLYING previously reported, Cirrus Aircraft filed for a $300 million initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to provide funds for new aircraft development and increased pro-duction capacity, among other growth goals.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cirrus Vision Jet G2+

Deliveries in the light jet twin-turbofan market continue slowly to decline, in large part because of the steep drop in demand for Embraer Phenom 100-series aircraft, once the most popular light jet by a wide margin.

Phenom 100 deliveries soared during its first two full production years (2009-2010) for the 100, with Embraer producing nearly 200 units. The Phenom 100 completely eclipsed its archrival, the Cessna Citation CJ1+, a light jet that was $1 million more expensive and somewhat slower. The Phenom 100’s introductory price was on par with the Cessna CE-510 Mustang, but its cabin cross section was nearly as big as the Learjet 45. The Phenom 100’s tall stance and airstair door made it look even larger than its actual size, adding to its perceived value. Owner pilots also favored the Phenom 100’s Garmin G1000 avionics package over the CJ1+’s Collins Pro Line 21 system.

Three years later, Textron Aviation responded by delivering Citation M2, a CJ1 variant with more thrust, Garmin G3000 avionics, a plusher interior than the Embraer, a 40-plus-knot cruise speed advantage, 160 nm more range, and a more attractive price tag than CJ1+. Within a few years, M2 took the sales lead from Embraer in this class and it clearly has maintained it. M2 steadily is catching the Phenom 100 in total sales, with Textron now having delivered more than 340 Citation M2 jets compared to Embraer’s 400-plus Phenom 100 aircraft.

M2 deliveries also surpass those of HA-420 HondaJet, despite the latter’s having a roomier cabin, higher cruise speeds and, arguably, the quietest interior in the light jet class. The Citation, however, offers superior runway performance and a roughly $800,000 lower price.

Veteran buyers also are keen on product support, giving Textron Aviation a major competitive edge over Embraer and Honda Aircraft, according to some industry observers. Textron Aviation delivered nearly double the number of M2 jets in 2022 compared to the HondaJet, and it’s on track to preserve a similar margin in 2023. Phenom 100 comes in a distant third.

Competition in the upper end of the light jet market is far different. Three competitors, Embraer’s Phenom 300E and Textron Aviation’s Citation CJ3+ and CJ4 Gen2 face off. The Brazilian offering has compelling advantages—biggest cabin volume, lowest cabin altitude, longest range, highest cruise speed, and smallest price. Phenom 300/300E deliveries, as a result, now exceed those of CJ3+ and CJ4 Gen2 combined. The Phenom 300 also siphoned off so many Learjet 75 orders that Bombardier was compelled to shut down production. Notably, the Phenom 300 has been the best-selling light jet for more than a decade. And it’s the only light jet to be purchased by all three major fractional aircraft operators—NetJets, Flexjet, and Airshare.

The upmarket Pilatus PC-24 resides in a class of its own, straddling the boundary between light jets and midsize aircraft. Its 18,300-pound max takeoff weight, fuel efficiency, single-pilot certification, and runway performance make it competitive. Its 500-cubic-foot cabin volume, flat floor, standard autothrottles, and 400-knot block speed nudge it into the midsize niche. The right engine has a special low idle rpm ground mode that enables it to double as an APU, thereby providing heating, air conditioning, and electrical power when the aircraft is parked. The PC-24 is the only jet in either class to have a 4.2-foot high by 4.1-foot wide aft cargo door. It can use unpaved runways, just like the PC-12 NGX turboprop. That increases the number of landing facilities it can use from 10,650 to 21,000.

Textron Aviation’s Citation Ascend, the fifth-generation Citation CE-560XL, is the last remaining truly midsize class jet. Gone are Citation III/VI/VII, Hawker800, Gulfstream G150, and Learjet 60. None had the 560XL’s blend of short-field performance, cabin comfort, operating economics, and low purchase price—though it won’t reach the market until 2025.

