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Buy ‘em new, put them on the flight line for a few thousand hours, then sell ‘em off for newer ones. One pipeline patrol pilot said his plane had over 30,000 hours (“…and then the Hobbs broke – I’m not sure what it has now”).Īnother example – Cessna 150s were popular training aircraft when new. One example: Early Cardinals are popular with the pipeline patrol industry due to their great visibility (big windows, no struts) and low operating costs (Lycoming O-320). It certainly affects the Vref value, but does not seem to affect the actual airworthiness (assuming proper maintenance). I know of several aluminum aircraft with 10,000+ hours of airframe time. If not, the hunt will be challenging if not impossible in the current market.įor a deeper dive on the Cirrus SR20, head to Aviation Consumer and the Used Aircraft Guide, where you’ll get a detailed model history, historical resale values, recent FAA ADs, competing model speed/payload/price comparisons and a detailed current NTSB accident scan summary.
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Steve Schwartz at Aerista ( advises serious buyers to stay in touch with larger brokers who will know when an SR20 will be coming to market. Daniel Christian at Lone Mountain Aviation ( recently told sister publication Aviation Consumer magazine that SR20s (and SR22s) in its inventory sell within days or even hours of becoming available. You’ll pay a premium at dealers that sell only the best SR20s. According to the latest Aircraft Bluebook, a 2005 SR20 G2 typically retails at $200,000, but ones with newer avionics and fresh engines bring more. Prices for just about all SR20 models are at all-time highs. Later models have modern cabins, and in 2012 a flex 60/40 split rear seat was introduced, making the SR20 even more appealing as a personal traveler. But later-model SR20s are appealing for personal use, and we’re told insurers generally favor the SR20 over the SR22 for new pilots. We’re told 75 percent of SR20s go to training fleets, often changing hands from school to school. No matter which you choose, you should source any used Cirrus from reputable sellers and one that’s been maintained by shops versed with the Cirrus line. Perhaps the most sought-after SR20s are the later IO-390-powered models, but there are certainly more Continental-powered aircraft. The Cirrus line does have a stall-resistant split-incidence wing, though the type does have some stall/spin accident presence. Cirrus RLOCs tend to happen at higher speeds and significantly damage the aircraft. A scan of recent SR20 accidents shows 31 percent were runway loss-of-control accidents (RLOC), with engine-related accidents following behind at 16 percent.
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CIRRUS SR20 PRICE HOW TO
Training is a must-and that means learning how to land the airplane the right way. The SR20 G3 has a max gross weight of 3050 pounds, though pilots can expect it to be sluggish in high density altitude conditions given its weight and power available. Power, Performance And Wrecksĭespite being the company’s entry-level model, the SR20 is a high-performance machine, hitting 145 knots for older models to 155 knots for the later ones. Some SR20s have S-TEC autopilots, later models have Garmin’s integrated GFC700 and now there’s an STC for Garmin’s GFC500 retrofit autopilot. Current models are often equipped just like an SR22 with a Garmin G1000 panel using dual (PFD and MFD) screens, dubbed Cirrus Perspective+, and added options like larger screens, a satellite comm system and active traffic alerting. Cirrus eventually adopted Garmin for its panels, and never looked back. When shopping, you’ll find traditional round (electric gyros) flight instruments in first-gen airplanes, but many have seen avionics upgrades to Garmin aftermarket equipment. Type certified in 1998, the first SR20s were delivered as 1999 models, and the avionics in the SR20 have been through several evolutions. There are plenty of vintages to choose from. The airframe has a 12,000-hour life limit. It also exacts an 85-pound useful load penalty and a recurring maintenance expense, including 10-year CAPS repacks. The system is designed to lower the airplane and its passengers to the ground. The most innovative detail of the SR20 is the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). Thus the SR20 was born with composite construction, side-stick yoke, swing-up doors and a single big-screen MFD. Cirrus company founders Alan and Dale Klapmeier maintained the idea that traditional airplanes from Cessna, Piper and others were too hard to fly, lacked intelligent safety features and failed to push the technological edge in both design and manufacturing.
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