For Immediate Release
Cirrus Design Receives FAA Production Certificate for its SR20
Minnesota-based Company Delivers 39th SR20
Duluth, Minn. ? June 12, 2000 ? The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
today presented Cirrus Design with a Production Certificate for its Cirrus
SR20. A Production Certificate allows Cirrus to independently inspect each
aircraft on the production line without direct oversight by the FAA.
?This clearly establishes Cirrus as a legitimate aircraft manufacturing
company with maturing operations, procedures and a high-quality aircraft,?
said Michael Gallagher, manager of the FAA Small Aircraft Directorate in
Kansas City.
Gallagher and Andy Lown, manager of the FAA Manufacturing Inspection
District Office in Minneapolis, also gave certificates to four Cirrus
employees recognizing them as Designated Manufacturing Inspection
Representatives (DMIR). At today?s ceremony, Jeff Holter, one of the newly
certified DMIR?s, was the first Cirrus employee to award a Certificate of
Airworthiness for an SR20, the 39th aircraft to come off the line since
deliveries of the SR20 began last July.
Ron Gansior, Cirrus vice president of quality assurance said, ?We have been
using the FAA-approved quality assurance manual since January, so this will
not immediately speed up production. But it is a big step towards reaching
our goal of one airplane every business day later this year.?
Cirrus delivered seven airplanes in May. To ramp up to the one-a-day rate,
Cirrus has been adding more tooling and hiring additional employees. One
fourth of the company?s 539-member workforce has been hired since November.
Cirrus currently has 597 orders for its SR20.
Cirrus Design Corporation is based in Duluth, Minn. The company designs,
manufactures and markets general aviation composite aircraft, incorporating
advanced technologies that result in high levels of performance, comfort and
safety.