Cirrus SR20/SR22 real world operating costs

[JohnV85]

Hi.

Is anybody able to give some advice as to real world operating costs on a Cirrus SR20 or SR22? I'm thinking specifically insurance, maintenance, etc. Doing a bit of searching turned up some older threads suggesting a figure of c£15k per year as a reasonable guess, although this struck me as quite low given the capital cost of the a/c.

Many thanks.

[Fuji Abound]

A new aircraft or with good luck meaning NO unexpected issues, excluding hangar / parking and direct operating costs (fuel, oil, de-ice etc) and that is about right. Unexpected maintenance and the costs can easily double in a year. Even with a newish aircraft and a cracked front strut (not uncommon) and your budget is gone. Chat to rgv if you havent already done so, they look after as many cirrus as anyone and will give you honest real world costs.

[A and C]

RGV are undoubtedly worth talking to about the maintenance of the Cirrus but if you ate unlucky enough to have some composite structure damage there are others you need to talk too.

As a general rule the UK maintenance industry is not equipped for composite repair as their area of expertise is in metal structures, the main Cirrus agents at Turweston can point you in the right direction.

[wigglyamp]

Are the 'Main Cirrus agents' at Turqeston still trading? Some of their other aircraft (Vulcanair etc) seem to have gone walkabout.

[Fuji Abound]

Yes alive and kicking at least just before christmas when i was last there.

[A and C]

There seems to be some reorganization at Turweston but they are still in business.

[Jonzarno]

2005 SR22 G2. 210 hours over 12 months total costs £48k.

[Fuji Abound]

Are you suggesting £230 per hour wet in your experience?

[Jonzarno]

Those are the real numbers for the 12 months to April 2012. It does include £5k for a replacement starter. The annual was also quite high at £8.8k.

[sharpend]

John, unless you are very wealthy, a Cirrus is expensive to maintain. But you probably know that.

Compared with a conventional aeroplane, the maintenance costs are high due to the structure and the equipment. Assuming you are intending to purchase used (and £100K will get you a lovely aeroplane), there are significant extra costs associated with the ballistic parachute system (line cutters at 6 years, parachute system at 10 years). Moreover, due to its complex avionics, be prepared to fork out when these go wrong.

Then there is the design which leads to problems in handling. Accidents are more common than on more benign aeroplanes and thus insurance costs are significantly higher.

From a flying point of view, I found the aircraft rather unnecessarily complex (and I have flown supersonic fighters with HUDs!). But maybe that is just because I am getting old :O

But there are bonuses. Fuel consumption is low and it is a very good all weather aeroplane.

[Rod1]

"£5k for a replacement starter"

What was it made of - gold:rolleyes:

Rod1

[Jonzarno]

Rod1

You'd think so! It was actually both the starter and starter adapter but even so....

This is a known issue with the original Iskra starters and it isn't a question of whether they will fail but when.

I have over 1000 hours in my SR22 and can tell you that there are no handling problems whatever.

The aircraft is extremely benign and is actually quite difficult to stall. It is also very tolerant of crosswind landings.

As with all aircraft, the most dangerous component is the nut that holds the stick:O

[JohnV85]

Thanks for all the replies.

Jonzarno - are you able to break down that £48k a bit. I'm assuming (hopefully) that includes fuel?

[peterh337]

Those are massive costs - about 2x greater than my 11 years' of TB20GT ownership (http://www.peter2000.co.uk/aviation/tb20-experience/index.html).

I wonder if Cirrus customers are getting hugely ripped off. As a community, I would guess they do rely more on their dealer than most others (by their choice). Cirrus marketing alone would result in such a customer profile.

[Jonzarno]

I have broken the costs down as follows:

Total 46423 (I took out a bit of cost that isn't really relevant, hence the difference from the number I gave earlier).

Of that:
Miscellaneous 1894
Non-scheduled repairs 7845
Maintenance 10458
Insurance 3409
N reg trust costs 765
Navigation services 923

The rest is fuel, landing fees (nowhere really expensive) and parking.

I hope this helps!

Peter

Yes: parts prices are ridiculous.

[Fuji Abound]

As always it depends what is in the costs, over what period and the reasons for unexpected maintenance.

Low useage means required service are amortised over fewer hours significantly increasing the hourly cost.

Unexpected maintenance can happen on any aircraft. Where you buy parts and who does the maintenance has a huge impact on the cost.

As always you need to understand the figures before jumping to conclusions.

I am neither defending nor deriding the costs just making sure we understand the information.

[Jonzarno]

Fuji

Yes, you are quite right.

As I said above this was for 210 hours over a 12 month period.

The unscheduled repairs were substantially the starter / starter adapter replacement I mentioned earlier and an exhaust repair.

[sharpend]

Some rectification/parts that my 6 yrs old Cirrus has needed during the last couple of years or so are:

1. Exhaust manifold.
2. Nose leg, apparantly repaired before delivery new!
3. Line cutters (time ex)
4. Starter motor
5. Air switch x 3
5. Autopilot (loose connection only).
6. Spat repairs.
7. Throttle restriction.

But not a problem if owned by a reasonably large group. Moreover, insignificant when comparred with what I am spending on my 40 yr old SA Bulldog.