Mark Huber is an aviation industry veteran who has worked in the flight training, aircraft sales, aircraft component, and airport development businesses. He has flight time in more than 50 different and diverse aircraft, including helicopters, aerobatic aircraft, vintage warbirds, jet fighters, business jets and turboprops, and transport-category aircraft. He has jumped out of several of these—on purpose—with a parachute. His defense and aviation journalism has been published in a variety of national and international periodicals.

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Mark Huber

Cirrus Aircraft is marking three decades of displaying aircraft at EAA AirVenture 2022 as the company approaches the delivery of 9,000 of its popular aircraft models. “For over three decades, Cirrus Aircraft has celebrated the incredible evolution of personal aviation at EAA AirVenture,” said Zean Nielsen, Cirrus CEO. “We are excited to be back this year to showcase our best-selling SR-series and Vision Jet, along with a suite of new products and flight training services to enhance the ownership experience.”&nbsp;

 


More than 350 Vision Jets have been delivered, and 650 pilots type rated in them, since FAA certification in October 2016.&nbsp;The latest variant, the Vision Jet G2+, adds 25 percent more takeoff performance, Gogo in-flight connectivity, new aesthetic options, and other upgrades such as&nbsp;the Flex cargo management system and a battery minder.&nbsp;Designed to attach into the third row of cabin seats, Flex can accommodate up to 200 pounds of cargo at heights between 20 and 28 inches tall.

 


Additionally, the company has sold more than 8,500 of its SR-series piston singles since certification in 1998 and recently announced continued upgrades for new-production models. The upgrades include&nbsp;up to nine more knots of cruise&nbsp;speed, more convenience features, additional exterior paint colors, and more interior leather options.

 


The speed increase was achieved via drag reduction by refining the deicing&nbsp;and tail panel seam&nbsp;to smoothen airflow over the wing and by adding more aerodynamic wheel pants. New convenience features include illuminated steps, keyless baggage door with pneumatic gas piston and deeper door pocket, USB-C port in the center console with up to 60 watts of power, and revised exterior paint color palette.&nbsp;

 


Maintenance enhancements include the addition of the&nbsp;Cirrus IQ status screen,&nbsp;which is redesigned to include aircraft model designation, and a new navigation bar featuring aircraft status, inspection intervals, and warranty expiration.&nbsp;A maintenance minder tracks approaching inspections and sends notifications when they are due. When flying, the flight-hour meter automatically updates the inspection cards by providing a progress bar and countdown to the upcoming inspection event.&nbsp;The “my trips” module automatically logs flights and creates key trip statistics, while the warranty section references date and flight-hour coverage.

 


Cirrus also offers customized flight training through a series of company centers in Arizona, Texas, and Florida, as well as through Cirrus-certified third-party training centers and Cirrus-standardized instructor pilots.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

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