by Dave Weiman
Published in Midwest Flyer – Oct/Nov 2016
BLAINE, MINN. – Cirrus Aircraft chose Key Air at Anoka County – Blaine Airport, Blaine, Minn., for the site of its Twin Cities “Cirrus NOW” presentation, August 28, 2016. Cirrus sponsors these special presentations to showcase their lineup of aircraft including its SR22 piston aircraft and their new Vision SF50® personal jet, soon to be certified. Also on display were a 2017 “Lotus” automobile by Tesla, and the all-electric run-about by Symphony Boats, designed and manufactured in Duluth, Minn.
Music, combined with an informative and entertaining video presentation, demonstrated the excitement, speed, safety and ease of operating Cirrus aircraft to prospective customers.
Cirrus cofounder and CEO Dale Klapmeier made a special appearance, as did one of the Vision SF50® single-engine personal jets undergoing flight tests. The first production Vision SF50® jet completed its inaugural flight in Duluth, Minnesota on May 5, 2016. This flight demonstrated the readiness of the SF50 for FAA certification and subsequent customer deliveries.
There was a full-scale mockup of the jet for guests to climb into and experience. The cabin entrance, located on the left side of the aircraft and directly behind the cockpit, made for easy boarding. The cockpit itself is very roomy.
Speakers included Cirrus Great Plains Regional Sales Director, Gary Black; and Cirrus Vice President of Marketing, Ben Kowalski, who gave an overview of the SR22 and SF50, and the new “Cirrus Vision Center” under construction at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Vision Center will be the flagship location for all Cirrus Aircraft pilot, owner and customer activities including training, service, support, sales, marketing, delivery, personalization, and fixed base operations. Customer activities at the Vision Center will encompass all Cirrus Aircraft airplanes, products and services including both the SR series of aircraft and the Vision SF50® jet. Research and development, along with manufacturing operations, will continue to take place in both Duluth, Minn. and Grand Forks, N.D.
Knoxville was selected for its warm weather and central location in the United States. Factory Service Center operations at the Vision Center recently opened, while the remaining customer activities are targeted to commence later this year.
Kowalski noted that Cirrus was founded not only on providing customers an aircraft with designs and comforts equal to some of the finest automobiles in the world, but also with “safety” in mind.
To date, Cirrus owners have deployed the aircraft’s ballistic parachute 68 times, allowing 138 people to go home at the end of the day. In recognition of this unique safety record, Cirrus Aircraft was awarded the “Joseph T. Nall Safety Award” in 2016.
Kowalski identified hundreds of updates to the SR models since inception, including the “Level Button,” and “Synthetic Vision.”
Other speakers included Cirrus owner Pat Kluempke of Minneapolis who described his experiences flying his Cirrus SR22 with his wife and fellow pilot, Tracy Lovness, and Duluth hotel owner and entrepreneur, Seth Oliver, who uses his Cirrus SR22T to crisscross the country to buy and sell properties.
Among some of Cirrus Aircraft’s two largest customers are the Dubais-based “Emirates” airlines, and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Both organizations use their Cirrus SR22 and SR20, respectively, for initial flight training.
Minnesota State Highway Patrol officers arrived during the program, landing one of their Bell helicopters on the ramp. The state patrol will soon take delivery of a specially equipped SR22 “Cirrus Perception” to supplement its current fleet consisting of two Bell helicopters and three Cessna 182 Skylanes.
The state patrol has worked with Cirrus Aircraft to install much of the same equipment that is currently installed on the department’s helicopters for search and rescue, and traffic and law enforcement, including a thermal imaging camera with an overlay mapping system and recording capability. Microwave downlink equipment, capable of transmitting live video from the aircraft to a receiver site, may be added at a future date.
Pilot/Chief Warrant Officer Jim Englin expects that the cost to operate the Cirrus SR22 will be a fraction of the cost to operate a helicopter, but their helicopters will continue to play an important role in the department.