Ascend could be the last member of the venerable CE-560XL family, a placeholder to buy time for Textron Aviation to develop a clean-sheet replacement aircraft with more speed, more range, and more cabin volume. At nearly $17 million, Ascend’s price point puts it close to the $18 million Embraer Praetor 500, a super-mid-size aircraft with 70 percent more range, 40 to 70 knots more speed, and half again more cabin volume.

• READ MORE: Citation Ascend Mock-Up to Debut at NBAA

The Praetor 500 can fly nonstop between almost any two U.S. continental coastal cities at Mach 0.80 against winter winds. It has the lowest cabin altitude in its class, 5,800 inside while cruising at 45,000 feet. It boasts full-tanks, full-seats loading flexibility. It has a wet galley, vacuum lavatory, and optional Viasat KA-band SatCom connectivity. It’s the least expensive jet in FLYING’s Buyers Guide to boast fly-by-wire flight controls, a technology that used to be available only on the most expensive jets from Bombardier, Dassault, and Gulfstream. Topping all that, it beats Citation Ascend’s short-field performance on equal length missions. However, being much heavier than Citation Ascend, Praetor 500 burns 20 to 25 percent more fuel.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Embraer Praetor 500

The super-midsize class remains one of the most hotly contested sectors with offerings from Bombardier, Gulfstream, and Textron, as well as Embraer. All contenders feature two cabin sections, typically configured with double-club seating or a single-club section up front and a divan plus two facing chairs at the rear. Bombardier Challenger 3500, the latest variant of the Challenger 300 that entered service in 2003, sports a cabin with nearly the same cross section as a Gulfstream V, lower cabin altitudes to reduce fatigue, more comfortable and stylish Nüage chairs and numerous connectivity and convenience upgrades.

The Challenger 300 series has been the bestseller in class for two decades because of its combination of cabin comfort, performance, operating economics, and dispatch reliability. With fat margins and fuel problems, it’s a cash cow for Bombardier. However, some industry analysts maintain Challenger 3500 is due for a major refresh to keep it competitive in the long term.

The Gulfstream G280 is the performance leader, capable of flying four passengers 3,700 nm at Mach 0.80, and eight passengers 3,500 nm at the same speed. Its cabin is slightly narrower than Challenger 3500, but it’s longer, so the volume is virtually the same. The G280 features a wing derived from the GV airfoil, albeit one with different twist and improved winglets. Fuel efficiency rivals the best class, a result of the low drag wing, fuel-efficient HTF7250G turbofans and comparatively high cruising altitudes. For example, it can climb directly to 43,000 feet on an ISA+10 degree Celsius day. Demand for G280 is getting stronger, with Gulfstream delivering 24 aircraft in 2022, according to GAMA.

Textron Aviation’s Citation Latitude is the firm’s bestselling jet, with 42 deliveries in 2022. Passengers love this airplane, especially its roomy aft lavatory. This low-risk derivative of the Model 680 Sovereign+ offers the largest cabin cross section of any Citation yet to enter production but one with impressive structural efficiency. Its increase in empty weight is less than 360 pounds compared to Sovereign+, while its cabin is 4 inches higher and 11 inches wider. It features the first flat floor in a Citation, a 9.66 psi pressurization system that maintains cabin altitude below 6,000 feet and a Garmin G5000 flight deck. Cabin width is about 5 inches narrower, and floor width is 7 inches less than in the Praetor 500, thus its cross section is the leanest in class. The Latitude’s typical block speed is 400 knots, so it’s optimized for two- to three-hour trips even though it has a 6.5-hour endurance.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cessna Citation Latitude

The Latitude’s fraternal twin, the Citation Longitude, shares its cabin cross section, low cabin altitudes, and G5000 avionics package, but little else. The wing has a super-critical airfoil with 28.6 degrees of sweep at one-quarter chord. It’s powered by Honeywell HTF7000 series turbofans, considered best in class by Bombardier, Embraer, and Gulfstream. Normal cruises peed is Mach 0.80, so mission block times are nearly identical to those of Gulfstream G280.

