Page 40 - COPA_July2023
P. 40

 FEAUTURE
 Ken Wolf is more than happy with his Cirrus SR22T and says when buying a Cirrus you get a lot more than just an airplane.
an earlier or later departure so that you are not faced with a last-minute post- ponement. It is amazing how accurate this tool is for long-range planning. Also advise passengers and people meeting you at the other end of your flight that the departure date is tentative and will be modified/finalized within a day or two of departure, depending on the weather situation. Having this provisional yet adjustable departure date reduces the pressure to go when you shouldn’t fly. Being flexible is the key to safety. The Cirrus is not an all-weather jet!
I have discovered that when you buy a Cirrus you get a lot more than an airplane. Instructional video courses on the Cirrus Aircraft website, training with CSIPs and simulator training are all the highest quality. So far I’ve spent eight hours in a Cirrus simulator reviewing emergency and abnormal procedures. I have found it every bit as good as the full-motion jet simulators and at a significantly reduced price.
Maintenance has been far easier with the Cirrus. There are Cirrus authorized
service centers in many locations and a 30-minute car ride for my wife to pick me up at either our Maine or Florida Cirrus Service Center locations. It has been much easier than renting a car for a five- hour ride home when dropping off the jet for maintenance.
Lastly, owning and flying the Cirrus has been liberating. The $100 hamburgers are once again on the menu. You don’t take the jet up for a 50-mile trip with a friend to get a sandwich, not at 150 gal- lons per hour. Flying 100 miles to visit a friend in the Cirrus consumes as much fuel as starting and taxiing out in the jet! We’ve done a lot of social flying in the Cirrus which we never would have done in the jet.
Has it been a step down from the jet to the Cirrus? In many ways I’d say not. It’s been far less costly and far more convenient to maintain the Cirrus than the jet. Training has been equal to the jet in quality, and the Cirrus avionics takes second place to none. Getting from A to B in the Cirrus requires a bit more flight planning, critical decision making
and engine management than in a jet. But isn’t that part of the fun of flying? A willingness to adjust the date of the flight for safety’s sake is mandatory. The flight may be slower, but being occupied with monitoring the various engine and flight parameters and adjusting power and mixture accordingly keeps one busier than in the jet; the time goes by quickly. Listening to music if desired and enjoying the slowly passing scenery makes for an enjoyable experience. There’s not much scenery in the jet at 45,000 feet. Bottom line, I made the right decision going the Cirrus route to keep me up in the air.
Note: I almost forgot about the parachute, which was the icing on the cake for my wife to feel secure in our switch from the twin-engine jet to the piston single! Also, nasal spray replaces pressurization and allows for a comfortable descent to your destination!
38
JULY 2023 COPA Pilot























































































   38   39   40   41   42