For more information about the Cirrus SR22 or Vision SF50® personal jet, contact Gary Black at
by Dave Weiman
BLAINE, MINN. – Cirrus Aircraft chose Key Air at Anoka County – Blaine Airport, Blaine, Minn., for the site of its Twin Cities “Cirrus NOW” presentation, August 28, 2016. Cirrus sponsors these special presentations to showcase their lineup of aircraft including its SR22 piston aircraft and their new Vision SF50® personal jet, soon to be certified. Also on display were a 2017 “Lotus” automobile by Tesla, and the all-electric run-about by Symphony Boats, designed and manufactured in Duluth, Minn.
Music, combined with an informative and entertaining video presentation, demonstrated the excitement, speed, safety and ease of operating Cirrus aircraft to prospective customers.
Cirrus cofounder and CEO Dale Klapmeier made a special appearance, as did one of the Vision SF50® single-engine personal jets undergoing flight tests. The first production Vision SF50® jet completed its inaugural flight in Duluth, Minnesota on May 5, 2016. This flight demonstrated the readiness of the SF50 for FAA certification and subsequent customer deliveries.
There was a full-scale mockup of the jet for guests to climb into and experience. The cabin entrance, located on the left side of the aircraft and directly behind the cockpit, made for easy boarding. The cockpit itself is very roomy.
Speakers included Cirrus Great Plains Regional Sales Director, Gary Black; and Cirrus Vice President of Marketing, Ben Kowalski, who gave an overview of the SR22 and SF50, and the new “Cirrus Vision Center” under construction at McGhee Tyson Airport in Knoxville, Tennessee.
The Vision Center will be the flagship location for all Cirrus Aircraft pilot, owner and customer activities including training, service, support, sales, marketing, delivery, personalization, and fixed base operations. Customer activities at the Vision Center will encompass all Cirrus Aircraft airplanes, products and services including both the SR series of aircraft and the Vision SF50® jet. Research and development, along with manufacturing operations, will continue to take place in both Duluth, Minn. and Grand Forks, N.D.
Knoxville was selected for its warm weather and central location in the United States. Factory Service Center operations at the Vision Center recently opened, while the remaining customer activities are targeted to commence later this year.
Kowalski noted that Cirrus was founded not only on providing customers an aircraft with designs and comforts equal to some of the finest automobiles in the world, but also with “safety” in mind.
To date, Cirrus owners have deployed the aircraft’s ballistic parachute 68 times, allowing 138 people to go home at the end of the day. In recognition of this unique safety record, Cirrus Aircraft was awarded the “Joseph T. Nall Safety Award” in 2016.
Kowalski identified hundreds of updates to the SR models since inception, including the “Level Button,” and “Synthetic Vision.”
Other speakers included Cirrus owner Pat Kluempke of Minneapolis who described his experiences flying his Cirrus SR22 with his wife and fellow pilot, Tracy Lovness, and Duluth hotel owner and entrepreneur, Seth Oliver, who uses his Cirrus SR22T to crisscross the country to buy and sell properties.
Among some of Cirrus Aircraft’s two largest customers are the Dubais-based “Emirates” airlines, and the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs. Both organizations use their Cirrus SR22 and SR20, respectively, for initial flight training.
Minnesota State Highway Patrol officers arrived during the program, landing one of their Bell helicopters on the ramp. The state patrol will soon take delivery of a specially equipped SR22 “Cirrus Perception” to supplement its current fleet consisting of two Bell helicopters and three Cessna 182 Skylanes.
The state patrol has worked with Cirrus Aircraft to install much of the same equipment that is currently installed on the department’s helicopters for search and rescue, and traffic and law enforcement, including a thermal imaging camera with an overlay mapping system and recording capability. Microwave downlink equipment, capable of transmitting live video from the aircraft to a receiver site, may be added at a future date.
Pilot/Chief Warrant Officer Jim Englin expects that the cost to operate the Cirrus SR22 will be a fraction of the cost to operate a helicopter, but their helicopters will continue to play an important role in the department.
For more information about the Cirrus SR22 or Vision SF50® personal jet, contact Gary Black at 612-810-4712 or email gblack@cirrusaircraft.com.
