Cirrus Approach

ByHank Gibson September 18, 2019September 18, 2019

Earlier this year, Cirrus debuted it’s new Learning Management System (LMS), Cirrus Approach. For several years, Cirrus has led the way in online systems training while using several different platforms for it’s LMS. Cirrus Approach is the culmination of lots of sampling and tinkering, and boy, did Cirrus knock it out of the park.

For those of you unfamiliar with the Cirrus training program, here is the quick rundown. When a pilot who has no Cirrus time buys a Cirrus aircraft, initial transition training is required to familiarize the pilot with the aircraft systems, speeds to fly, power settings, etc. The Cirrus Transition Course is a 3 day that gets a VFR pilot up to speed in the airplane. Under the Cirrus Embark program, those 3 days of training are covered by Cirrus and free to the new owner.

If the pilot is an IFR pilot, then the 5 day Cirrus Advanced Transition Training Course is required. If the pilot has Cirrus experience, but with a different engine or avionics configuration, there are courses for that too. The Cirrus Embark program covers 3 days of training for most courses for a new Cirrus owner.

As part of the aforementioned courses, there are systems to learn about and procedures to understand. This is where the Cirrus Approach LMS excels. Cirrus has done a great job of putting together lots of good videos (that are actually interesting but not annoying) on the airplane, systems, how to fly it, etc. for each course. It cuts down greatly on the time that the training instructor has to spend on the ground with the pilot since the pilot has already compiled knowledge through Cirrus Approach.

Cirrus Approach is accessible online at learning.cirrusapproach.com. To get access to the courses, create an account, then select the Learning Catalog. The courses are categorized based on the type of training (Transition, Advanced Transition, Avionics Differences, Airframe & Powerplant Differences, Recurrent, and Specialty), then further broken down into the type of airplane, engine and avionics (eg. SR22T G6 Perspective+). Make sure the correct engine and avionics configuration is selected! Notice, there is a difference between the SR22T and SR22 (Turbo & Non-Turbo).

Anyone can do the specialty courses. I would highly recommend for everyone to take the Engine Management course as well as the Icing Awareness Course for you TKS and FIKI operators. The Takeoff & Landing course is a good refresher course for a pilot who hasn’t done any training in a while.

The Recurrent Training courses are encouraged for all Cirrus pilots. There is an IFR Refresher, a VFR Refresher, and a Skills Refresher. These are recommended to rotate through with a CSIP (Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot) on a yearly basis. With a little extra ground, a Flight Review and an IPC can be accomplished yearly using these courses.

Interested in Initial or Recurrent training in your Cirrus using Cirrus Approach? Contact Texas Top Aviation today!

Spring Cirrus Austin, TX Get Together (CATGT)
ByHank Gibson April 5, 2017April 13, 2017

The South Central Cirrus Owner’s and Pilot’s Association (COPA) Region is hosting it’s second Fly In dinner at the Austin Executive Airport (KEDC) on Friday, October 8th, dubbed the Spring Cirrus Austin, TX Get Together. The event is from 5:30-9pm.

Like the first CATGT in October, there will be dinner ($25 per person), drinks, and several presentations. Jack Long and Josh Marvil will speak about their trip around the world in a PC-12. Ed McCombs and Eric Opiela will give a safety presentation about automation and task saturation.

Plus, best of all, Cirrus is bringing a real live flying SF50 Vision Jet, plus a brand new SR22 G6 with the Garmin Perspective NXi panel.

Fly in or drive to EDC. The dinner will be in the Henrickson Jet Center’s main hangar. You will need to RSVP so event organizers can get a proper head count. The link to RSVP is here.

Register for the CATGT before the slots are all filled up!
Need To Breath
ByRyne Bergren March 28, 2019April 30, 2019

I got a call today from a friend asking me about oxygen requirements. That got my brain pondering about the different items the FAA would like all pilots to know. I did a little refreshing and found several other tidbits directly from the FAA that I thought worth sharing. No matter what you’re flying, I think these apply to all of us.