The jet will fly four passengers 3,500 nm and eight passengers 3,400 nm at that speed, enabling it to cruise from New York to Paris, but not necessarily Paris to New York against winter headwinds. On typical two-to three-hour missions, the Longitude burns less fuel than the Latitude and its takeoff and landing distances are only slightly longer. Textron Aviation’s asking price is nearly $30 million, the highest in the super-midsize class, but that’s not dampening sales, again boosted by the company’s renowned product support and the air-plane’s unsurpassed low cabin noise levels. Textron Aviation delivered 26 units in 2022.

Embraer’s Praetor 600 is the value leader in this market niche. With a $21.5 million base price, it’s less than $2 million more than the Citation Latitude, yet it offers an extensive list of standard features. Along with the Praetor 500, it’s the only super-mid to have fly-by-wire flight controls. Its cabin cross is slightly smaller than either the Bombardier Challenger 3500 or Gulfstream G280 but larger than the Latitude or Longitude. Similar to the Citation Latitude and Praetor 500, there is no access to the unpressurized aft baggage compartment in flight. With a highest-in-class, 16,000-plus-pound fuel capacity, it can fly eight passengers 3,900 nm at long-range cruise. At Mach 0.80, range is close to 3,700 nm.

While orders are strong at all the jet manufacturers in FLYING’s Buyers Guide, storm clouds rapidly are forming in Europe. Climate change activists cut the airport security fence at Geneva International Airport (LSGG) in May and chained themselves to aircraft on display at the European Business Aviation Convention& Exhibition, calling for a total ban on private jets, decrying them as “toxic objects” and carrying signs that read, “Warning: Private Jets Drown Our Hope.”

Another environmental group sprayed orange paint on a Citation CJ1 at Sylt, Germany, in June, and a third splattered yellow paint over an Embraer Phenom 300E at Ibiza, Spain, in July, unfurling a banner that read, “Your Luxury = Our Climate Crisis.”

Dassault fully understands the threats posed by environmental protesters in Europe, warning that aviation bashing often translates into government regulatory policies. Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport (EHAM), for instance, plans to ban private jets after 2025. Dassault officials counter that all 2,100 Falcon Jets in service produce the same emissions as a single day of internet video streaming.

To put business jet aviation emissions into perspective, it’s constructive to first look at global energy-related carbon dioxide emissions. In 2022, the total was 36.8 billion metric tons, according to the International Energy Agency. IAE says aviation represents 2 percent of total CO2 emissions, or 736 million metric tons. ICAO also quotes a 2 percent aviation share, based upon research conducted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. GAMA claims that business aviation represents 2 percent of all aircraft emissions, or 14.7 million metric tons.

The World Health Organization, in contrast, reports the tobacco industry emits 84 million metric tons of CO2 every year, more than 5.7 times as much as business aviation. FLYING knows of no climate change activists who are protesting cigarette smoking.

“There’s [an] angle of class warfare here,” says Epstein, the Bank of America analyst.

Says another business aviation veteran: “Business jet owners are targeted as fat cats that don’t have to go through TSA. It’s not yet an existential threat in the U.S. But what happens in Europe eventually comes here.”

In light of growing public sentiment regarding the carbon impact of private jets, the business aviation industry has committed to slashing total CO2 emissions by 50 percent by 2050 compared to 2005. Transitioning from fossil fuel to sustainable aviation fuel (SAF or bio jet-A) can reduce overall aircraft CO2 emissions by 80 percent, according to the International Air Transport Association. Some SAF advocates claim up to 90 percent reduction, depending upon the bio feedstocks and production processes.

The challenges to making the jump from fossil jet-A to SAF are immense. Currently, the aviation industry uses close to 100 billion gallons of jet-A annually but only 14 million gallons is SAF, the majority of which was purchased by business jet operators, according to Timothy Obitts, CEO of Alder Fuels, a leading sustainable fuels company in Virginia. One big hurdle to scaling up SAF production is price. The wholesale cost of biojet is up to three times as much as fossil fuel, so FBOs are bound to charge a substantial premium for it, squeezing the already tight budgets of many light jet operators.

