Category: Aircraft

Precious Cargo

“The reasons you wouldn’t consider anything but “The Plane With the Parachute.”

“When you think about it, why would you consider an airplane that didn’t have a parachute? The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS®), standard on every Cirrus ever made, was part of the design of the airplane from the very beginning.”

“The goal: create the ultimate in personal flight safety from the ground up. The result: the Cirrus family of revolutionary personal aircraft.”

“The Cirrus Life is about the peace of mind knowing that you are flying in the only aircraft in the world with the ultimate safety feature – CAPS®.”

Happy passengers in Cirrus Aircraft SR22
Happy passengers in Cirrus Aircraft SR22

Reference: Cirrus Aircraft Corporation, The Cirrus Life™ marketing brochure, p. 21, 2017.

Training for Your Lifestyle. That’s the Cirrus Approach.

“Training is an important part of living The Cirrus Life™ to the fullest.” Yet your lifestyle is busy. Very busy. That’s why [Cirrus] developed Cirrus Cirrus Approach™. It’s [Cirrus’] global, award-winning training solution that’s designed to deliver training on your schedule.”

“On the go only with you iPad? You can train with [Cirrus’] interactive Flight Operations Manual. Want to squeeze in some aircraft systems training over lunch? Connect to the internet and start an interactive eLearning training module right on your laptop. Have an up-coming business or personal trip and want to train in your plane on the flights there and back? Locate the nearest Cirrus Training Center and schedule a session with a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot who has been expertly trained to teach in your Cirrus.”

“Cirrus Approach™ has redefined what it means to be a pilot-in-training. Your schedule. Your lifestyle. That’s The Cirrus Life.”

Reference: Cirrus Aircraft Corporation, The Cirrus Life™ marketing brochure, p.18,19, 2017. https://www.cirrusapproach.com

Say Hello to the Window Seat

“How many times have you said to yourself, “There has to be a better way?” The aggravations, inconveniences, expense and inefficiencies of commercial air travel are almost cliche. And the entire experience keeps getting worse.”

“The Cirrus Life represents a rejection of these things. Owning a Cirrus is a transformational experience that offers freedom, convenience, and luxury-car comfort that surpass those of many commercial aircraft flown today.”

“The truth is that there is a better way.”

“And it can be yours with a Cirrus.”

The Cirrus Life, SR22TN Turbo, photo credit wikiWings
The Cirrus Life, SR22TN Turbo, photo credit wikiWings

Reference: Cirrus Aircraft Corporation, The Cirrus Life™ marketing brochure, p.11, 2017.

Because There is Flying, and Then There is Cirrus Flying

“You’re one of the select few. You’re one of the few people on this planet who can command an airplane and enjoy the uniquely spectacular sights and experiences that come with it. The sense of personal accomplishment of flying an airplane is without description. And when you fly a Cirrus you are at the controls of an aircraft that has been designed to maximize the flying experience by reducing pilot workload, increasing comfort and building confidence. In a Cirrus, pilot, plane and environment are perfectly integrated in harmony to both simplify and maximize the pleasure of the journey.

The Cirrus Life. It’s about a flying experience that makes one of the coolest things on earth . . . even cooler.”

Reference: Cirrus Aircraft Corporation, The Cirrus Life™ marketing brochure, p.8, 2017.

The Cirrus Life

It’s a phrase that has meaning – Welcome to The Cirrus Life.

Proclaimed by Flying Magazine as –

“the most sophisticated single-engine civilian airplane ever . . .”

Cirrus Aircraft reflects the height of innovation, safety and comfort. This is a profoundly compelling reason to consider owning a Cirrus. But this is just one of the many reasons.

Others can be summed up by what we call The Cirrus Life™. It’s a lifestyle played out in high-definition with the broadest possible scope. It’s measured in moments that enhance your business side and enrich the personal. And it is only possible when you fly to your new destinations in the luxury, comfort, safety, and style of a Cirrus.

Take a journey with us and take your first step toward your own unique version of The Cirrus Life today.”

Reference: Cirrus Aircraft Corporation, The Cirrus Life™ marketing brochure, p.2, 2017.

Wheels Up! 2019

Welcome! This is our sixth anniversary of general aviation writing at wikiWings®. During the year, we added articles covering a number of topics.  Here are the highlights:

We reviewed Cirrus Aircraft asking prices and the supply of pre-owed airplanes during the past year. From the G1 to G6 generation series of SR22’s we found these planes are holding their value. We’ve presented these numbers in the past and will continue to do so into the future as a free reference point. In 2019, Aerista and Lone Mountain Aircraft reported that it’s a seller’s market for Cirrus planes. Well, it is the most popular and best selling GA piston airplane.

We summarized a number of General Aviation factoids gleaned from the General Aviation Management Association (GAMA) report this past year.

How many pilots are there in General Aviation? We shared the summary statistics.

Vision jet deliveries continue. In 2019, the entire fleet was grounded for a potential flaw in the Angle of Attack indicator. As of this date, Cirrus has not released an official statement about the resolution to the problem. We asked – but Cirrus Service would not provide us with an update on the status of the fleet.