First off, what are our general oxygen requirements? If you jump on over to the FAR’s and take a look at 91.211 you’ll see:

1. At cabin pressure altitudes above 12,500ft MSL to 14,000ft MSL, pilots
required to use oxygen unless the segment is less than 30 minutes of flight.

2. At cabin pressure altitudes above 14,000ft MSL, the crew is required to use
oxygen.

3. At cabin pressure altitudes above 15,000ft MSL, each occupant must be
provided the use of oxygen. This doesn’t necessarily mean they have to use it.

Things get a little more in depth when you get to pressurized aircraft.

These requirements are also listed in 91.211:

1. If you’re flying above Flight Level 250, a 10 minute supply of oxygen is
required for each person onboard.

2. If you’re flying above Flight Level 350-410, and one pilot leaves their seat, the other pilot will be required to wear an oxygen mask, unless both seats are equipped with quick-donning oxygen masks.

There are three basic components to any oxygen system in an aircraft: the storage system, the delivery system, and the mask or cannula. First, there are several types of storage systems.

Gaseous aviators breathing oxygen is the first. This is the standard green tank that everyone is familiar with. There are two types of tanks. Either the high- pressure with 1800-2200 psi or the low pressure tank with 400-450 psi. The major issue with these and General Aviation aircraft is weight. Some of these tanks can get bulky and heavy and therefore don’t work for everyone.

Liquid aviators breathing oxygen or LOX is another form of storage. The major advantage of LOX is that it has a 900 to 1 expansion ratio, meaning that 1 liter of liquid oxygen can be expanded into 900 gaseous liters of Aviators Breathing Oxygen. The disadvantages of LOX are they are extremely volatile and have to be stored at -197F. If it comes in contact with exposed skin, severe frost bite can occur.

Sodium chlorate candles or oxygen generators have a weight advantage like LOX. They’re essentially a canister that when activated mix sodium chloride and iron powder and produce oxygen. They general have a 600 to 1 expansion ratio, which goes back to the weight savings. However, once these are started they are very hard to stop. Another disadvantage is these devices produce a fair amount of heat, so proper precautions need to be taken.

Next are the delivery systems. The main systems are Continuous Flow, Diluter Demand, and Pressure Demand. Continuous Flow, is exactly as it sounds. The oxygen is allowed to flow continuously from the tank to the user. The benefits of continuous flow are you don’t need a complicated mask or regulator. The downside to this system is since it continuously pumps oxygen, you’re wasting oxygen when you exhale. Most of continuous flow systems are used on aircraft that generally fly below 28,000 feet.

Diluter Demand was designed to fix the negative of the Continuous Flow systems. Diluter Demand only sends oxygen to the user when the user inhales. The system also allows cabin air to be introduced in, sending the perfect mixture of oxygen to the user when needed. These systems are very efficient and generally tend to be used up to 40,000 feet.

Pressure Demand is designed to essentially “over inflate” the users lungs. This will basically pressurize the the users lugs and allow the user to fly above 40,000 feet. This is needed at flights above FL400 because 100% oxygen without positive pressure will not suffice.

The final portion of the oxygen system is the mask or cannula. Nasal cannulas generally are more comfortable and are regulated to 18,000 feet service altitude. Masks come in a couple different variants. From re-breathers to quick-donning, most masks accomplish the same task with a few small differences. Quick-donning must be able to be put on within five seconds and are rated up to FL400.

Since that was a lot of information, what does all of it mean to you? Most fair weather flyers will never run into any of this. However, the high performance owner/operator will run into oxygen use situations a fair amount. Taking the family up to Colorado on a ski trip, jumping up to 12,500 feet to get above some weather, or flying above 5,000 feet at night on a long xc are all situations where you may want to have oxygen on board.

If you are planning on doing any of this type of flying or are currently doing these types of flights, training is a must. If you’ve never been in an altitude chamber, I would highly recommend it. In college, I went with a group to Oklahoma City to the FAA’s headquarters where they hold a class on Hypoxia and High Altitude flying. It’s very informative to be in the chamber as it simulates being oxygen deprived. You get to see how you’ll react and what kind of symptoms you’ll have when in a loss of oxygen situation. Each person has different symptoms, so it’s important to see how you will react.

