Strong Aircraft Deliveries Drive Impressive 2017 Performance At Cirrus Aircraft

Published in Midwest Flyer – April/May 2018 issue

DULUTH, MINN. & KNOXVILLE, TENN. – Cirrus Aircraft announced in February that new customer aircraft deliveries for the company’s best-selling SR Series soared to over 350 aircraft in 2017, a recent record high. As the global SR Series fleet approaches 10 million flight hours in over 60 countries, the company has also ramped up production of its turbine aircraft – the world’s first single-engine Personal Jet™, the SF50 Vision® Jet – with 25 aircraft currently delivered and in service around the world.

The past year marks the fourth consecutive year that Cirrus Aircraft has delivered more than 300 SR Series aircraft. Enterprise growth also propelled facilities expansion and employee growth across all Cirrus locations in Duluth, Minnesota; Grand Forks, North Dakota; and Knoxville, Tennessee with nearly 300 jobs added in total over the last year. Included in the expansion is the Knoxville-based Vision Center campus, which will open the doors to its new world-class Cirrus Approach™ training center later this year. The new training center will include a Level D full-motion Vision Jet simulator for the most advanced Cirrus transition training in the world.

Cirrus Aircraft’s first high-performance SR airplane – the SR20 – was delivered in 1999 and transformed general aviation with intuitive avionics, game-changing performance and revolutionary safety systems, including the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System® (CAPS®). Today’s SR Series aircraft include the SR20, SR22 and turbocharged SR22T. And a new company milestone is just ahead as Cirrus will deliver its 7,000th SR airplane in April.

Now in its sixth generation, the SR Series has been the best-selling general aviation piston aircraft in its class for 16 consecutive years.

2017 marked the launch of the enhanced G6 SR Series with the Cirrus Perspective+™ by Garmin® flight deck, which includes expanded avionics and flight planning options, luxury automotive-inspired Cirrus Spectra™ wingtip lighting, cockpit connectivity solutions and premium interior options.

In 2016, Cirrus Aircraft ushered in a new era in personal transportation with the FAA certification of the world’s first single-engine Personal Jet – the Vision Jet. The turbine aircraft defines a new category in aviation – the Personal Jet – with its spacious, pilot and passenger-friendly cabin featuring panoramic windows, reclining seats and comfortable legroom to accommodate five adults and two children. The cabin is complemented by the proprietary Cirrus Perspective® Touch™ by Garmin®, which delivers a wide array of sophisticated and intuitive global navigation capabilities and safety features at the touch of a finger. The Vision Jet has won widespread industry accolades, including Plane & Pilot’s 2017 Plane of the Year, as well as Popular Science’s 2017 Best of What’s New.

The company has delivered 25 Vision Jets to customers since certification in late 2016, with owners enjoying the added value of a truly comprehensive ownership program, JetStream. The program includes the Williams International TAP Blue turbine engine coverage, airframe and avionics maintenance, normal wear item replacement, premium recurrent pilot training and more.

Cirrus Aircraft continues to transform pilot training and safety with Cirrus Approach™, which provides ongoing training to new and experienced pilots through in-person and online training courses. More than 12,000 pilots and owners have joined the program.

In addition to Cirrus Approach, the company also launched Cirrus Embark™ in 2017, a unique program designed specifically for owners of pre-owned Cirrus aircraft.

For additional information, contact Gary Black at 612-810-4712 or Al Waterloo at 773-372-0104 (www.cirrusaircraft.com).

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