• READ MORE: Business Aviation Industry Groups Aim to Speed Adoption of SAF

“Scaling up production of SAF is beyond the scope of business aviation,” says Epstein. “It’s not happening anytime soon. It’s going to take a massive investment by government. And then business aviation can ride on the coattails.”

However, the underpinnings of the business jet sector remain strong.

“People want to travel by air,” Epstein says. “The industry needs to be aware of climate change pressures and manage them. Climate change activists aren’t the ones buying business jets.”

The post Jets: Reaching the Service Ceiling appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The FAA-certified Level D Vision Jet simulator is intended for use in the Cirrus’ flight training program as well as to “to serve the company’s expansion plans.” Training activities at the Center include initial type rating and recurrent training for new and pre-owned aircraft owners. While it also provides training for the company’s SR-series, Knoxville is the only location that offers SF50 type ratings.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cirrus Vision Jet G2+

“Cirrus Aircraft is dedicated to providing world-class flight training and we are continually investing in the Vision Center campus to expand our capacity and offer ultramodern training resources,” said Cirrus Aircraft president of customer experience Todd Simmons.

The Knoxville Vision Center, which has been a Cirrus factory service center since 2016, currently offers an experience center, delivery center, flight training center, factory service center, and flight center with a hangar complex. Cirrus noted that it plans to further expand the campus next year.

• READ MORE: Cirrus Vision Jet Wins Collier Trophy

Winner of the 2017 Robert J. Collier Trophy, the single-engine Vision Jet features safety systems such as the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and Safe Return emergency autoland. The most recent version of the Williams FJ33-5A-powered jet, the G2+, offers a top cruise speed of 311 knots, 1,275 nm range, and 1,350 pound payload. Cirrus reports that the current SF50 fleet is made up of more than 500 aircraft with 1,055 people holding type ratings.

The post Cirrus Adds Second Vision Jet Simulator appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 2020 Cirrus SF50 G2 Vision Jet.

The Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet caused a sensation at its unveiling more than a decade ago and continues to do so with this improved G2 model. Designed as a path for pilot-owners to step up from piston aircraft to a jet, the SF50 G2 offers more travel options through enhanced speed and range. Its spacious, pressurized cabin represents a significant upgrade in comfort when compared with other single-engine piston and turboprop airplanes.

This SF50 G2 has 325 hours on the airframe and its Williams International FJ33 turbofan engine, which has a 1,846-pound thrust rating. Other highlights include the Safe Return Autoland system, Cargo X-Tend for additional cargo capacity, and Flight Stream 510 connectivity.

The aircraft’s Special Edition Arrivée interior includes executive seating with a center console, two-tone albatross and obsidian premium leather seats with white Arrivée accent stitching, Alcantara headliner with carbon fiber accents, and granite premium carpet. The aircraft’s Elite avionics package includes digital real-time weather radar, enhanced vision system, Surface Watch, traffic collision avoidance system, terrain awareness, an additional AHRS, ADS-B weather and traffic, and an additional digital transponder.

If your business and family travel plans would benefit from pressurized comfort,  300-knot cruise speed, and 31,000-foot service ceiling, you should take a closer look at this 2020 Cirrus SF50 G2 Vision Jet, which is available on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

• FLYING Magazine: We Fly: Cirrus Vision Jet G2+
• FLYING Magazine: Verijet Adds 3 Cirrus SF50 G2+ Vision Jets to Fleet
• FLYING Magazine: Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet: Factory Tour
• Plane & Pilot: 2019 Planes Of The Year: Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet G2
• Plane & Pilot: Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet Wins Collier Trophy
• The Aviation Consumer: Cirrus Vision Jet G2: Higher, Quieter, Safer

The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 2020 Cirrus SF50 G2 Vision Jet appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Cirrus Aircraft opened the doors to its new Innovation Center this week at the company’s headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota. 

