So I am going up for my 1st actual instructed flight in a Cirrus. My ? is what advice would u give someone for their 1st flight? Anything to be aware of? Anything that u remember wishing u had known? Thanks!
maybe give us some clues as to your aviation background and motivations. do you own a plane? have your pilot’s license? hours? experience? plans?
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So I am going up for my 1st actual instructed flight in a Cirrus. My ? is what advice would u give someone for their 1st flight? Anything to be aware of? Anything that u remember wishing u had known? Thanks!
Yes, yes…Just remember. Don’t pull the overhead red handle, if you can at all avoid it.
HAVE FUN MY FRIEND!!!
The first of everything in aviation is a wonderful experience. Flying a Cirrus will be a very gratifying and exciting one for sure. I still remember my first flight 
Regards!
Have fun and just enjoy the airplane. Don’t get too technical. The side yoke is like magic, think up, down, left, and right and the plane goes there. and join the members side. I just signed up for my third tour, best 50 bucks you will ever spend on aviation.
Regarding two previous posts, notice how the word “magic” keeps coming up? It is a logical and accurate reflection of how Cirrus owners feel about their aircraft. Enjoy!
Jim Knollenberg SR20 1281 N814
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My ? is what advice would u give someone for their 1st flight?
Close your door. Didn’t happen on my first “flight”, just my first solo flight.
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maybe give us some clues as to your aviation background and motivations. do you own a plane? have your pilot’s license? hours? experience? plans?
Sorry yes I am a pilot with time in piper cherokees, arrow, mooney M20j, C-182, C-206, C-210. I am thinking about getting checked out to eventually buy or buy into a SR-22.
When you trim – the response will be very strong so just " flick your trim button "
I think the cirrus is quite a bit easier to fly than the planes you have flown. Cirrus Designers have made it deceptively simple; from the single lever to control prop and throttle, to the connection between rudder and ailerons, to the lack of a gust lock, to the mfd and pfd, to the great autopilot, and on and on. After 260 hours in the cirrus I flew a vintage 172 the other day, and the Cessna is really tough to fly, but so easy to land. Plus you have to keep your wits about you as there is no gps, no waypoints, no flight plan, no skywatch to see other planes, no xm to see weather, no emax engine monitoring, and we landed at a class charlie (El Paso) so you got to look up the frequencies on a paper chart!, and you don’t have c max to see what taxiways you are on,… If you are a competent 172 or 182 pilot, you can fly the cirrus with ease. I think the thing i was surprised about in my first cirrus flight was the speed and agility. It seemed almost aerobatic, and probably would be with another 200 hp, but compared to normal planes, it screams around the pattern, if you want it to, sings to you in a mezzosoprano voice if you listen intently, and will seduce you if you let it. That is part of the problem, which is that inexperienced pilots let the plane get ahead of them, or they get themselves into situations that they have not thought out. Personally I hope you try the cirrus, like it, buy one, and let me have the credit so i get my next annual for free.
When you try to land for the first time, it will look like you are runnung the nose into the ground. The flare is v ery little in a Cirrus but it lands great!
I heard that its very hard to get the red handle back in once its been pulled, thats why i don;t fool around with it
Your site picture on landing will be much like you experience in the Mooney.
Have fun!
Thanks guys. Now all I have to do is pour over the 459 pages of the POH
Are you going through Gene Hudson? I’ve done the POH (Section 2.8 #15 is .67 gallons) and 3 flights in their SR20. With just 90 hours in a 172 I’d say; Press hard on the right rudder the first time you go full throttle. All the info on the panel will be a blur, just look out the window. On landing, point the nose at the runway then level off, the plane will appear to land itself.
And one more thing. Consider the $50 cost of COPA part of your transition training and join.
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On landing, point the nose at the runway then level off, the plane will appear to land itself.
Good comment. To “flesh it out” a little… this is what worked for me on my first SR20 landing (among the best I’ve ever done):
- Get to about 75 knots on short final
- Keep the nose pointing at the runway until you feel you’re only a foot or so above it
- Level off, power off, keep it flying parallel to the runway, and DENY THE AIRPLANE THE RUNWAY - SIMPLY DO NOT LET IT LAND!
- Magic happens…
- Mike.
haha ok thanks guys. Now I just have to peruse this behemoth of a POH. And no I am not going thru gene hudson but have read his excellent book.
Well I did it. 2.6 and a buncha landings. 80kts over the fence and a tug on the stick. Bingo. I had a lot of fun learning how all the avionics integrate. We had 3 guys in a SR20. With baggage it would have made climb out interesting. Kinda wild having to plan the descents so much sooner then I am used to.
I know the feeling, I went from 140 knot SR-20 to a 185 knots in a GTS. Things happen at a quicker pace.