Looking into buying an SR20 I have found the one I would buy just the question of what to ask and what not. I get my Private Pilot License in 2-3 weeks hopefully just curious as to what I should be looking for in this plane to make sure it is worth the price and won’t fall apart on me. Thank You in advance to any help!
You should be looking for a reputable and independent (of the sellers mechanic) Cirrus Service Center to do a pre-buy for you.
This will also be my first aircraft as well. Just looking around at different Cirrus SR20 and 22’s
David
You have come to the right place. Before you buy a plane, join this organization. There are 4000 Owners and Pilots on the inside with a wealth of information.
We have over 750,000 post with over 200 new per day added.
We have a saying, “the best $65 you will spend in aviation.”
Why would you make one of the largest purchases in your life without all the facts.
How many airplanes have you bought? It is not like used cars.
This would be my first actually. Any help would be great!
David - what are your missions going to be like - routes - passengers - etc? (Typically 90% are all the same type) Do you have a max budget?
I just bought my first plane this year.
Where in the country are you located?
Located in New Jersey. Have not really decided on a budget I would say preferably around $170,000. I have found about 3 SR20’s that have caught my attention.
Just check that the useful load and range of the SR20 are acceptable to you before proceeding.
Here’s how I would approach it.
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Join COPA and start reading, there’s a mountain to learn ahead of you (both for safe and economical ownership), and COPA is the only place you will.
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Have the three planes within your range compared by a professional broker to find out their true market value. Pick the best one, agree a purchase price with the seller.
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Find a service center you intend on using. Review their logs with your prospective mechanic.
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If nothing disqualifies the plane from the logs perform a pre-buy inspection with that mechanic AND speak to an aviation attorney about the best way for you to own that plane AND arrange insurance.
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Revise offer if necessary, and close the purchase. It’s a lot of paperwork but straightforward and easy if you are organized.
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Get a transition course by a CSIP before soloing the plane. There has just been a SR20 fatal with a student and CFI, and it’s unclear what the school’s SOP was with respect to the parachute. The standardized CSIP/Cirrus procedures have been accepted as the lowest risk procedures when it comes to flying these planes as safe as possible. This is the most important step of all. Do not get trained by a non CSIP.
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Ask your boss for a raise.
What do you fly now?
Currently C172’s. I flew the Sr20 for an hour the other day at a flight school I was checking out on a Discovery Flight there.
Also contact http://www.steelaviation.com/ I believe they have two SR20s for sale which are not listed on the websites.
I actually just spoke with Jaime from Steel Aviation about an hour ago. She has one of the three aircraft I am looking at. Just not sure which of the three I have found I want for sure. I am going to see what my budget off and wait for my quote on insurance and figure it out from there.
Are you sure the sr20 is what you want. Consider also the sr22, both planes are great.
also think of how long you will keep it. How high you will fly it. How much load.
I noticed the sr22 was faster and had longer range what were the other main differences between the two still browsing around and have not made a definite decision to which plane yet.
Slow down David. Biggest, fastest, longest range are words that scare me when they come from a student pilot.
Rule 1. Fly what you can afford and I’m not talking about purchase price only. Purchase price aside, a Cirrus needs an annual inspection, oil changes, lots of gas, a home to keep it, insurance, database updates . . . shall I go on? So you can expect to pay between 100-300 an hour to operate it (not pay to buy it . . . just operate it)
Rule 2. Know what you know; know what you don’t know; know the difference. Right now, as a student, no matter what you think . . . you don’t know much. Flying is a lifetime experience; the length of your life is contingent upon understanding Rule 2
Don’t worry about “longest range” Any Cirrus with full tanks will outlast your bladder. Anyhow, long flights though multiple weather conditions requires a skill set and experience. Take it slow; re-read rule 2.
David, join up and give me a call. I am local to you and a 20 owner.
Study. I wish I had before I bought my plane. There is a wealth of information on this site.
Download the poh for every plane you can think of. Read the poh of the turbo 22, the supercharged 22, the na22. Study the mooneys, the cessnas just have fun learning about them.
Read about engine management, rop and lop, so when you buy you can analyze how the plane was flown.
Consider using savvy.
And think about a shop for maintence.
are you going to put plane in a company. It took me a month to set up a company and I had already made an offer on a plane. They were unhappy It took so long.
and ask questions. They don’t cost much. Almost everything else will.
David call Alex he will go the extra mile to help and teach you many things about cirrus ownership
Did not mean speed in a sense of find the biggest and fastest plane on the market, I am looking more towards an SR20.
Will do for sure! I sent you a private message [:)]
Thanks for the advice will be reading up on the sr20 and sr22 all day long tomorrow actually.