Revolutionary Aircraft Now the World's Best-Seller

There were a plethora of smiling faces to be seen as CIRRUS Design Corporation rolled out its 2,000th airplane from the company hangar and onto the airport ramp to the applause of over 700 cheering employees and aviation dignitaries.

"The CIRRUS SR22 is now the best-selling airplane in the world," announced company co-founder and Executive Vice-President Dale Klapmeier as the cheering crowd encircled the star of the show - a brand-new CIRRUS SR22 with the tail number N2000M - for the 2,000th Milestone.

Against immense odds, CIRRUS rejuvenated a sagging General Aviation industry when it delivered its first SR20 in 1999 and produced 1,000 airplanes by 2003. Now, less than twenty-two months from that historic achievement, CIRRUS has doubled its worldwide fleet and has positioned its manufacturing plants to be able to meet even greater future demand for the popular SR20 and SR22's.

"We're beyond proud at reaching this 2,000th aircraft milestone, but personally what means the most is that CIRRUS is making the industry safer," said Klapmeier. "Every new technology that we integrate into our airplanes is making the General Aviation industry safer as a whole. We're first, but the other manufacturers are following our lead and that's a win-win for everybody."

CIRRUS has consistently been first to get new technologies to the personal aircraft market. "We were first with the whole-airplane parachute recovery system, 'glass cockpit' instrumentation, Terrain Awareness, Traffic Warning Systems, and satellite weather, to name just a few," said Klapmeier. "Every design consideration has been made with pilot safety, comfort, and ease-of-operation in mind."

Over the years, CIRRUS aircraft have exceeded the General Aviation safety averages to become one of the safest personal transportation airplanes in the world. Their whole-aircraft parachute recovery system has already been widely credited with saving seven lives in four separate 'parachute pulls.' "The CIRRUS SR22 is such a good product," said Alan Klapmeier, company co-founder and president, "it's become the best-selling airplane on earth. Considering the SR22 is only four years-old, that's amazing!"

Company Executive Vice-President of Sales & Marketing John M. Bingham said, "This 2,000th milestone demonstrates how rapidly we've grown both our domestic and international sales. As a result of this carefully targeted focus, our sales have multiplied to the rate that made this momentous day possible."

"There has not been another start-up airplane manufacturing company in the last 50 years to accomplish what CIRRUS has - which is to produce 2,000 airplanes in the first six years of delivery," said Alan Klapmeier.

Looking ahead, Klapmeier said his company is already gearing up for the next goal, "Now it's on to number 5,000!"

FMI: www.cirrusdesign.com