Cirrus Aircraft SR Series Deliveries Top 350 In 2017
Personal aircraft manufacturer Cirrus Aircraft is on a roll. In mid-February, the Duluth, Minnesota-based company announced aircraft deliveries to new customers exceeded 350 in 2017. That marks the fourth consecutive year Cirrus delivered 300 or more SR Series aircraft, which currently includes the S20, SR22, and turbocharged SR22T for sale. Cirrus also manufactures and sells the turbofan-powered Vision SF50, aka the Vision Jet, billed as the “world’s first single-engine personal jet” and of which Cirrus delivered 25 units globally in 2017. Founded in 1984, Cirrus says its piston-powered SR Series aircraft are approaching 10 million flight hours across 60-plus countries.
SR Series Success
According to Cirrus, among the companies that expanded their fleets with SR Series aircraft in 2017 were global airlines Lufthansa and Emirates, which bolstered their fleets for their pilot training programs. Additionally, such flight training academies as the Japan Civil Aviation College, Southern Utah University, and Vincennes University purchased new SR training aircraft last year.
Cirrus expects to sell its 7,000th SR Series aircraft in April of this year. Now in its sixth generation, the series debuted in 1999 with the S20. Last year, Cirrus added the enhanced G6 SR model to its lineup. Powering on a 215-horsepower Lycoming IO-390 engine, the G6 includes the next-generation Cirrus Perspective+ by Garmin flight deck, Cirrus Spectra wingtip lighting, and premium interior options.
The Vision SF50, meanwhile, received its Federal Aviation Administration certification in 2016 and represent what Cirrus dubs a new “personal jet” aviation category. The jet features a “spacious, pilot- and passenger-friendly cabin” integrating panoramic windows, reclining seats, and enough room to seat five adults and two children. Cirrus serves Vision Jet owners with the JetStream ownership program, which includes Williams International TAP Blue turbine engine coverage, airframe and avionics maintenance, recurrent pilot training, and other services.
Growth All Over
Cirrus also experienced growth last year in terms of facilities expansions, including at its Vision Center Campus in Knoxville, Tennessee, where a new Cirrus Approach training center will open this year, complete with a Level D full-motion Vision Jet simulator. Cirrus also added more than 300 employees in 2017 at its Duluth, Minnesota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Knoxville locations. Cirrus Approach aims to provide new and experienced pilots with ongoing training via online and in-person courses. Reportedly, 12,000 pilots have entered the program since its launch.
Elsewhere, Cirrus also launched the Cirrus Embark program in 2017 specifically for owners of pre-owned Cirrus aircraft. The program offers Cirrus-specific “standardized differences and transition training” for licensed pilots and access to the Cirrus Approach Learning Portal. According to Cirrus, 500-plus new owners of pre-owned Cirrus Aircraft have entered the program since July.
In a statement, Dale Klapmeier, Cirrus Aircraft CEO and co-founder, said Cirrus’s “strong results in 2017 are a direct result of how our mission resonates with our customers. The SR Series, and now the Vision Jet, continue to reinvent personal aviation around the world.”
There are many pre-owned Cirrus S20s, S22s, and other aircraft for sale on Controller.com.
Source: Cirrus Aircraft