As all pilots know, the Federal Aviation Regulations require licensed pilots to go through recurrent flight training in the form of a Flight Review every 24 months. The regulations require 1 hour of ground review and a 1 hour flight. This is all that a pilot has to do to legally maintain his or her VFR currency to fly alone in an airplane. Of course, when passengers are aboard, the pilot has to have done 3 takeoffs and landings in the previous 90 days.
What if the pilot in question hasn’t flown in 20 years? All the regulations require is 1 hour of ground review and a 1 hour flight. Kind of scary, isn’t it? (Any instructor worth his salt would not, however, turn a pilot loose with just those flight review minimums if they haven’t flown in 20 years without an extensive amount of recurrent flight training)
Now, a lot can happen in 2 years in between those flight reviews. Regulations change, airspace is modified, and skills change (for the better or worse, most often for the worse over a period of not flying). For a current pilot who flies once or twice a week, those minimums are no problem. Here’s the thing, though. Even those current pilots typically don’t do a lot of stall practice or emergency procedure practice on their own. These are the most critical areas of flight and to only do them every two years leads to a lot of rust building up, sometimes even causing safety concerns in some instances.
How to remedy this? Scheduling recurrent flight training as often as possible with a good instructor who puts you through your paces. Do this often enough and stalls will become second nature. The stall warning horn goes off? Well, lower the nose and add power. Engine failure? Switch tanks and set best glide. Recurrent flight training allows you to become as familiar as possible with your airplane, allowing you to know what to do in every circumstance.
What’s a good recurrent flight training schedule? There are several options out there. The WINGs program is a pretty good option, though you will only have 3 flight training sessions in those two years instead of 1, but it’s a good start. In recent years, the FAA has put out Advisory Circular 61-98B encouraging pilots to begin personal currency programs for themselves. The suggested schedule for VFR recurrent flight training is every 4-6 weeks.
Texas Top Aviation highly recommends this suggested schedule, for both VFR and IFR. The AC doesn’t have a specific recommendation for IFR recurrent flight training, but flying 2-3 approaches a month with an instructor helps keep pilots as proficient as possible in the IFR environment. This way, the instructor can introduce circumstances in a controlled environment that simulate abnormal conditions that might possibly be encountered in flight. If those abnormal conditions are encountered, then it will be second nature on how to handle them, leading to less accidents and safer flying habits.
Try to schedule your recurrent flight training every 4-6 weeks and your piloting skills will stay top notch, keeping you safe and proficient in every circumstance.
Austin Executive Airport opened a control tower on Friday, February 23rd 2018. The airport is now officially Class D airspace. The charts and A/FD are not updated yet to reflect the tower, but there is a NOTAM with the tower and ground frequency information. The tower hours are from 6am to 10pm. The weather frequency remains the same.
Make sure you check those NOTAMs if you are headed to KEDC anytime soon!
KEDC Tower Frequency: 120.3
KEDC Ground: 119.45
Austin Executive Airport opened a control tower on Friday, February 23rd 2018. The airport is now officially Class D airspace. The charts and A/FD are not updated yet to reflect the tower, but there is a NOTAM with the tower and ground frequency information. The tower hours are from 6am to 10pm. The weather frequency remains…
Looking for something different to do this Spring Break week?
Consider checking out the First Annual MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival in Conroe, TX. It’s a fly in event, complete with camping opportunities, at the Lone Star Executive Airport, KCXO. The festival itself is being held right next door to the airport at the Lone Star Convention Center.
What’s the draw, do you ask? Not only are there going to be representatives from all the major aircraft manufacturer’s (along with tons of airplanes), there will be a multitude of speakers and live music. There are even drone races! The live music sets the event apart from the well known national fly in events like Osh Kosh and Sun N Fun. It’s a different type of Festival, geared toward the younger generation of pilots.
For more information or to register, check out MODAERO’s website. The festival runs from Wednesday through Saturday, March 16-19.
Looking for something different to do this Spring Break week? Consider checking out the First Annual MODAERO NextGen Aviation Festival in Conroe, TX. It’s a fly in event, complete with camping opportunities, at the Lone Star Executive Airport, KCXO. The festival itself is being held right next door to the airport at the Lone Star…
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son (John 1:14).
From the Texas Top Aviation family (Hank, Kelsey, Everett, Cooper, and Cord) to your family, we wish you a Merry Christmas! We are thankful for how the Lord has blessed us this year. We pray for blessings on your family this coming year.
Keep the wheel side down and the sunny side up!