Many of the SF50 Personal Jets are back in the air. We’re seeing the Vision Jet on more GA ramps. A trend we expect will continue to grow into the future.

Copyright 2019 wikiWings LLC, All rights reserved
Connecting Aviators® and related marks and logos are property of wikiWings®

What does SR stand for on Cirrus Aircraft?

What’s the lexicon for “SR” in the Cirrus Aircraft model name? The SR was chosen as an acronym for Single-engine Reciprocating piston airplane. In 1999, the first Cirrus certified airplane was the SR20 and the number 20 stands for the original 200 horse power Teledyne Continental Motor engine.

In 2001, the second certified Cirrus airplane was introduced as the SR22 and received a “22” designation because it was just the next model up in engine performance and capability.

Copyright 2019 wikiWings LLC, All rights reserved
Connecting Aviators® and related marks and logos are property of wikiWings®

Cirrus has the Best Selling Turbocharged Airplane

In 2019, Cirrus will surpass two-thousand (2,000) turbocharged airplane deliveries. Pilots’ desire for turbocharged power has carried the company past another milestone – Cirrus has more turbo deliveries than all other turbo single-engine manufactured planes combined since 2007.

In 2018, Cirrus sold 180 turbo SR22T planes.  Almost half of their piston engine deliveries are turbo. In just twelve years, customers have purchased more than 1,964 turbocharged planes from Cirrus. It’s the best selling turbo piston airplane.

Continuous improvements to the plane’s design have won customers over. Along with Cirrus, there are now only three other companies manufacturing traditional “four-adult” piston turbo single-engine planes. Currently, the Cirrus SR22T Turbo outsells the Piper Malibu Mirage 9:1 and the Cessna Turbo Stationair 6:1. 

The Cirrus “SR-series of high-performance piston airplanes are the best-selling aircraft in the world for [16] consecutive years – with over 7,260 aircraft operating in over 60 countries.”

Congratulations to the entire Cirrus Aircraft team.

Reference: GAMA.aero Annual Reports for piston-single engine shipments; and earlier turbo normalized (TAT) stats from Matt Bergwall, Cirrus Aircraft.

Copyright 2019 wikiWings LLC, All rights reserved
Connecting Aviators® and related marks and logos are property of wikiWings®

Cirrus Outsells the Competition – 2018

In 2018, Cirrus Aircraft sold 380 piston-engine planes.  That’s up 7% over last year. The annual GAMA report shows Cirrus won half of the traditional “four-seat” (4-adult) airplane sales. Cirrus by design, has successfully resegmented the piston-engine market and separated their airplanes from the competition. 

The Cirrus SR22 outsells Beachcraft Bonanza 21:1. The Cirrus SR series wins 3:1 over Piper Archer and Arrow sales, and 2:1 over Cessna Skyhawk and Skylane sales.

The Cirrus “SR-series of high-performance piston airplanes are the best-selling aircraft in the world for [16] consecutive years – with over 7,260 aircraft operating in over 60 countries.”

Congratulations to the entire Cirrus Aircraft team.

Copyright 2019 wikiWings LLC, All rights reserved
Connecting Aviators® and related marks and logos are property of wikiWings®

The Klapmeier Brothers Barnstormed the General Aviation Piston Market to Become the Dominate Leaders

Back in 1999, the General Aviation piston-engine market was ready for innovation.  And, the Klapmeier brothers barnstormed the industry with it to become the dominate leaders.  Cirrus by design, has segmented a high-end niche market away from its competitors. The 2018 GAMA report makes it clear to see if you categorize piston-engine shipments.

In business parlance it’s called market segmentation. All piston sales are not the same. Piper sales do not compete with Light Sport Aircraft (LSA).  Cessna sales don’t compete with taildragger shipments. These are very different customer markets within piston-engine airplane sales. And, a feature doesn’t create market segmentation. Segmentation is not achieved with a claim to “the fastest piston engine plane.”

The 2018 GAMA report shows Cirrus Aircraft won half of the traditional “four-seat” airplane sales. Cirrus has successfully separated their airplanes from the competition.

2018 Piston Single-Engine Shipments

Description2018%
Cirrus SR22 & SR20             380 49%
Piper Archer & Arrrow             114 15%
Piper Malibu Mirage               20 3%
Cessna Skyhawk & Skylane             160 21%
Cessna Turbo Stationair               32 4%
Diamond DA40               45 6%
Beachcraft A/G36               15 2%
Mooney Ovation & Acclaim               14 2%
Sub Total             780 100%
Taildraggers               38      –   
LSA             103      –   
Other               33      –   
Total Single-Engine Piston Shipments             954      –   

Cirrus has defined new airspace for single-engine competition.  Again, this year, hundreds of people are willing to stand in line for a new Cirrus piston-engine airplane and pay $1.0 million dollars each. Why? Has the pursuit of relentless innovation delivered that much product differentiation for Cirrus customers?

In many ways, the piston-engine market is still ready for innovation.  Archaic components remain and need to be upgraded. The market could very well be successfully segmented again or new markets might emerge – how about Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) aircraft. Who will be the next visionary to step forward?

Copyright 2019 wikiWings LLC, All rights reserved
Connecting Aviators® and related marks and logos are property of wikiWings®