Located in the former Northwest Airlines Corp. facility, the center includes a freshly renovated 189,000-square-foot building on 39 acres at Duluth International Airport (KDLH). Cirrus says it will use the Innovation Center to support development of its next generation of products and services.

• READ MORE: Cirrus Seeks to Keep Learners Training with Private Pilot Program

“The Innovation Center is an incredible company milestone that supports the future development and endeavors of Cirrus Aircraft product development,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “We are continuing to invest in the company and the City of Duluth with the Innovation Center opening. We have worked closely with our partners to renovate the building and hire more engineers and technicians to join the new facility in Duluth.”

Cirrus announced plans to build the Innovation Center in September 2022. In addition to workspaces, the facility houses a material and processes lab, integration test lab, advanced design and development lab, environmental equipment and testing capabilities and space for development and testing. According to Cirrus, it currently has over 300 employees working at the facility.

• READ MORE: Cirrus Vision Jet Gets Auto Radar, Cirrus IQ

The post Cirrus Opens New Innovation Center appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The report stemmed from a regulatory filing accessed by FLYING. Within the filing is language indicating that the company does not intend to register with the Securities Exchange Commission nor solicit U.S. investors:

“This announcement (and the information contained herein) is for information purposes only and shall not constitute or form part of any offer to issue or sell, or the solicitation of any offer to purchase, subscribe for or otherwise acquire, any securities of the Company in the United States (including its territories and possessions, any state of the United States and the District of Columbia) or any other jurisdiction were such offer or sale would be unlawful. The Company believes that it is a “foreign private issuer” (“FPI”), as such term is defined in Rule 405 under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”), and intends to conduct its business so far as possible to maintain its status as a FPI. 

“The securities of the Company (the “Securities”) have not been and will not be registered under the U.S. Securities Act or with any securities regulatory authority of any state or other jurisdiction of the United States, and may not be offered, sold, resold, pledged, transferred or delivered, directly or indirectly, into or within the United States, except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the U.S. Securities Act and in compliance with any applicable securities laws of any relevant state or other jurisdiction of the United States. There has been and will be no public offering of the Securities in the United States.”

FLYING reached out to Cirrus for comment, and received the following statement from the company, which is in a quiet period after the filing:

“From time to time, Cirrus Aircraft explores options to raise additional capital. Our current work, made possible by the contributions of the Cirrus Aircraft team, has positioned the company as a global leader in personal aviation. A natural next step in that journey is exploring additional business and capital funding structures that enable even larger and more stable growth ahead. 

“Raising additional capital will allow us to further invest in our people, new product development, production capabilities, facilities and efficiencies, as well as enable and expand global service capabilities and strengthen our IT and business infrastructure. 

“We do not have a definitive timetable for our listing plan as our listing application is still under the vetting process of the Hong Kong regulators. Further announcements will be made in accordance with the listing rules of the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. We stay committed to elevating our customers’ ownership experience and staff member experience for many years to come. 

“This communication does not constitute an offer of securities for sale or a solicitation of an offer to purchase securities in the United States or any other jurisdiction in which such offer or solicitation is unlawful. The securities of Cirrus Aircraft Limited (the “Company”) may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The securities of the Company have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act. The Company does not intend to register any part of the present or proposed offering in the United States.”

READ MORE: Cirrus Completes Merger With Chinese Firm CAIGA

Cirrus Aircraft merged with China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) in 2011 to fund and support its global expansion. CAIGA, a division of the Chinese state-owned AVIC (Aviation Industry Corporation of China) is a consortium of aerospace companies in China, including other general aviation and pilot training enterprises. CAIGA is headquartered in Zhuhai, where Cirrus manufactures aircraft for the Asian market. The Cirrus portion of AVIC General delivered 2 SR20s in the first quarter of 2023, while Cirrus Aircraft in the U.S. delivered 13 SR20s, 5 SR22s, 54 SR22Ts, and 18 SF50 Vision Jets.

