There can be little doubt about the lightning rod that is Cirrus Aircraft. From the start, the plane with a parachute has played an outsized part in the broader aviation discussion.
And for many pilots, that discussion is truly anchored in the #CirrusLife — with more than 12,000 #CirrusLife posts on Instagram to date. A scroll through those photos shows Cirrus aircraft — and their pilots and passengers — in far-flung locales. And that’s the point for those living the lifestyle.
Can non-Cirrus pilots live that lifestyle? Of course. It is not an exclusive lifestyle.
But Cirrus Aircraft has done as much — likely the most — of any manufacturer the last two decades to increase the size of the pie of aviators. And yes, I know the number of pilots has shrunk, but without Cirrus, I believe the number of active pilots would be even smaller.
Every year the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) collects aircraft shipment data from its member manufacturers. We, like many publications, report those numbers in myriad fashion to our readers.
With this segment, we’re going to pivot just a bit. The Numbers will dive a bit deeper into the data to present it over time. The chart above shows Cirrus’ shipment data for its various models since 2001.
Cirrus was not alone is seeing a dramatic decrease in deliveries following the peak years of 2006 and 2007. By 2009, shipments had fallen from 721 to 266. Ouch. Shipments bottomed out in 2012 with 253 and have steadily climbed since.
Through three quarters of 2018, Cirrus shipments total 303, including 41 for the SF50 jet. I, for one, am interested and excited to see where the Vision Jet takes Cirrus.
One thing that hasn’t been said is that there really hasn’t been a lot of change to the airplane since the start. I have a G1 and sure the newer ones have nicer seats, slightly better avionics but that’s it. Thus, unless you’re just flowing with money and can depreciate a new plane, buying the old ones makes better sense. The newest SR22 is no faster than mine but costs 4 times more. Thus, I believe the market is somewhat saturated with 6000 cirrus planes and fewer people are buying new ones given the price of older ones. The same can be said of Bonanza’s where they make just a few a year. Why would you buy a new Bonanza for $900k when an old one is 1/4 the price? My suggestion is start innovating again. There really has been much change to the Cirrus since the G3. A big innovation would be a turbo diesel motor that fly with Jet A. Otherwise, the lack of innovation is no helping sales as the plane ages.
I’m confused by the premise of this conversation. ( I looked up the definition of: Luddite, thank you for that). I read: Innovation, Hating Cirrus, Cirrus Success, Lifestyle, Business Degree, Headwind. ……. I’m in aviation for over 50 years and love it. 200 + hrs in aluminum types, +500 hrs in Cirrus types, and +700 hrs in Columbia owner. +40 yrs Engineer in Helicopter industry and 2 yrs Cessna single engines. …. Cirrus and Columbia are excellent aircraft which were developed under a NASA contract. Even with that financial support Columbia went into receivership and Cessna blew a wad trying to produce the basic aircraft. I consider this industry difficult to navigate without lots of money. …. In the 60s a Mooney was 3x my fathers mechanics salary. Today at 100,000$yr the Cirrus is 7x. I believe the group of Cirrus Owners is unique because they can afford these beautiful aircraft; or as a business expense. … Don’t ignore the experimental underground movement with their more practical electronics and composite airframes. …. Aviation is complex and some outsiders whine because they don’t put the effort into understanding the many issues. The big ticket innovations are where the money is spent.
By any chance does anyone out there consider the fact that quite possibly the well over 700k price tag could be the reason for the decline in sales??? The overall population of pilots can’t afford the crazy price tag of these airplane. This could be the reason for the negativity. I do own an airplane. The purchase price for my wings is the cost of a modest house however not anywhere near the price tag on a new Cirrus !!! Cost cost cost is the reason for the decline in the population of pilots and ultimately the decline in aircraft sales.!!!!
I have been a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP) since 2004 and I love these airplanes! Like many I was originally skeptical about the parachute but the data is irrefutable, the parachute saves lives. However, I must say I have been shocked at how much resistance there has been in the GA community to the innovations in Cirrus aircraft, which, while more forward-thinking than anything from the other legacy manufacturers, have been relatively modest. Was I was young I believed aviation was a field that encouraged innovation and change, but all the whining I hear about glass cockpits, composite technology, FADEC, and all-airframe parachutes causes me to think otherwise. If GA dies out it will be the whiners and luddites that killed it, not Cirrus.
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It’s NOT Cirrus. It’s the cost. My first plane was a Cessna 150. $7,000.00 and I leased it to a flying club. After 22 years as a B-52 crew dog, I got back into GA. The TIMES Salary discussion is real.
Light sport was supposed to help….. it didn’t along with Avgas cost and availability. Embry Riddle is involves with the FAA to find an alternative and the cost of the program and it’s requirements are a typical government expensive mess.
I’ve flown a few Cirrus SR 20’s and 22’s and they are great planes, but TOO expensive for the typical GA pilot.
I’d like to see a deeper dive in the numbers with head to head sales numbers of the Cirrus vs. the new sales of competitor models in current production.
I suspect that it would show a US industry, that excluding Cirrus, is in its twilight, with aircraft designs, and construction techniques firmly stuck in the 50’s and 60’s. Yet confused as to why sales languish when prices soar while the only innovation they offer is in avionics suites from outside companies.
What is probably the most striking thing about Cirrus, is that with one piston airframe has paced with or outsold Textron when you consider only Piston Aircraft since 2013… Only 2013, where they tied, and 2015, where Textron sold 11 more piston, Cirrus has sold more than both Cessna Pistons and Beechcraft pistons combined!!!
Cessna tried to compete with the Columbia/Lancair that they acquired, but they have dropped that line as far as I can tell. I think Cessna thought it was the design of the aircraft, where in reality the Parachute is what is driving Cirrus sales.
Other companies, such as Piper and Textron may consider getting into the parachute market and start designing aircraft with safety features such as those…
As a Cirrus owner and pilot I can say why…but sadly there is little support for Cirrus success from non-Cirrus owners and pilots. The ‘fight’ Cirrus has had to undergo has been completely unwarranted. It’s as if many in the GA aviation community are self-defeating. They claim they want more participation but complain about the success of a company like Cirrus. Too bad.
Could not have been said more eloquently. I guess it’s more convinient to sit on the sidelines and mourn a stagnant or declining industry, hating on Cirrus, than being grateful that anyone with a Business degree even bothers to bring these aircraft to market. The headwind faced, even today is mind-boggling, giving further proof to the concept that one doesn’t need enemies like over regulation and anti-airport citizen groups, with “friends like that”…
Completely agree with this sentiment. I started flying in 2014 as 50 year old, and only because i discovered Cirrus on a charter flight with my son. Today I’ve bought 3 over 5 years, including my first SF50 (which btw is an awesome airplane and tons of fun to fly).
Cirrus makes a tremendous airplane. Innovative, efficient, effective. And they focus on customer satisfaction beyond the sales process to ensure repeat business. That’s how businesses work.
So newsflash to all the haters. Quality comes with a price tag. No one is making you buy a Cirrus..keep flying your 1972 Arrow. But recognize that without Cirrus an entire cohort of GA pilots would be sitting at home: not paying landing fees, not renting hangars, not buying gas…..bottom line not supporting the businesses that keep us all flying!
We have had two Cirrus at our flight school and they fly more and more. Pilots really like to transition to them and fly them on trips.