Cirrus SR-20
The Cirrus SR20 was the aircraft that introduced the whole-airframe parachute system to mainstream general aviation, letting the entire aircraft descend safely under canopy in a genuine in-flight emergency. Its composite airframe and modern glass cockpit were a significant step up from the riveted-aluminium, analogue-gauge trainers that dominated flight schools when it launched in the late 1990s. It's the smaller, more affordable sibling of the far more popular SR22, aimed at flight training and lower-budget owner-pilots. Its parachute system and modern design helped push the entire light aircraft industry toward safer, more advanced designs.

Did you know?
The SR20 introduced the whole-airframe parachute system to mainstream general aviation, letting the entire aircraft descend safely under canopy.
Specifications
| Length | 7.9 m (26 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.7 m (38 ft) |
| Height | 2.7 m (9 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 3 |
| Persons on board | 4 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 1.3 t |
| Range | 709 NM (1,313 km) |
| Maximum speed | 155 kt (287 km/h) |
| Stall speed | 57 kt (106 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 17,500 ft (5,334 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 14,000 ft (4,267 m) |
| Rate of climb | 781 ft/min (4 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 514 m (1,686 ft) |
| Landing distance | 650 m (2,133 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 110 l |
| Engines | 1x Continental IO-360 |
| Units built | 1,459 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Cirrus SR-20 starts as a Common catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Cirrus, the SR-20 family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
Catch it yourself.CatchFlights shows the aircraft flying near you on a radar, so a type like this one is only a catch away when it passes overhead. Explore CatchFlights.
Browse all aircraft types, or learn to tell Airbus from Boeing.