SR-22

Schmoe wrote:
Just went up in an Cirrus SR-22 for the 1st time. A relative is in one of
those fractional/lease deals. It's a very cool airplane in many ways and
easy to fly with the side stick. The all glass cockpit is fantastic but
makes me realize how easy it is to get stuck with your eyes on the inside.
The huge screens are hypnotic in the multitude of information available with
the flick of a button. And it was pretty damn quick for a fixed gear,
non-turbo single. It's also certified for known ice with TKS. Lottsa of
functionality. It wasn't very big though. The baggage compartment is pretty
small.

Mostly, it lack soul. My favorite airplane I've owned was an '82 Mooney 231
(with mostly 252 upgrades). That airplane had soul. The Cirrus is very cool
but sterile. Perhaps, that's what flying has become, sterile.

"traffic, traffic, traffic".


It *is* a neat airplane to fly, especially for those who've not flown
behind glass before. There are a lot of good things about the airplane,
such as the cruise speed despite fixed gear (180+ ktas!), the
avionics/autopilot integration (at least in terms of its operation when
nothing is malfunctioning,) and general comfort of the cabin (as long as
you're at a reasonable altitude on a hot day.)

The downside, and I see this every day because I fly the SR-22
regularly, is the maintenance. Cirrus has some major work to do in the
reliability department. I can safely say this because I've flown five
different SR-22s and one SR-20, a LOT, and they've all suffered from
major problems within the first two years of airplane ownership.
Furthermore, our maintenance facility is a certified Cirrus repair shop,
so we typically see three or four Cirri in every week for the same
problems. Fairings crack and fall off. Wheel pants disintegrate.
Valves and lifters need work. The MCU fails - multiple times. The PFD
or MFD has problems such that it needs to be ripped out of the airplane.
Glitchy autopilot operation. Doors that won't close. Interior trim
falling off. These are just a few... the list goes on, and it's quite
lengthy. Our shop has so much paperwork for Cirrus warranty work that
we have a guy on staff who does almost nothing but that, week in and
week out.

I completely understand and agree with your comment about "soul." This
is a very sterile airplane, although I still think it's pretty fun to
hand fly. Very responsive, agile, that sort of thing, although you
really don't use a Cirrus that way - its main job is as an instrument
platform, to transport two or three people plus bags from point A to
point B. It's designed around the autopilot. Most Cirrus pilots engage
the autopilot right away after departure and only turn it off again to land.

I think the best way to describe it is: this airplane just doesn't have
a recognizable personality, other than being an mx pig. My 38 year old
Twin Comanche has a much better dispatch reliability than the SR-22, and
it has double the parts! I'd prefer my old ship to the modern Cirrus
ship because I don't get any increased capability with the Cirrus. The
MFD, PFD, multiple moving maps, etc. don't provide me with a better or
easier way to fly instruments. I can do everything in my TwinCo just as
easily as I can in the SR-22. (Okay, I admit I'd like an HSI in my
airplane, but other than that... ) And, my old bird has a soul, no two
ways about it. I'm sure of it.

All in all, not a rant about the Cirrus -- I think there's a solid base
upon which Cirrus can improve, and I like to see innovation in GA -- but
you're definitely looking at a much different flying experience when you
own/fly one of these machines.

-Ryan
Cirrus Standardized Instructor