The post Docs Filed for Cirrus Aircraft IPO in Hong Kong appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Cirrus said it plans to invest $13 million in the new facility, which will have a total of 45,000 square feet of space, including a 15,000-square-foot service hangar, 15,000-square-foot storage hangar, a flight simulation space, eight shade canopies, a retail store, and a lounge for customers.

• READ MORE: Cirrus Marks 9,000th SR in 2023 With Limited Edition

“The Dallas Metroplex is a central location for many of our SR Series and Vision Jet owners,” said Todd Simmons, president of customer experience at Cirrus. “With this new expansion at Cirrus McKinney, we are excited to continue enhancing the aircraft ownership experience for our current owners and also create an environment to introduce more people to the benefits of personal aviation.”

Currently the Cirrus McKinney operation employs more than 50 people, Cirrus said, adding that it “plans to continue adding more career opportunities in the future.” Cirrus has long been a leader in customer experience among general aviation manufacturers. In March the company launched an app to help shoppers configure their aircraft, and last month Cirrus marked the sale of its 9,000th SR series aircraft. 

• READ MORE: Cirrus Reveals Plans for a Huge Next-Gen Aircraft Development Center

The post Cirrus Aircraft Begins Work On New Dallas Facility appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The milestone? Cirrus marks its 9,000th delivery of an SR-series airplane this year, and much as it did with the 7,000th delivery and 8,000th delivery, it has crafted a limited edition run of the SR series, with comprehensive owner packages and bespoke exterior and interior designs. 

The 9,000th SR Packages

“The SR Series continues to move people, businesses, and imaginations as we reach another significant delivery milestone,” said Zean Nielsen, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft, in an accompanying statement. “Our talented Xi Design Studio collected inspiration through the lens of our customers and the worldwide travel and freedom personal aviation offers. The 9,000th SR Series delivery means that 9,000 owners are living the Cirrus Life enabled by the best-selling high-performance piston aircraft in the industry for over two decades.”

The design carries two themes, according to Ivy McIver, SR series program manager. The first is the number “9” that is integrated into several places on the aircraft. The second is the color orange—incorporated into the scheme by Xi Design Studios to create four palettes: ’Balos,’ ‘Lava,’ ‘Magma,’ and ‘Santorini,’ using Sherwin-Williams paint in Lava Orange and Aegean Blue.

• READ MORE: We Fly: Cirrus SR22T 8000

The owner packages also include five Bose A30 headsets and two Garmin D2 Aviation watches, along with five-year warranty and maintenance programs for a total ownership experience.

More Cirrus Metrics

Before Simmons made it to the big announcement, he took time to review a handful of significant numbers that Cirrus has achieved over its 24-year history. Among them, the fact that those 9,000 airplanes—the SR fleet—have amassed more than 15 million flight hours—and for the past nine years, Cirrus has delivered more than 300 piston aircraft per year. In 2022, the SR series was again the top-selling piston aircraft for the 21st year in a row.

And the SF50 has had its own hit parade. As it approaches 500 deliveries this year, the Vision Jet has increased in both market share and its ability to expand the market overall. For the fourth year in a row, in 2022, it was the top-selling jet with 95 units shipped.

But the Vision Jet notched other milestones in recent months, including the first and second saves using the CAPS, or Cirrus Airframe Parachute System. For customers and pilots seeking to acquire the SF50 type rating under the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), it has dropped the minimum number of hours to enter the program from 500 to 250 in certain circumstances.

Cirrus has also added more affiliates in Europe in recent years, including the most recent addition of Orbifly, in France, in March 2023. In October 2022, it added CK Aviation in the UK, and in July 2021, Daedelus.

Sustainable Cirrus

Cirrus has been one of the first OEMs to test out unleaded fuel in its high-performance SR22 and SR22T engines—using the Continental IO-550-N, and TIO-550-K1, respectively. And ti continues to move forward with testing using GAMI’s UL100 as part of the EAGLE program to move towards unleaded fuels.

And the SF50’s Williams International FJ33 engine is all ready to run on sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Cirrus was an early SAF adopter with the Vision Jet. From a noise standpoint—also very important, especially under EU skies—the Vision Jet registers between 69 and 71 decibels during flyover, according to its EASA type certificate.

