Horizons Online Edition

Issue date: 9/16/09 Section: Reviews

Media Credit: Kenneth Stuart Possessing Volvo safety with Porsche looks, the Sr-22 just might change the way we look at general aviation. Flying the Sr-22 is sure to put a smile on any pilot's face.

From the time of the Wright brothers up until not so long ago, flying small aircraft was a harsh, noisy, greasy operation only found enjoyable by pilots. Luckily, Cirrus is here to change all that.

The Cessnas and Pipers that have trained almost every pilot flying today are the direct lineage of those greasy days; their design elements go back to the late 1950's. Human factors were not a design consideration back then, as anyone who has traveled cross-country in the back seat of one those trainers can testify.

Despite all this, the Cessna 172 is the best selling aircraft of all time. But why is that? It certainly isn't because it's the best it could be, but, at its price point, for a long time, it was the best there was. That's right, if you wanted a small aircraft to take your family around in, they would be miserable and there was no better option available. General aviation has historically been a thing for pilots to love, and for their families to dread.

Thankfully, the nice folks at Cirrus seem to have sat in the back of their share of small aircraft and have used the latest technology to make it fun for everyone. Cirrus's whole idea was to solve the problems that remained in general aviation as defaults for the last 40 years and I'm pleased to report that they have definitely succeeded.

Now, to set the record straight, a Cessna 172 and a Cirrus sr-22 turbo don't directly compare. In fact, that would be like comparing a Chevy Malibu and a Mercedes s500. The point here is that until very recently, a Chevy Malibu was the best you could come by with out buying some super high-strung Porsche 911 type thing that had no space, zero concern for safety and could not possibly be considered as a useful transportation device for more than two people.

The price range for a Cirrus ranges from $269,000 to $658,000.

The Cirrus was designed from the ground up as a four-person airplane. This means you can fit four actual people plus the baggage that actual people will have and go some place you actually want to go without stopping 3 times along the way for gas.

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