Merry Christmas!
So the Word became human and made his home among us. He was full of unfailing love and faithfulness. And we have seen his glory, the glory of the Father’s one and only Son (John 1:14). From the Texas Top Aviation family (Hank, Kelsey, Everett, Cooper, and Cord) to your family, we wish you a…
A Cirrus is an electric airplane. There are no vacuum pumps and therefore no vacuum driven instruments. The Klapmeier brothers did this on purpose, trying to make it a modern airplane. No vacuum systems means no vacuum pump failures, hence there is a lower likelihood of instrument failures in IMC.
What Cirrus did instead was put a lot of electricity producing and storing devices in the airplane. All SR20 and SR22s are equipped with 2 engine driven alternators and 2 backup batteries. Alternator 1 is a 28 volt alternator (the amperage varies based on whether or not you have an air conditioner) while Alternator 2 is a 28.5 volt alternator. There are 2 24 volt backup batteries, as well. Battery 1 is also used for starting.
In traditional airplanes that have 1 alternator, an alternator failure can affect a lot of things. Depending on how many electronics are in the airplane, the battery can get depleted quite quickly.
The Cirrus electrical system is quite ingenious. It’s a little bit different based on whether you have an Avidyne Cirrus or a Garmin Perspective Cirrus. I will discuss that further below.
The main goal of this article is to talk through what happens in the event of a #1 Cirrus Alternator Failure (an Alternator 2 failure actually isn’t a big deal at all, though Alt 2 is required for IFR flight), the procedure for trying to fix it, and a technique I have developed that makes the pilot’s job easier. First, let’s go through the #1 Cirrus Alternator Failure procedure.
Alternator 1 Failure
In either avionics configuration, the Cirrus Alternator Failure procedure is the same.
Check and reset the circuit breaker for Alternator 1 (Reset only once)
Cycle the Alternator 1 master switch
If Alternator 1 doesn’t come back online, leave the Alternator 1 master switch off and shed load on the battery
Avidyne Entegra
The Avidyne Entegra has 2 busses, the Main Bus and the Essential Bus. Alternator 2 isn’t set to come on until the engine RPM reaches 1700. While on the ground, Alternator 1 runs both the Main and Essential Buses. In the air, Alternator 1 runs the Main Bus and Alternator 2 runs the Essential Bus. Since Alt 2 is 28.5 volts, the higher voltage won’t allow the power from Alt 1 to cross over and run the Essential Bus. There are also 2 one-way directional diodes that prevent the voltage from Alt 2 to cross over and run the Main Bus.
Having said all that, when Alternator 1 fails, Battery 1 is now running the items on the Main Bus. There are a significant number of items on the Main Bus which causes the 24 volt battery to quickly lose it’s charge. This precipitates the need for shedding load. Items like GPS 2, the air conditioner and aircraft lights can all be turned off.
In the above scenario, Alternator 2 is running the Essential Bus still that has all the Essential items on it. Those include:
The PFD
Flight Instruments and associated Avidyne computers
Engine Instruments and associated Avidyne computers
GPS 1
Com 1
Nav 1
Autopilot
Stall Warning
Charging Battery 2
Note 2 important items that are not on the Essential Bus: the flaps and the landing light (which is very handy at night). Those two are only on the Main Bus, which Battery 1 is now powering.
Let’s further enhance our scenario. You are flying over Nevada (quite remote and not a lot of airports) at night, 30 minutes from the nearest airport when your Alt 1 fails. When you get to the airport you are planning on landing at, you want to have your flaps and your landing light, but we don’t know how long Battery 1 will last.
The solution (this is where my technique comes in): Turn off the Battery 1 master switch. This is an easy solution to ensuring you have battery power to use your flaps and landing light. Instead of going through and shedding load, simply turn off the source. You’ll still have all the above items on the Essential Bus, which is all you need to keep safely flying. Then, when you get to your landing airport, turn Battery 1 back on to utilize your flaps and landing light.
Garmin Perspective
Cirrus wired the Garmin Perspective plane a little bit differently. There are now 2 Main Buses along with the Essential Bus. Alternator 1 runs Main Bus 1, while Alternator 2 runs Main Bus 2 and the Essential Bus. Both Alternators are running all the time. The Alternator 1 Failure procedure remains the same.
The cool thing that comes along with the second Main Bus in the Perspective is the amount of items you still have available to you in the event of an Alternator 1 failure. The only items you lose will be:
Yaw Damper
Landing Light
Air Conditioner and associated components
EVS Camera
12 Volt power supply in armrest
Everything else is powered off of Alternator 2. That’s not much. The only item you really want on the above list is the landing light if you are going to be landing at night.
