Cirrus type rating?
 

Howdy all;
I've been quoted 6 hours flying for a cirrus type rating.. does this seem reasonable? The person never asked my experience, etc... I don't know if it matters but i'm CSU/RG rated with around 15 hours on M20J..
I realize there's a lot to learn with regards to systems with the glass cockpit, but does it really take 6 hours??

Type rating?

Right up there with the LearJet, huh!

Dr :8

Sorry mate. Smart *rse Dr got the better of me just then.

You don't need a type rating or even an endorsement - just a check ride.

Never flown a Cirrus, so I am a PPruNe expert. Much of the G1000 can be learnt outside the aeroplane. 6 hour check ride seems excessive - but I guess its their Cirrus ...... if you want to fly it ........

SIX HOURS? You're being stitched!:mad:
Never flown one and understand they might want you to be fully conversant with the glass cockpit but if that's the case, most of the systems can be taught on the ground.

And you DON't get a Cirrus endorsement - there is no such animal. Your licence already qualifies you to fly the aircraft ie SE < 5700kg. I can't believe schools that try this bullsh1t on.

Shouldn't take you 6 hours I would hope.

There's no "type" rating as such, it's just 3 axis so nothing special. The 6 hours is probably just for insurance / club purposes. No CSU or RG is required as the prop is automatic and the gear is very much fixed. If you know how to drive a Garmin 430 GPS or the 250+ series that part won't take you more than 5 mintues to get around. The rest such as the chute, EFIS, autopilot and systems shouldn't take long. If you can sit in it for a while and get used to where all the buttons are with the ignition on, it will make things easier when you go to fly it. Only problem is that you can't run it too long or the batteries will go flat.

That being said, a mate of mine jumped in having never even seen one before having flown ultralights primarily and flew without fault right from the start, essentially because the glass crap isn't really required as it still has an analogue ASI etc. Only major thing to watch is that you land quite flat and there's no large flare. If you do flare too hard the tail will hit the ground and you will be up for big repair dollars. They have retro fitted them with a rubber skid as many operators were doing this in the early days. The 22 undercarriage is a little higher and a tad less likely.

My official tick in the logbook took me .7 hours and another .6 to upgrade to the 22. Might as well get your tick in the 22 if you can because you won't need to fly the 20 also.

Have fun!

PS: Islander Jock - whilst there is no endorsement required for the Cirrus, I do recommend it, particularly with the flaring issue. I also watched someone who couldn't work out how to turn off the auto-pilot who then proceeded to drag the tail on the ground.

I have a Cirrus "endorsement" and agree that there is no such critter. A hour or so on the systems after having gone through the CD, a one-hour check ride and some commonsense and you should be right. Read the flight manual thoroughly.

The wing loading is much higher so you'll be keeping higher speeds (about 100kts on base). Although there is no type rating, don't believe you can just leap in and fly them. Mishandling has exposed the SR20 in particular as a somewhat fragile aeroplane in the hands of hiring pilots who aren't full bottles on the systems.

VH-XXX: I wish I had been there that day. I know the two characters involved in the incident and still laugh when I think about it. A good reason to learn the systems before you try to get airborne.

Walrus

xxx,
fair call mate. I know there are some singles out there that can bite the unwary. But after being checked out on a 210 in about an hour (including 4 circuits) and about the same amount of time for a Bonanza I find the sort of figures to be quoted by fixa24 to be just a bit over the top.

As an operator I don't for one minute dispute the need for a comprehensive checkout for first time hirers or people flying a different aircraft type for the first time.

Cheers guys.
yeah, i knew that my license covered <5700kgs, but thought maybe glass cockpit was a design feature or something you had to be endorsed on? I'll seek more info from the company. Thanks again.

I had a :mad: try to convince me I needed an endorsement to fly a :mad:, earlier this year.... and that the 'endorsement' would take :mad:hours flight!:eek::yuk:

Oh yes, the 210 "endorsement" - mine took all of 25 min in 1976.

30 years and X00 hrs in C182RG/206/210, I walked away from the offer of a 5 hr checkout in a 210.

Went and found me the FTDK instead.

Dr :8

I suspect that some of these apparently over-the-top requirements are mandated by insurance in an attempt to keep premiums down.

I guess if they stop people from flying the aeroplane it has the desired effect.

Dr :8

Ha! I'd happily accept a 5 hour checkride, provided that the operator was the one paying for it, not me!

Actually I'm fairly certain that there is a rating required on the Cirrus CSU...

If you have a MPPC rating(Manual Propellor Pitch Control), then that covers you. If you don't have it you apparently need an APPC (Automatic blah blah), or so I've heard.

True, you don't get a CASA type rating, but you do get the schools approval to use their aircraft.

Arrr

So, having a CSU endorsement doesnt cover you for the cirrus?

I thought the CSU rating (or MPP whatever you want to call it) covered you for the cirrus and a/c like the twinstar, but doesn't go the other way. i.e. cirrus prop control "rated" can't use other CSU's.. i could be wrong though.

What the **** is a cirrus type "rating"?

SE<5700kg/CSU/Retract - What other design features are there on the a/c requiring and endorsement?

Like FTDK, I once found me a Trinidad (dumb idea at 6'2" :cool:), spent some time thoroughly studying the manual and the aircraft on the ground, then hopped in and flew it. I too walked away from a kind offer of a 10hr "Trinidad Endorsement"

Perhaps it would be a different story if I wanted to hire one from someone else, but I don't hire aircraft. If that was the case, then a check ride to prove I am competent enough is all that need be done, although different owners have different requirements.

The DR is quite correct with what is happening and going to happen with rental aircraft. Insurers in the USA already set the rules....

There have been too many accidents (in all types of aircraft) with people not being current or not getting a correct checkout.

In days of old, each S/E aircraft type required a rating (this is still the case in NZ).

In the USA - Operators will qualify for cheaper insurance as long as renters go through a set course.

I guess the market will decide.

I just did 2.6 hours doing a CSU and retract and as far as the school was concerned they were happy for me to use the a/c when ever I wanted, and its different to my own a/c so type was not too much an issue.

10 hrs is a bit of a rip off scheme I think.............mind you some out there really need it...:uhoh:

Cirrus "endorsement"
 

Place where I fly has a cirrus, minimum requirements for which are 5 hours famil, plus 20hrs command in CSU aircraft.

The 5 hours are set by the insurance company ONLY.

I do agree that the term "endorsement" is thrown around rather willy-nilly compared to what it actually legally means.

The Cirrus POH is about two inches thick. That's put me off.

RogerRamjet, tell the 'place' where you fly to get out the rule book AND read it! If you are where I think you are then the ex deputy CFI is an approved Cirrus type person, etc and should know better.

Whilst the Cirrus has a CSU it's fully automatic and as such a CSU endorsement is NOT a requirement. There are absolutely NO prop / CSU controls located within the aircraft.

There is also an excemption allowing a CPL flight test to be conducted in a Cirrus even though it's not CSU.