Here is some more feedback from members who won prizes at our combined bash.

Flip in the new Cirrus SR22 -->Anthony Berkow

Wow! A free flip on the Cirrus SR22, and Sunday just happened to be my wife’s birthday too! Well it took some frantic last minute organizing that morning to arrange lifts for our daughter to her friend’s party, so we’d be free to go claim our prize. We decided it was easiest to bring our son (now 6) along for the ride - two hours before departure he had already dressed himself in his pilot’s uniform, complete with captain’s bars (which we had bought at the Ysterplaat air show last year)!

We arranged to meet the Cirrus team at Fisantekraal at 11:00B, having been advised by the Met’ office that the low stratus expected that morning would have blown off by then. I’ve flown to FAFK many times but this time we drove there, having switched my autorouting GPS to “land” mode. We arrived easily enough to find no sign of a Cirrus, and by lunchtime we were considering cutting our losses and going home, when at last we heard ZS-CDC and ZS-ZIP on the radio. They had been delayed at FACT for a number of reasons, but our long wait turned out to be well worth it!

Tali and Yaron took up their positions in the rear, I climbed into left seat and Cirrus’s representative, Andy Currin, took the right. I was not expecting to have the privilege of actually flying the aircraft and this was a great treat. ZS-CDC’s Lycoming engine was still hot so there was no need to use the electric primer. It however took a few turns before the engine came to life, and then I switched on the avionics – even the switches in the Cirrus are so nice compared to our 35 year old fleet!

My taxiing was a bit wobbly at first – the Cirrus has a full-castoring nose wheel and steering requires differential braking, the rudder only becoming effective as the speed picks up. However this allowed me to perform a really tight little turn with the greatest ease after our run up, to backtrack onto RWY 23.

After my usual run up checks, I performed my preflight checks, noting the differences between the Cirrus and the aircraft I usually fly:

- Test for full and free movement of controls: The joystick-like side control yoke needs very little movement and is well out of the way of everything!
- Trim neutral: The electrically-driven trimming system is operated by a thumb-controlled hat switch on the yoke.
- Throttle friction nut finger tight: There is none!
- Master on, magnetos both on, mixture fully rich.
- Primer in and locked: The centre-off rocker switch that turns on the fuel pump also controls the electric primer.
- Pitch fine: The automatic pitch control is linked to the throttle so there is no separate pitch control for the CSU.
- Pressures and temperatures in the green.
- Fuel: Correct tanks selected and electric fuel pump on.
- Flaps: Electrically driven, two stages. We selected the first stage for take off.
- Gills: None.
- Gyros: All OK.
- Hatches and harnesses: Wonderful doors that swing right up and really comfortable harnesses (available with airbags).
- Instrumentation: More than OK!
- Electrics: A really neat matrix of circuit breakers near one’s leg.

Andy advised me to rotate at 70kts and climb out at 90kts. My take-off run proceeded smoothly, but I tend to be a bit lazy on the rudder (our little Pipers hardly need any) and with 310hp in front of me I really needed to push down my right foot a lot harder!

Having completed my after take off checks we quickly left the circuit for the Paardeberg, and I mean quickly – with moderate engine power we already had a ground speed of 168kts! The side control yoke was easy to adapt to but I found the lateral trim control a little more difficult and my left wrist is surprisingly stiff this morning!

I tried some steep turns – really smooth and no need to touch the throttle. Then I tried a stall in the landing configuration – pretty docile with a slight wing drop. My son finds those maneuvers a bit scary so I agreed to some more conventional flying and returned to FAFK on a gentle descent.


I had to space myself carefully as not to overtake the other aircraft in the circuit, using full flap and maintaining 80kts on the approach. The landing was smooth and it was easy to keep the nose off the ground after touch down (felt very similar to the Tomahawk).

It would be great to be able to fly non-stop to Johannesburg in little more than 3.5 hours and at an operating cost of around R450 an hour (excluding financing).

The Cirrus was wonderful to fly and the only complaint I have is that I don’t have R2,4 million spare to buy one!

Many thanks to Cirrus, Andy Currin and the owner. See http://www.cirrusdesign.com for more information on these snazzy aircraft.