Follow the Alternator 1 Failure procedure, then do my technique again. Turn off Battery 1 to save the battery power in order to use the landing light when needed.
Cirrus did a great job creating an all electric airplane with plenty of backups in case something fails. I focused mainly on the Alternator 1 failure here. If Alternator 2 fails, the system is wired for Alternator 1 to run everything while still charging Battery 1 and 2. No big deal.
In my experience, turning off Battery 1 to conserve battery power is just a simpler solution when shedding load in the event of a Cirrus Alternator Failure.
A Cirrus is an electric airplane. There are no vacuum pumps and therefore no vacuum driven instruments. The Klapmeier brothers did this on purpose, trying to make it a modern airplane. No vacuum systems means no vacuum pump failures, hence there is a lower likelihood of instrument failures in IMC. What Cirrus did instead was…
Just south of the equator in the mountains of Papua, Indonesia on the island of New Guinea, pilots spend their days carrying food, building supplies, doctors, pigs, and passengers into some of the most remote and extreme airstrips on the planet. That’s where I fly.
Each morning I load my Cessna Grand Caravan with 2,600 lbs of (insert strange cargo here) and depart my home base of Wamena just after the sun sends its first rays of light across the waking skies above. I spend my day winding through narrow valleys and crossing high altitude mountain passes with building clouds and poor communication, only to land on short, narrow airstrips with steep slopes and little room for error. Most of these one-way in, one-way out runways require me to commit to landing well before touchdown due to terrain that is too close to allow for a safe go-around. Everything better be right when I cross that decision point or I could be in for some excitement.
The need to keep wide margins of safety might seem obvious in environments like mine, but that doesn’t make them any less important where you fly. You may be a new pilot or an old timer, but keeping your margin should always be on the top of your priority list.
Let’s unpack this further. Margin is not just maintaining the regulatory requirements for cloud clearances or minimum altitudes. It’s more than planning for an alternate airport or carrying the required fuel reserve. Margin is breathing room. It is that extra maneuvering room, the Plan C, the well thought out options that provide you multiple “outs” in any given situation. Margin is what gets you home when things take a turn for the worse.
Margin comes in all shapes and sizes. For myself it includes maintaining double my required turn radius in narrow valleys or choosing not to land when my groundspeed is just 1 knot too high at a short and slippery airstrip. For you, it could be determining a ceiling or visibility minimum requirement that is more conservative than the legal ones or setting a wind limitation that you know is reasonable. When it comes down to it, keeping your margin means you don’t push to the ragged edge of your skill or the aircraft’s capability.
Margin can also refer to your mental or emotional capacity. Are you mentally prepared to divert and miss that important event because the weather is getting bad? Are you ready to handle the disappointment of passengers when you arrive over your airstrip and choose not to land due to approaching rain or a factor that is difficult for a non-pilot to understand? Are you willing to cancel a flight on an important client because you are coming down with a cold or didn’t get adequate sleep? As the PIC of your flying machine, you alone are responsible for the safety of the aircraft and the people on board and those are the tough calls that only you can make.
Fatigue, overconfidence, and complacency are the biggest obstacles to keeping your margin. They are all very subtle dangers and you may be experiencing them without even recognizing it. Fatigue can slow down your thought process leaving you behind the plane and backed into a corner before you know it. Overconfidence might cause you to push weather or commit to a course of action that has no favorable alternatives. Complacency will lead you to believe that, because you have 2000 hours in a particular make and model, you don’t need to do a thorough preflight or complete the pre-landing checklist.
Regardless of experience level, operating environment, fancy avionics, and level of proficiency, margin is something that we all need plenty of. So as you go about your upcoming flights, be asking yourself what you can do to build in more margin. It just might be what gets you home.
Pete Greenwald is a transplant to Atlanta, Georgia who has fallen in love with all things Southern, including his wife, Ashley. As a pilot and A&P with Mission Aviation Fellowship, he flies the Cessna Grand Caravan in Papua, Indonesia serving people who live in isolation. In his spare time he is on the hunt for the best burger around.