It’s also good to fly with an experienced instructor. Finding an instructor who will allow you to learn in a safe environment is worth its weight in gold.

Ryne Bergren is currently a First Officer with Mesa Airlines in the CRJ 900. Ryne has experience in many different areas of aviation, from corporate to airlines to teaching to ferrying across the Atlantic Ocean. His passion is for all things that travel across the big blue sky.
Avidyne IFD 440 Receives Certification
ByHank Gibson July 1, 2015

Avidyne’s plug and play replacement for the Garmin 430, the Avidyne IFD 440, finally received certification from the FAA last week. The touch screen GPS unit is being marketed as a simple swap out for the Garmin 430. This release follows up Avidyne’s release last year of the IFD 540, also a plug and play replacement, but for the Garmin 530.

The features and touch screen of the GPS units sound quite nifty, but it will be hard for Avidyne to compete with the GTN 750 and 650 from Garmin. The unit prices for the IFD 540 and 440 will be less (and installation is simpler), but we will see how the company does.

The STC allows for installation in 1,000 makes and models of aircraft, according to the company, so there are a lot of possibilities for installs.

In conjunction, Avidyne also released a new version of it’s software for both GPS units. According to Avidyne, this will unlock multiple features that enhances the capabilities of both units.

To read more on the IFD 440 and it’s bigger brother, the IFD 540, check out Avidyne’s website.
Cirrus Braking Systems: A Hot Topic
ByZach Anderson March 5, 2021April 30, 2021

You just bought your Cirrus SR22. You do some flying, and soon find yourself with a brake temp sticker that isn’t white anymore. You remember from your transition training that any color other than white is a no go. You now ponder…. I don’t remember getting on the brakes hard, or riding the brakes while taxiing, but sure enough they aren’t white anymore. You now start thinking that all the horrible rumors of Cirrus brakes are true. They overheat so fast!

I would like to share some little-known facts about the Cirrus factory equipped braking system. Following the procedures below can help make the brakes last a little longer. There is also a very popular STC that allows upgraded brakes to be installed on all SR series aircraft. More to come on that.

Notice the Top Yellow sticker is far darker than the Bottom. The Yellow temperature indicator turns at 300 Degrees, while the bottom Blue indicator turns at 330 Degrees. This is an indication to the pilot that if the bottom sticker has turned colors, that the braking system has exceeded 330 degrees and is in need of servicing.

Above is a photograph of an SR22 G1 braking system with turned brake temp stickers. The first things you may notice is that there are in fact two brake temperature stickers. We can only see the bottom blue sticker from the inspection port on the wheel pants. The other is higher on the caliper; in order to see it, the wheel pant must be removed. This isn’t common knowledge because there is no mention of this additional indicator in the POH.

Now you may be asking yourself, what can I do to extend the service life of my factory equipped Cirrus brakes? Here are some tips. First, always taxi at 1000 RPM and use the rudder as much as you can while only tapping the brakes. This is not fool proof, since sometimes, depending on the grade, you will have no choice but to utilize brake tapping to keep the aircraft going straight. Taxiing is not typically where the brakes get overheated, though, but this is still a good practice to follow.

What we tend to see is that the Cleveland brakes are generally overheated on landing. We always recommend to make sure your final approach speed is not excessive, land in the first 1/3 of the runway, and let the aircraft rollout to a smooth stop. What tends to happen is that the aircraft is too fast, and the pilot tries to exit at a certain taxi way, or brakes hard and continues to ride the brakes after landing during taxi. If you do your best to avoid these habits, it will serve you well.

This braking system remained unchanged all the way until the 2016 G5 Cirrus SR series. Starting in 2016, the factory equipped G5 and G6 Cirrus SR series all now come standard with a single piston hydraulic braking system from Beringer. The Cirrus Beringer brakes far exceed the braking power and durability of the old system. The new system is more robust, withstands heat better, and is is very well built. There is also an option for an upgraded dual caliper system to increase durability and stopping power. A braking system STC for the older Cirrus G1 through early G5 models was created to upgrade those airplanes to the better stopping power and cooling of the Cirrus Beringer brakes.