The post Cirrus Marks 9,000th SR in 2023 With Limited Edition appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

To help solve this, Cirrus Aircraft launched its new aircraft configurator at the Sun ‘n Fun Aerospace Expo this week. FLYING had a chance to try it out at the OEM’s chalet on the flight line—and it takes the selection process to a new level.

Available for the entire SR series—including the SR20, SR22, and SR22T—as well as the Vision Jet, the aircraft configurator allows for the potential aircraft owner to walk through the benefits of each model. Then, the configurator guides the buyer through the myriad choices available in both exterior and interior color and other elements.

The app is a great way to understand more about the airplanes on a pilot’s own time, assisting with their research in a self-propelled way.

Not buying and just imagining that you’ll fly a Cirrus someday? The configurator powers those dreams too.

The post Pilots Can Pick A Cirrus With Its New Configurator appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The scene following the deployment was reported by a local news affiliate as a marshy area in the “area of Lake Tohopekaliga,” where the pilot and a boy walked away and a second passenger, a woman, sustained “no life-threatening injuries.”

The SF50, powered by a single Williams International FJ33-5A, first flew in July 2008 and has been in service since December 2016, after several iterations and a measured development program to get the company’s first turbine aircraft right.

First Pull on the SF50

While the Vision Jet’s CAPS saw significant testing during the airplane’s development—and most SF50 pilots have practiced simulated pulls in training—this is the first deployment of the airframe chute in operation.

Cirrus Aircraft tracks “saves” internally, with careful attention paid to the circumstances surrounding each deployment so that they can be driven back into training.

The company has confirmed this first pull—and save. “Cirrus Aircraft is aware of a Vision Jet Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) deployment near Lake Tohopekaliga, Osceola County, Florida, on Friday, September 9,” said the company in a statement given to FLYING. “This is the first deployment of the CAPS system on a fielded Vision Jet aircraft. 

“We are grateful to learn of the reported outcome of the incident, and our thoughts are with those involved for a quick recovery.”

The Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association tracks CAPS deployments on its website, with links and commentary up to September 2021. 

While the scenario leading to the deployment is not yet known, FLYING will be following the story.

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It all started last winter. Fed up with endless frustrations inherent in my public-sector job, I began exploring options in an entirely different career. By spring of this year, I had accepted a new job that is 100 percent remote and allows me to live anywhere. By any measure, it was a huge improvement.

Initially, visions of unbridled freedom filled my head. Shall I leave Wisconsin and move up to the northern Michigan paradise I love so dearly? Or should I move back to live closer to family and friends near Detroit? Then there’s always the possibility of branching out and trying someplace wildly different, with no snow, humidity, or mosquitos at all. The mind boggled at the possibilities, but I ultimately decided I’d like to move back to the area in which I grew up, near Ann Arbor, Michigan.

Certain Accommodations

As I began to scour the various real estate websites, one thing became very clear: Great housing options were easy to find…but great hangar options, not so much. As a single guy with no kids and the ability to fit every last non-motorized personal possession into the footprint of one small car, even the most modest studio apartments or tiny houses would suffice. The airplane, however, demanded certain accommodations.

First and foremost, it would require a good T-hangar. As I would be remaining in a northern climate, an outdoor tie down wouldn’t suffice. I had no interest in clearing snow and ice off of the airplane before every flight, nor did I want to expose the airframe to UV rays and violent, hail-filled thunderstorms.

An open hangar without a front door wouldn’t cut it, either. For lack of a better option, I used one briefly when I first bought the airplane. I wasn’t thrilled about the bird droppings that collected atop the airframe, and I definitely wasn’t thrilled about the idea of various other creatures taking up residences of their own within it. 

No, a decent, fully-enclosed hangar with a concrete floor would be required. Electricity for my engine heater would be necessary for the cold months, and it would have to be an individual T-hangar as opposed to a communal hangar, where the airplane is subject to hangar rash from others. This combination, I came to learn, was an exceedingly rare commodity in the area I was considering. 

