Well it kind of does, right? It takes into account the current winds at your altitude, which especially in the flight levels can be much different than the composite of winds the aircraft will experience on its glide down. At least that’s how the G500 I flew worked, maybe it actually has updated winds for every altitude? That’s certainly something to take into account when the airport you’re trying to glide to is at the edge of the long part of the oval and you’ve got a significant tailwind aloft that’s generating that oval.
Per garmin, the glide rings can be set up to account for winds downloaded from ADSB, or downloaded before flight. Also takes into account terrain. Can also be biased by a percentage to give a buffer for max range for contingencies. Mine is set up for all of that. What is interesting is that it differs a little bit from Foreflight glide, and tends to be pessimistic comparatively. I practice simulated gliding from time to time and every recurrent. Have never missed an airport in over a decade of doing this. But would recommend any pilot that flies a plane with less than 4 turbine engines do this in training. When I practice in my own plane, I consider it a fail if I can’t land on the captains bars. That is my target. Hit the bars here in Evanston WY from 20 something miles away from the flight levels.
Sorry about the blurry picture, but was taking the picture with one hand while concentrating on nailing the landing +/- 200 feet. If I keep that as my pass fail, I have no questions I can hit a 3000-5000 foot runway in the heat of battle. This does not take extraordinary skill. But it does take practice and repetition.
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No I would not have bought it. Would have probably looked at a Pipistrel.
ForeFlight also shows a gliding ring, don’t know if they consider winds. I suppose you want to glide to the airport and be there at 3000’ AGL to allow for three pattern turns at most? I think the biggest challenge for most folks is to do everything absolutely right and it probably is easier said that done. Plus you must be in VMC.
No you don’t. I have been doing this for years in the SIM LIFR, even in the SimCom PA46 sim that was a 6 pack and G530 equipped aircraft. 750 to 1500 feet AGL on downwind and depending on height normal, shorter than normal or longer than normal base turn in the PA46. If you are 1000 AGL downwind, it is a normal pattern with the aircraft clean. Every plane will have a different formula.
The M600 has a glide ratio of 16:1 while the VJ is 14.7:1. Yet we practice single engine flame out starting at 3000’ AGL upwind above an airport (granted the first flap and gear are put down at that moment with up to four 90 degree turns).
Unless on a long straight in final I am not sure I would want to start that maneuver at 1000’. So if you are 1000’ in the M600 above the airport how many turns can u do? Probably not possible? Unless you are downwind already. I should try downwind at 1000’ clean in the sim if I can.
It is 16.2 to 1. 81 nm from 30,000 feet. Or 8.1 from 3000 feet.
Engine out clean is 115 KIAS with a sink rate of 700 fpm. Engine on dirty is about 115 KIAS with a sink rate of 700ish. So you fly a normal pattern engine out. Pretty convenient. No gear or flaps until airport is definitely made.
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Well, in 2004, I didn’t even know what a Cirrus was. Chief of Staff saw an article about the chute and said “we need one of those, cause it’s the only thing without a turbine I’m willing to fly in”. 20 years later and that’s still the case. Plus, if I have the big one, I feel confident she and the cat will survive to cash my insurance check and party on! 
There’s lots of failures aside from engine failure (of which I’ve had 3, 1 in a Cirrus), inhospitable terrain, etc, etc. It’s worth every penny and service difficulty IMHO.
We have a chute?
Seriously, the chute was the third or fourth factor for me. Speed, comfort, avionics, chute. Of course I was coming from a 1973 C177b at the time…
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Zero chance my wife would have approved me to learn to fly in anything without parachute. Zero chance she would have allowed me to buying the Vision Jet if it did not have a parachute and safe auto-land. I wanted a twin engine and she said no.
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Short answer is….no
I’m toying around with buying a Lake Amphibian. I was showing it to my wife. She asked, “Does it have a parachute?” I told her that it didn’t. She replied, “Then I don’t like it and you shouldn’t fly it.”
No. I was looking at Mooneys, Pipers, and Cessnas when I got back into flying and didn’t know anything about Cirrus. Was watching a video of chute deployment as my wife walked walked by and said “that’s the one were getting, stop looking at any others”.
So, the marketing works as intended. Cirrus knew, get the boss to say yes, and Daddy gets his toy. LOL.
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I am pretty close to ordering a Super Petrel LSA amphib. Still no chute but with the mission being day VFR, super slow stall speed, and most importantly water and land as ditching options I am comfortable with it. Might be a way to spin it for the bride,
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Thanks! I have looked at the ICON, which has a chute, but I need a bit more utility.
Just make sure your wife never sees this story, although in reality it’s a testament to how hard it apparently is to kill yourself in a boat hull amphib - and the Lake is almost certainly better built! Seven accidents in seven days — General Aviation News
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Yeah, I am familiar with this story. Lot’s of issues here, few really come down to the airplane. There are lots of Cirrus accident chains that I wouldn’t want my wife to see.
The chute brings peace of mind to my family.
This is especially important to my parents after my brother’s passing, 6 years ago.
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If the SR22 had no CAPS I would probably have bought an M350, because of the larger cabin and pressurization.
But I’d never swap my SR22 for a PA-46 as things are.
i wanted the DA62, but could not wait 2 years for delivery. I was not a pilot, not even a student pilot when I placed the order for the sr22t.
One year later of ownership and 400 hours, I love it but without the chute I would not buy it as I fly too often with my family at night, winter, etc.