Seen above is a page from a Beringer catalog highlighting the Cirrus SR series STC kits. Your local Cirrus service center will be able to quote prices for the kits. We have over 1000Hrs spent behind Beringer equipped Cirrus aircraft and the difference is quite apparent. The pilot has better control of the aircraft, no spongy pedal, and the confidence to get the plane stopped without possibly overheating the braking system. This, in our opinion, is one of the best upgrades you can do to your Cirrus.

Above is what an STC upgraded braking kit from Beringer looks like, as well as the new temperature indicator for the pre/post flight inspection. Notice the black spot on the left hand picture. These brakes have been overheated.

One other difference for a pilot to note is that once upgraded to the Cirrus Beringer brakes, there is only one temperature indicator and it changes color at a whopping 450 Degrees Fahrenheit! Needless to say, it can handle some heat! The new temperature indicator is now Orange in color and turns grey/black when overheated.

On the left are the original Cirrus factory brakes. On the right is the caliper to the new Beringer brakes for a Cirrus.

Dual Caliper Cirrus Beringer Brakes

The Cirrus Beringer brakes upgrade is quite a step up in the world of slowing down. However, this doesn’t mean that they are completely issue free. There is one little-known problem with Beringer brakes that is not that big of a deal and can be fixed with relative ease.

The rotor on the Beringer braking systems is “free floating,” meaning it is not necessarily “fixed” in position when secured down to the spindle. It is “keyed” into the wheel rim with the male and female side interlocking.

The brakes occasionally will get noisy, causing a “knocking” noise when brakes are applied. This noise is caused by the small metal tabs that tighten up the space between the wheel and the brake rotor. This is so the small tabs wear with use instead of the aluminum rim that they are fixed to. So, if your Beringers are making a knocking noise when brakes applied, this is most likely your culprit.

These gaps above are the “keyed” position where the rotor finds home in the rim. Without these tabs that wear with use, we would be replacing the rim more often than the much cheaper replaceable tabs.

It is highly recommended to upgrade your original Cirrus factory brakes to the new Beringer braking system. You will deal with less maintenance, less chance of a brake overheat, and less confusion on whether or not your brakes are airworthy. For more info, you can check out the Cirrus website for the single or dual caliper Beringer brakes.

Zach Anderson is a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP) for Texas Top Aviation. Zach comes from a auto mechanic background and is very familiar with the ins and outs of maintenance. He started working for Texas Top Aviation in December 2020.
Shock Cooling in a PA46
ByJoe Casey October 25, 2018

We’ve all heard it said…”reduce the throttle by no more than 1-inch every minutes to ensure you don’t shock-cool your engine”. Does this advice apply to a PA46 engine? Can a PA46 engine (Lycoming 540 or Continental 520/550) really be shock-cooled? How should the engine temperature be managed?

Metals expand and contract with temperature, and the various metals in an air-cooled aviation engine expand and contract at a different rates. Shock-cooling supposedly occurs when the engine changes temperature quickly and the different metals in the engine cool (and therefore change shape) at different rates. When the change occurs dramatically supposed scoring, rubbing, and marking of the metal can occur, which can cause catastrophic results.

So, let’s back to the original question…can a PA46 engine suffer shock-cooling and should a pilot operate the engine so as to avoid shock cooling? Simply put, I’ve never seen nor heard of any piston PA46 engine suffer shock-cooling. In 5000+ hours flying the piston PA46 and 16 years of flying/managing/training in the Malibu/Mirage/Matrix, it simply has not happened to me nor anyone I know. Does it mean that it cannot happen or has never happened? No. But, it is certainly not a prolific threat to our fleet.

