Articles

On a scorching summer afternoon in the Carolina heat, I sit in the left seat of a Cirrus SR22 with my instructor just beside. While most other pilots on this training-dense afternoon are eager to lift off, escaping their hot leather seats in favor of the cooler air above, I am in no rush. Rather, I take my time carrying out my normal procedures, doing so with the same careful flow instilled in me by my Cirrus instructors from the very beginning. Unlike the cluster of switches found on more traditional general aviation aircraft, with most switches hidden from the pilots view by the controls, a clean sheet line of switches lie before me as I begin a left, right, downward flow before takeoff, “Pitch trim set, lights on, air conditioner set, flaps 50 degrees.” Following a thorough takeoff briefing with a safe CAPS altitude selected (CAPS stands for Cirrus Airframe Parachute System), we pull onto the runway and I lift off into the clear and crowded air above, controlling both the aircraft and the trim with my left hand, leaving my right hand free to perform post takeoff checks and frequency changes thanks to Cirrus’s integrated joystick and electric trim design. At two hundred feet, I feel the yaw damper kick in, a gentle nod that I no longer have to keep pressure on the foot pedals to stay coordinated. It’s clear this aircraft was designed with the pilot in mind. 

After lift off, I closely monitor the engine parameters and announce “CAPS available” when we reach our parachute deployment altitude, which, even on a hot summer afternoon, feels like only a matter of seconds from departing the runway. With a digital, above ground level (AGL) readout below the altitude tape, and an audible callout once six hundred feet is reached, it’s hard to miss once I reach my critical altitude, an altitude upon which an engine failure would call for an immediate action to pull the parachute handle followed by some extreme physics, all while you sit and observe the ground come slowly closer from a distance. Upon reaching three thousand feet, I’m reminded to put on my foggles, after which I immediately enter the world of the Perspective+ avionics sweet, a world leaving me as the pilot, just as capable and situationally aware as I was without the view limiting device placed over my eyes. Dialing in the RNAV 23 approach into Monroe NC, the Perspective+ automatically references the bottom of the approach chart for the decision height, which I input in a matter of seconds. Cleared for the approach, I activate approach mode, slow to final approach speed and closely observe the automation taking place before me. With a 3D synthetic view of the runway ahead, I feel a level of security and certainty about my path ahead. With decision altitude reached and no “runway in sight” call from my instructor in the right seat, a go-around begins, consisting of full power and toga mode engagement in one fluid motion, followed by switching the flaps to the up position once a safe airspeed has been confirmed. A procedure that, besides keeping coordinated and moving the throttle forward, is more alike to flying a 777 go around on a foggy morning in JFK than performing the same maneuver in a small piston airplane.

The Cirrus has features that, although aren’t always essential, will drastically reduce the workload of the pilot. Although one can certainly fly an approach without synthetic vision or the help of a highly functional autopilot (which many would suggest challenge one's flying ability more), I certainly appreciate this added security when I’m flying an IMC approach at night into an airport with mountainous terrain, a feat which I would not have attempted in any other single engine piston.

The Perspective+ also includes minor perks that make flying and communicating with the aircraft more intuitive. For instance, a home button instantly takes the MFD back to the map display from whatever rabbit hole the pilot was chasing on a previous page. Furthermore, a rectangular box under the COM display shows exactly what controller he or she is talking to on COM1. Rewinding to before the pilot even starts the engine, a weight and balance page appears upon startup of the Perspective+ avionics, allowing the simple and intuitive input of payload in case the pilot wants to double check his thorough pre-flight calculations were accurate. Once taxiing has begun, a takeoff on the wrong runway will trigger a “check runway” announcement, granted the pilot inputted the runway into the MFD flight plan beforehand. The same “wrong runway” announcement occurs for an approach, becoming obvious if a circle approach or side step maneuver is called for by ATC. One of the most important safety features of the Cirrus includes the oxygen system, which makes flying over convective activity or catching a killer tailwind possible. With my cannula situated in a pocket beside my leg at all times, flight up to eighteen thousand feet becomes instantly possible and convenient when the mid-morning build up of thunderstorms beginning over the lower Appalachians. Although FIKI (Flight Into Known Icing) should always be taken with a level of caution, this other prime safety feature has permitted me to descend or climb through layers of clouds to achieve dry air, something that in a plane without a de-icing system might result in pilots attempting to dangerously skirt below cloud layers to avoid icing entirely.