To make matters worse, I’d also require an option for landing on grass. I installed a set of tundra tires this year, and operating from hard surfaces quickly chews up the soft rubber. Even ignoring this, however, I simply prefer taking off from and landing on grass, as it’s more forgiving when it comes to taildraggers and crosswinds.

Grass is fun, too. When the conditions are just right, you can open up the side window and use the sound of dandelion heads smacking against the left tire to precisely calibrate your flare and landing. I once took a flight instructor friend up for a ride in a Cessna 152 and did this without revealing my secret. He was mystified at my ability to hammer out one perfect landing after another. I finally came clean about 10 years later and we shared a good laugh.

The requirement for a grass option doesn’t necessitate an actual grass runway. Thanks to the efforts of the Recreational Aviation Foundation (RAF), the FAA recently acknowledged turf operations within runway safety areas. These operations most commonly entail taking off and landing from the grass immediately adjacent to an existing hard-surfaced runway. Good airports that lack a grass runway recognize the benefits and welcome such operations.

My No. 1 airport choice was the airport at which I did all of my primary training: the Ann Arbor Municipal Airport (KARB) about 30 miles west of Detroit, Michigan. It met nearly all of my requirements. The T-hangars were nice and well-maintained, the airport was situated right where I wanted to live, and it was equipped with a 2,750-foot-by-110-foot grass runway that intersects with the main, paved runway. 

However, my excitement was tempered when I learned that there were 33 people on the hangar waiting list. Frustrated, I mailed in a nonrefundable $100 check to secure position No. 34. The owner of the local FBO estimated that it would most likely take more than a year—and possibly as many as three—for me to reach the front of the line. 

Still motivated to find a hangar, I opened up a VFR sectional chart and began working my way outward in an ever-increasing radius. My findings were bleak. Every direction I looked, there were either no T-hangars available, the airports had fallen into disrepair, or my calls were simply never returned. Ann Arbor appeared to be the one and only option that would meet my needs.

Discouraged, I reflected upon what this meant for my living situation. I’d sold my house earlier in the year and had since found an inexpensive apartment, still in the Madison, Wisconsin, area. I was renting a great hangar at a nearby private field with a beautiful, 3,100-foot grass runway. Best of all, I had, over the preceding year, met some really great friends who got together for all kinds of flying adventures pretty regularly.

Although it wasn’t close to my friends and family in Michigan, it was an enviable situation. 

A Lot To Offer

Before long, it occurred to me that I’d only just scratched the surface of what Wisconsin flying had to offer. From lush grass strips, to remote northern destinations near Lake Superior, to uncharted strips in the surrounding counties—potential adventures were in no short supply. 

Even the barren, sub-zero, Arctic-esque winter months had a lot to offer. A couple of years ago, my friends Jim and Ross took me along for some landings on a nearby frozen lake. It was a blast, and now that I had an airplane of my own, I could join them in my own machine.

Exploring frozen lakes can be a really fun winter activity. After confirming the ice is sufficiently thick, usually by the presence of large diesel pickups driving to and from ice-fishing shanties, you can land and park on the ice at the nearest lakeside restaurant. There, you can enjoy some excellent local fish while admiring your airplane against the vivid blue sky and white landscape. 

While I’m sure similar opportunities exist over in Michigan, there’s a certain lakeside fish-fry culture in Wisconsin that makes it particularly enjoyable.

The Airplane Was Steering Me

Gradually, my frustration with my inability to find a good hangar option in Michigan was displaced by visions of autumn and winter flying adventures where I was already living. Sure, I still wanted to move away in the long term. But in the shorter term, if the main problem was that I had to continue exploring my current state with some good friends, well, that’s a good problem to have.

I also reflected on the irony in the greater scheme of things. On any given flight, I steer the airplane to the places I want to go. But when it came to choosing which city and state I wanted to live in, the airplane was steering me. I may have been stuck in limbo, but maybe limbo wasn’t such a bad place to be.

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