Should the owner/pilot operate the engine with a cautious eye cast toward the potential of shock cooling? Well, sort of…but, let’s flesh this out. My suggestion is that a pilot should operate the engine with conservatism in movement of temperature, but only because this is a good operating practice with any machine, and any flying machine is (by definition) not “overbuilt”. And, there are many ways to change the temperature of the engine…not just by reducing power. Here’s a partial list of ways to cool your PA46 engine:
- Reduce power: Obvious…yes. When the engine produces less power, less heat is generated. Reducing power in a piston engine will almost always result in less temperature.
- Lower the nose: By descending (and leaving power in a cruise setting) the airspeed will increase and cool the engine.
- Enrichen the mixture: Fuel has a cooling effect on the engine, so the richer the mixture the cooler the engine.
- Lower the landing gear: Yes…you read that right…engine cooling will occur when you lower the landing gear because more air will flow over the cylinders. Notice the landing gear doors on the PA46 have air louvers. Air flows into the engine nacelle on the front, passes down through the cylinders (along with the oil cooler, intercoolers, and other components) and then out the louvers of the closed gear doors. When the landing gear is lowered the “back door is opened” and a LOT more airflows over the cylinders.
My suggestion is that a pilot only perform ONE of these actions at a time when beginning a descent. This suggestion was presented to me by Chad Menne (Owner, Malibu Aerospace) some time ago and I’ve operated engines this way ever since. If you are at a higher altitude and simultaneously reduced the power, lowered the landing gear, started a big descent, and enrichened the mixture in one flail swoop, I think there’s a chance that your engine would suffer some negative effects that could be called “shock cooling”. So, when you do start a descent, pick one “cooling action” to accomplish at a time. I’m sure you’ll not hurt your engine.

Simply put, shock cooling is not a huge factor in the PA46 community, and a PA46 pilot does not need to be overly cautious. The “one inch per minute” rule may apply in some other airframes, but in the PA46 world it is not applicable.

Joe Casey’s aviation story began in 1990 with his first flight near Nacogdoches, TX in a Cessna 172. From lift-off, Joe knew he would have a lifetime passion flying just about anything that will leave the ground…He was completely hooked.

Along with being an FAA Designated Pilot Examiner (DPE), Joe is an ATP/CFI-AHMG and Commercial Rotorcraft/Glider Pilot in the civilian world and also a UH-60/AH-64 Pilot-in-Command/Instructor/Examiner Pilot in the US Army Reserves. His passion for the last 19 years, however, has been the PA-46 Malibu/Mirage/Matrix/Jetprop/Meridian. Has has amassed over 6,500 hours in various PA-46 airframes and believe it to be one of the finest flying machines available for the serious cross-country pilot with an eye for efficiency.

Now, Joe has flown more than 12,200 hours in just about every imaginable environment. Whether providing initial/recurrent training in the PA-46’s, TBM’s, instructing in NVG’s in a UH-60 Blackhawk, flying the King Air series of airplanes, giving tailwheel endorsements, or taking kids flying for the first time, he simply loves flying machines and the people who fly them.
Cirrus SR20 vs. Diamond DA40
ByHank Gibson January 20, 2017

Note: For this article I am comparing a 2008 Cirrus SR20 G3 and a 2008 Diamond DA40 XLS.

Aircraft shopping can be a tedious process. First, a buyer needs to know what the mission is. How far will flights typically be, how many people will be on board, and how fast does the airplane need to be. Then, the buyer has to figure out what the budget is. Finally, a prospective owner needs to figure out how much airplane he or she can handle.

Two very good airplanes for newer pilots transitioning from a flight school 172 who need a faster airplane to build experience in, but also want to experience a glass panel, are the Cirrus SR20 G3 and the Diamond DA40 XLS.

Cirrus SR20 G3

The 2008 Cirrus SR20 G3 is a good airplane. The G3 is equipped with the 6 cylinder, Continental IO-360-ES, 200 HP engine. Performance-wise, an owner can expect 135-140 knots true at 9 GPH (Lean of Peak) or 145-150 knots true at 11.5-12 GPH (Rich of Peak). The 3 blade propeller equipped models have better takeoff and climb performance than the 2 blade propeller equipped planes, especially in high density altitude conditions.

The airplane is equipped with the Avidyne Entegra EX 5000 glass panel system. Most models out there will have Avidyne’s CMAX (Chart View) and all will have the Avidyne EMAX (Engine Monitoring). All came from the factory with the STEC 55x autopilot (though a handful will have the STEC 55 SR, which doesn’t have glideslope functionality). They also came from the factory with dual Garmin 430s. Most units have been upgraded to WAAS.

