This is my first experience at sending a post, but let’s give it a whirl.
I currently own a 1977 Cessna 182 and a 2003 American Champion 7GCAA. In the past 15 years I have owned a Cessna 150, a Cessna 172 and a Piper Warrior. I am currently VFR night rated with 1500 hr total time. I plan on upgrading my ratings in the not too distant future.
After touring the Cirrus factory in June, I am considering moving from my 182 to an SR22. I really like neat gadgets and Cirrus definitely has plenty.
I joined COPA to see what sort of interesting information that I could aquire in order to help me with my decision and I have found it very educational.
Canada winter permitting, I am going to go on a demo flight next week and I have a fair list of questions to ask. I know that plenty of you have been in the same situation as me and I would appreciate if anyone has a list of the questions and or comparisons that you could add to my list to help me with my decision.
I compared the basics first:
– Trip time for a given trip, say 250NM, shortest time and best economy time
– Useful load for a given trip, say 250NM with 45minute fuel reserve (shortest
flight time and best economy)
– Best climb rate at full gross weight at a 9000ft density altitude airport at Vy
– Cost with equivalent avionic configurations
– Cost to insure the aircraft
– Availability and cost of ice protection (in Canada, this is probably important)
Of course there are very important things that really aren’t so quantitative
– Comfort of the cabin (could compare cabin dimensions)
– How much you like the aircraft based on looks
– Parachute; adding an additional sense of safety to passengers and pilot
– The advanced avionics and glass cockpit of Cirrus (although Cessna may
have the Garmin setup with PFD and MFD soon (or perhaps its already offered)
I’m in Toronto and have had a 2001 C-182, 1971 Turbo Comanche C, a 1970 Turbo Twin Comanche C, a Maule 235 on floats, C185 on amphibs, a Seneca II, and flown various other types including the Champ, Citabria (wheels, floats and skiis) 1997 Commander 114B, and several Bonanza’s, Barons, 210’s etc.
This is going to sound weird but if you have the cash, the SR22 is the best value of them all. I challenge anyone to find a more comfortable plane in the class (maybe a 310 or Comanche). If you want any more information please don’t hesitate to ask.
We love ours. It is a 2003 and has all the toys including the PFD, Skywatch, TKS, Stormscope etc.
BTW, I know of a possible availability of a 150 hour Canadian registered (with GST already paid) 2002 SR22. No PFD or TKS but really nice.
Last year I bought a new T182T. I was quite happy with my 172SP, which flew squawk-free for 212 hours. I considered the SR22, but it seemed to me (from reading this forum, especially the members section) that only 12 months ago Cirrus airplanes were vibration-prone, squawk-prone . . . a great airplane but not fully formed. I think a lot has changed in the subsequent 12 months. Cirrus quality has improved significantly. The company has demonstrated that it learns and evolves faster than any other GA manufacturer. I don’t regret my 2002 decision to buy a T182T, but I would buy a Cirrus were I weighing the same choice today.
Hey have you Canadians worked out a way to tie your Hobbs meter to the exchange rate? Think of the ads on ASO…“2003 SR22 loaded, 250 hours Canadian, 150 American…”
Got me thinking - when the time comes, I should sell my plane by the pound. No, not by weight, and not by the British Pound, either… no, by the DOG POUND. I figure it’s worth about $2,800,000 in dog-dollars today, so I should still make a tidy profit, even years from now! [;)]
Hehe, I was going to post a “sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don’t” link to the John Ritter page on Snopes.com…but my poor-taste buzzer started to go off. This is the public forum, you know!
