The Cirrus SR22 is a fast, four- or five-seat composite single-engine airplane famous for its whole-airplane parachute. It has been the best-selling single-engine piston airplane for about two decades, popular with owner-pilots who fly for business and travel.
SR22 at a glance
- First flight
- 2000
- Length
- 26 ft (7.9 m)
- Wingspan
- 38 ft 4 in (11.7 m)
- Engines
- 1 × Continental IO-550-N or turbocharged TSIO-550-K piston engine (310–315 hp)
- Seats
- 4–5
- Cruise speed
- ~183 kt (211 mph); ~213 kt (245 mph) turbo at altitude
- Service ceiling
- 17,500 ft; 25,000 ft (SR22T)
- Range
- ~1,000 nmi
How to recognize the SR22
The SR22 looks modern and smooth next to older small planes. It is made of composite material, with flowing curves and no rivet lines.
- Low wing: long, tapered and strut-free, with slightly upturned tips.
- Fixed gear: tricycle gear with streamlined fairings; the nosewheel castors freely.
- Propeller: usually three-bladed, on a long, pointed nose.
- Cabin: large gull-wing style doors on both sides, and a bubble-like canopy.
- Parachute: a hatch on the fuselage behind the cabin covers the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS); you may see a red warning label near it.
- Tail: a swept fin and conventional low tail.
- Speed and altitude: noticeably faster than a 172 or Cherokee, often cruising at 8,000 to 17,000 ft, or higher in the turbocharged SR22T.
- Sound: a deeper, stronger piston note than a trainer.
Against a Piper PA-28, look for the Cirrus's longer, more tapered wing, smoother body and three-blade prop. Against a Cessna 172, wing position settles it.
The SR22's cabin is wide for a four-seater, and its big doors hinge upward and forward. In the traffic pattern it flies faster than a trainer, and on final it comes in at a noticeably quicker pace than a Cessna 172. At altitude it often flies higher than older piston airplanes, so it can look surprisingly airliner-like on a flight tracker.
Where and when you'll see it
SR22s are owned by individual pilots, flying clubs, fractional programs and some flight schools, and they are a common sight at general aviation airports in all 50 states. Owners fly them on business and family trips of a few hundred miles, often under IFR at altitudes where they show up on flight trackers like small airliners.
Typical cruise is 8,000 to 17,500 ft, and SR22Ts climb into the low 20,000s. On ADS-B they broadcast the N-number as the callsign, with type codes SR22 (normally aspirated) or S22T (turbocharged). Some owners opt into privacy programs; see PIA.
Owners often fly SR22s on trips between business airports and leisure destinations, such as from Texas to Colorado or from the Northeast to Florida. They also show up at fly-ins and air shows.
Easily confused with
- Piper PA-28 Cherokee family: The PA-28 has a shorter, blunter wing, a two-blade prop and a single right-side door.
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk: The Cessna 172 has a high wing with struts.
Quick facts
- Every SR22 carries a parachute that can lower the entire airplane to the ground, and its use has been credited with saving many lives.
- Cirrus also builds the SF50 Vision Jet, a single-engine personal jet that also has a whole-airplane parachute.
- The SR22 uses a side-mounted control yoke instead of a traditional yoke in front of the pilot.
SR22 questions
Does the Cirrus SR22 really have a parachute?
Yes. The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System is built into every SR22 and is deployed by pulling a red handle in the cabin ceiling.
What does S22T mean?
S22T is the ICAO type code for the turbocharged SR22T; the standard SR22 uses SR22.
Cities where it's a regular
Spot one live
Open the live sky tool and look for SR22 in the type column, or browse the live map on airplanes.live.