Some owners have upgraded the autopilot to the Avidyne DFC 90, which is a nice upgrade. The STEC 55x is a rate based autopilot which takes it’s commands from a hidden turn coordinator that is behind the instrument panel in front of the co-pilot’s seat. The STEC has some crosswind limitations on approaches where the pilot can actually fly better than the autopilot.

The DFC 90, however, is an attitude based autopilot that takes it’s commands from the attitude indicator on the Primary Flight Display (PFD). It also adds a Straight and Level button as well as an Indicated Airspeed hold button, adding safety and functionality. It does much better in crosswinds on an instrument approach then the STEC.

A select few SR20s have been upgraded to a single (or dual) Garmin GTN 650 touch screen GPS unit. The GTN 650 is a very nice upgrade. The Garmin 430 is a great unit, but the learning curve with the GTN 650 is much less. The touch screen setup makes a little more sense to the new user.

Values on the 2008 SR20 G3 with 1,000 hours or less run somewhere between $220,000-$260,000, depending on total time and equipment.

Diamond DA40 XLS

A handful of 2007 XLS DA40s were made, but not many. Most XLS models you will see are 2008 and later. These are equipped with the Lycoming IO-360, 4 cylinder, 180 HP engine with the Powerflow Exhaust STC. Due to the Powerflow Exhaust, the performance is equal to the SR20. At 6,000-8,000 feet, you will routinely see 140 knots true at 10-10.5 GPH. Higher altitudes will give slightly better performance and lower fuel burn. Like the SR20, the Diamond DA40 XLS comes with either a 2 blade or 3 blade prop. Go with the 3 blade as the takeoff and climb performance is much better.

Where the DA40 XLS has a leg up on the 2008 SR20 G3 Avidyne is in the avionics. Diamond got on the Garmin G1000 train a little sooner than Cirrus did and the XLS is equipped with the G1000 and GFC 700 autopilot. The Garmin GFC 700 autopilot is the best GA autopilot I have flown with. It is an amazing piece of equipment.

Most, if not all, DA40 XLS models will have both WAAS and Synthetic Vision. Cirrus didn’t get Synthetic Vision till they put the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin in their aircraft in the middle of 2008.

The DA40 has great visibility due to the massive amount of glass surrounding the pilot. The big glider wings give it excellent pop off the runway, but quite a different climb pitch attitude than most other piston single engine airplanes. The airplane does like to float on landing if the pilot doesn’t get the speed right.

Values on the 2008 Diamond DA40 XLS equipped with the Garmin G1000 are around the low-mid $200,000 range.

Comparison

Performance wise, the airplanes are about equal. Rich of peak, the Cirrus out performs the Diamond, but uses more fuel. Both have about 5 hour ranges (though the Cirrus has bigger fuel tanks, 56 gallons usable compared to the Diamond long range tanks of 50 gallons usable). Useful load is slightly better in the Diamond due to the fact that the Lycoming engine has 2 fewer cylinders than the Cirrus. The Cirrus does have a roomier back seat, a larger baggage area, and a side stick instead of a center stick, but the DA40 has a back door. The Cirrus also has the CAPS system, though an owner has to do a $15,000 repack every ten years. Airplane values are about the same.

I give a slight edge to the Diamond, though, and here’s why. For about the same price, a purchaser can get the Garmin G1000 system complete with the GFC 700 autopilot in the DA40 XLS. The Avidyne and STEC system is great, but the Garmin system is definitely above and beyond. To get the Garmin G1000 in an SR20, you’d have to look at the Cirrus Perspective by Garmin, which came out in late 2008, and you’d be paying $300,000 or more for a single engine piston with 200 HP (though you do get Air Conditioning!).

So for my money, I would go for the Diamond DA40 XLS. I believe you get a little bit more bang for your buck and you don’t lose anything with the DA40 XLS. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Cirrus, but comparing the two, I think the Diamond DA40 XLS rates a little higher.