For me, the increased technology of the Cirrus demands an inherent respect for the airplane. Adding to this, a careful emphasis on standardized procedures, as outlined in the FOM (Flight Operations Manual)  and drilled in through Cirrus certified instructors, demanded a level of perfection from the beginning. For many, however, a Cirrus signifies an aircraft flown by fresh and inexperienced pilots whose reliance on Cirrus’s advanced technology becomes a false sense of security if things were to go wrong. Early on, these stereotypes could be looked at as having a basis to back them up. Between the years of 2006 to 2011, it can be seen that a high rate of fatal incidents were occuring in the Cirrus community, growing steadily to a peak of eight fatal incidents in the Fall of 2011, arguably the lowest point in Cirrus’s history. However, from 2012 to now, something changed and the dial began to turn the other direction. The frequency of fatal incidents grew less quickly than the increased size of the Cirrus fleet, and the proportion of CAPS saves to fatal incidents grew significantly. What had changed to allow this reduction in fatal incidents?

To combat the stereotype and less than perfect safety record which troubled Cirrus during its early years, Cirrus has developed a thorough training program to train pilots new to the Cirrus. It begins with an online training platform known as “Cirrus Approach'' which guides new pilots through a series of video lessons covering all aspects of the airplane from performing short-field takeoffs to explaining how the wastegate influences the potential of the turbocharger system. From there, Cirrus certified instructors, or CSIPs as they are referred to, guide new pilots through a guided curriculum of lessons beginning with a ground lesson covering the significance of the CAPS system, leading into a flight lesson with practice maneuvers and one emergency maneuver to get the pilot exposed to circumstances where deploying CAPS might be necessary. Not only does this emphasis on a guided curriculum help the instructors by providing lesson plans, it also benefits the pilots who know what to expect when they show up for their lesson and the dedicated pilots who re-watch system videos and study the material thoroughly before showing up for their lesson. Beyond Cirrus’s outreach providing dedicated training centers across the country with expert CSIPs trained by in-house instructors, they also provide a complimentary three day training experience to new Cirrus owners. This training, carried out at the stunning Vision Center in Knoxville TN, not only provides a chance to learn the technology of a Cirrus, but it’s a great chance for pilots to alter their old habits and begin the Cirrus way of flying, involving carefully designed procedures and an emphasis on understanding all aspects of the airplane. It even includes a fully functional simulator where new Cirrus pilots get to practice deploying CAPS and walk through various other emergency scenarios.

The Cirrus is one of the safest general aviation aircraft on the market, if and only if, the pilot flying is trained to learn and respect the aircraft and knows how to operate its technology. The aircraft is highly automated, not to mention it is filled with numerous safety factors that can increase the confidence level of the pilot flying, potentially causing an overly-confident pilot to fly in conditions in which he should not fly. For example the parachute system, which might become a “get out of jail free card” for an overly-confident pilot. Secondly, the SR22 has very sensitive flight characteristics that can be tricky for new pilots accustomed to the forgiveness of Cessna or Piper flight controls.

There are many ways in which pilots who don’t fly the Cirrus may still label the Cirrus as a high-priced luxury piston with a false “get out of jail free” parachute. However, to those pilots who have a passion for aviation, respect for their aircraft and a willingness to know it in and out, there are few options better suited for a safe flight in a wide variety of weather conditions and traffic environments. 

Written By: Miles Beam (dse6hw@virginia.edu)

University of Virginia Class of 2025
Aerospace Engineering Major
Systems Engineering Minor