Justin’s Pilot Reports (PIREP)

Streamlined…smooth…fast….sexy…

Just a few of the many adjectives that come to mind in describing the Cirrus SR22. Today I had the good fortune to takeoff, do maneuvers and land this amazing airplane. Shannon accompanied me on this amazing aerial adventure made possible by the arrival of the Cirrus Mobile Showroom at San Antonio International Airport.

This is an airplane that means business. I rotated the airplane at 75 knots and we soared into a sky full of puffy cumulous clouds. The temperature outside was in the low eighties and I was impressed by how well the Cirrus smoothed out the anticipated turbulence we encountered on such a warm afternoon. Leveling off at 3,500 feet we smoked a trail across the sky at a true airspeed of over 166 knots!

What followed was an aerial ballet of steep 60 degree turns, lazy 8’s and power-off stalls as we explored all that the Cirrus airframe has to offer. The results were most impressive. When Russ, our demo pilot, did a “snap roll” into a 60 degree bank, we were amazed at the airplanes responsiveness and thrilled (as only an aviator can be) at the crushing feeling of 2G’s during the turn.

Aircraft control at stall speeds was amazing. Russ entered a power-off stall that was exceptionally gentle. Gentle control corrections were all that was necessary to keep the airplane under control right at the edge of the stall.

Throughtout all this, Shannon enjoyed the spacious accommodations of the back seat where she captured a good variety of photos and videos.

The Avidyne “glass cockpit” is a joy to fly with an easy-to-use interface. We kept a close eye on the MFD (Multi-Function Display) as it kept us alert at all times to nearby traffic (and there was plenty!).

But like all great adventures, this one could not last forever. The fun was far from over, however, since Russ indicated that he intended for me to land the airplane. We made our approach at 75 knots and slowly…and gently, I brought our aerial steed back to terra firma with a landing I was proud of (click here to watch the video!)

I’d like to thank some folks for this great experience: Iggy Burkhardt, Cirrus Regional Director for grabbing us the last demo flight opening, Russ - our most excellent demo pilot and my wife Shannon for capturing the whole experience on film and video.

If you’d like to read more about our experience, take a peek at Shannon’s blog entry about the flight!