Just south of the equator in the mountains of Papua, Indonesia on the island of New Guinea, pilots spend their days carrying food, building supplies, doctors, pigs, and passengers into some of the most remote and extreme airstrips on the planet. That’s where I fly. Each morning I load my Cessna Grand Caravan with 2,600…
2008 Cessna 400 Corvalis TT (N422TJ) — 235 KTAS and Garmin G1000 glass, priced under a comparable Cirrus.
If you’re weighing a Cessna 400 vs Cirrus, start here. The 2008 Cessna 400 Corvalis TT cruises at 235 knots true — the fastest fixed-gear piston single ever certified. It’s faster than a turbocharged Cirrus on the same fuel and the same class of engine, and it costs less than a comparable SR22T. If you’re shopping a high-performance single for speed and value, N422TJ deserves a hard look.
The Airplane Cirrus Shoppers Overlook
The Cessna 400 is a Lancair design — a clean-sheet, all-composite airframe built to go fast. Cessna certified and refined it, and built N422TJ in 2008. It seats four, carries a real load, and handles weather. Most buyers shopping a high-performance single default to Cirrus, so airplanes like this one get overlooked. That’s where the value is.
Faster on the Same Fuel
The 400’s 235 KTAS is a true max cruise at 25,000 feet on oxygen. A 2011–2012 Cirrus SR22T (Gen 3) trues about 211 KTAS. Both burn 100LL and run turbocharged Continental engines in the same ~310-horsepower class.
That’s about 24 knots up high — roughly 45 minutes off a 1,000-nautical-mile leg — with no bigger engine and no more fuel. And it isn’t only a flight-levels number: at 10,000 feet the 400 still trues about 180 KTAS, roughly 10 knots faster than an SR22T at the same altitude.
Lancair-designed, all-composite, fixed-gear — the airframe that makes 235 knots possible.
The Value Gap
N422TJ is priced at $350,000. A comparable Gen 3 SR22T typically trades between $450,000 and $550,000 used. (A new SR22T is a $1M-plus airplane — not the comparison.) Against the newer turbo Cirrus, that’s roughly $100,000 to $175,000 less for a faster airplane.
N422TJ — no damage history, complete logs since new, Van Bortel-maintained.
Cross-Shopping a Turbonormalized Cirrus SR22
A lot of buyers looking at N422TJ also weigh a Cirrus SR22 with the Tornado Alley turbonormalized engine. It’s a fair comparison — the same ~310-horsepower-class Continental, the same all-composite fixed-gear layout, the same 100LL — so here’s the honest math.
Speed and engine: the turbonormalized SR22 trues around 211 KTAS; the 400 does 235. The 400 also runs a true twin-turbocharged TSIO-550-C, not a turbonormalized system — a true turbo makes boosted power up high, which is a big part of that speed edge.
Avionics and price — 2006–2008: those Cirrus came with the Avidyne Entegra panel. N422TJ’s Garmin G1000 with WAAS and Synthetic Vision is a clear step up — better glass for comparable or less money.
Avionics and price — 2009 and later: Cirrus moved to Garmin Perspective (G1000-class) glass, but the price moved with it. A 2009 SR22 turbonormalized with Perspective typically runs around $400,000 or more — one representative listing is $429,900. N422TJ is $350,000: less money, comparable glass, and 24 knots faster.
The SR22 still brings the CAPS parachute and the Cirrus owner community. But on speed, engine, and price, the Cessna 400 stays ahead.
Metric
Cessna 400 Corvalis TT (N422TJ)
Cirrus SR22T — Gen 3 (2011–2012)
Cirrus SR22 Turbonormalized (2006–2009)
Max cruise (25,000 ft)
235 KTAS
~211 KTAS
~211 KTAS
Cruise at 10,000 ft
~180 KTAS
~170 KTAS
~170 KTAS
Engine
Twin-turbocharged Continental TSIO-550-C (true turbo, ~310 hp class)
Turbocharged Continental (~310 hp class)
Turbonormalized Continental IO-550-N (~310 hp class)
Cessna 400 Corvalis TT vs. Cirrus SR22T (Gen 3) and the turbonormalized SR22. Speeds and prices are typical estimates; verify against the aircraft records and current market.
The fastest fixed-gear piston single ever certified — and it out-runs a turbo Cirrus on the same fuel.
The Avionics You Can’t Buy Anymore
Garmin G1000 with WAAS and Synthetic Vision (SVT) and the GFC-700 autopilot.
N422TJ has a Garmin G1000 with WAAS and Synthetic Vision (SVT) and the GFC-700 autopilot. WAAS gives you LPV approaches — near-ILS precision at runways nationwide.
This matters because the WAAS upgrade path for the G1000 in these airframes is closed. A Cessna 400 that left the factory without WAAS can’t be upgraded — it will never fly an LPV approach. So a WAAS-plus-SVT 400 like this one is a scarce find. You either buy one that has it, or you don’t get it.
Both G1000 displays with synthetic vision — a modern, integrated flight deck.
Built to Actually Go
This airplane is equipped to be flown hard and often:
Thermawing electric de-ice with a backup alternator — a de-ice system (not certified known-ice)
Factory air conditioning
Speed brakes
Hot prop, built-in oxygen, and ADS-B Out
A comfortable four-seat cabin built for real trips.
The engine is a twin-turbocharged Continental TSIO-550-C with about 1,503 hours total time — the original engine, 1,503 since new. No damage history, complete logs since new, maintained by Van Bortel.
Leather interior, comfortable for four.
An Honest Word: What the Cirrus Does Better
One thing every Cirrus has that the 400 doesn’t: the CAPS whole-airframe parachute. Pull the handle and the airplane comes down under canopy. For a lot of buyers that’s the deciding factor, and it’s a fair reason to choose a Cirrus. Cirrus also has a large owner community and a strong support network.
Useful load is comparable across all three airplanes — the 400 is often equal or a little better. If the parachute and the community are your priorities, a Cirrus may be the right airplane, and we can help you find one. If your priorities are speed, avionics, and value, the 400 is hard to beat at this price.
Cessna 400 vs Cirrus: Quick Answers for Shoppers
Is the Cessna 400 faster than a Cirrus SR22T?
Yes. The Cessna 400 Corvalis TT trues up to 235 KTAS at 25,000 feet versus about 211 KTAS for a Gen 3 Cirrus SR22T — about 24 knots faster on the same 100LL and the same ~310-horsepower class of turbocharged Continental engine, or roughly 45 minutes saved on a 1,000-nautical-mile leg. At 10,000 feet the 400 still trues about 180 KTAS, roughly 10 knots faster than an SR22T at that altitude.
How does the Cessna 400 compare to a turbonormalized Cirrus SR22?
The Cessna 400 trues 235 KTAS versus about 211 KTAS for a turbonormalized SR22, and it uses a true twin-turbocharged Continental TSIO-550-C rather than a turbonormalized system. A 2006-2008 SR22 turbo has the older Avidyne Entegra panel, while the 400 has a Garmin G1000 with WAAS and Synthetic Vision. A 2009-and-later SR22 turbo with Garmin Perspective glass typically costs around $400,000 or more, versus $350,000 for N422TJ. The SR22 still offers its CAPS whole-airframe parachute.
Does the 2006-2008 Cirrus SR22 have a Garmin G1000?
No. Cirrus SR22s from 2006-2008 typically came with the Avidyne Entegra glass panel; Garmin-based Perspective glass arrived in 2009. The 2008 Cessna 400 came with the Garmin G1000, and N422TJ has the WAAS and Synthetic Vision version.
How much less is a Cessna 400 than a comparable Cirrus SR22T?
N422TJ is priced at $350,000, while a comparable 2011-2012 Cirrus SR22T (Gen 3) typically sells for about $450,000 to $550,000 used — roughly $100,000 to $175,000 less for a faster airplane.
What is the fastest fixed-gear single-engine airplane?
The Cessna 400 Corvalis TT, at 235 KTAS maximum cruise, is the fastest fixed-gear piston single-engine airplane ever certified.
Does the Cessna 400 have a parachute like the Cirrus?
No. A whole-airframe CAPS parachute is the one meaningful capability the Cirrus offers that the Cessna 400 does not. On speed, avionics, and useful load, the 400 matches or beats a comparable SR22 or SR22T.
Can the Cessna 400’s Garmin G1000 be upgraded to WAAS?
No. The WAAS upgrade path for the G1000 in these airframes is closed, so a non-WAAS Cessna 400 can never gain LPV approach capability. N422TJ already has WAAS plus Synthetic Vision, which makes it a scarce find.
Does the Cessna 400 carry less than a Cirrus SR22?
No. Useful load is comparable — the Cessna 400 is often equal to or a little better than a comparable SR22 or SR22T.
Call to see N422TJ or to talk through the Cessna 400 vs Cirrus decision: (512) 270-1298 · txtopaviation.com. Austin & San Antonio, TX.
The 2008 Cessna 400 Corvalis TT (N422TJ) trues 235 KTAS at FL250 — faster than a Cirrus SR22T — for roughly $100–175K less. An honest speed-and-value comparison.
