Cirrus, the official aircraft of the First Flight Centennial Celebration and manufacturer of the Centennial Edition SR22, revealed that the final Centennial Edition SR22 aircraft was to be issued its Certificate of Airworthiness (COA) today; 100 years to the minute from when Orville and Wilbur Wright first demonstrated powered flight (10:35 a.m. ET, 1903).

The custom-painted Centennial Edition SR22 was introduced at AirVenture 2003 to commemorate the Centennial of Flight. The entire series of 100 fully loaded performance Cirrus SR22s sold out to customers in 92 days.

"The rapid sale of these special aircraft led to the ability to issue the final COA on the day of this once-in-a-lifetime event - the re-enactment of the first flight," says John M. Bingham, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Cirrus.

He points out that Cirrus' participation and the Centennial Edition SR22 have given the 850 employees a special role in the celebration. "Our staff is honored and excited about the ongoing role they are playing to help shape the future of personal transportation. Issuing the certificate at the same time as the anniversary of the Wright Brothers first flight helps bring the celebration home."

Including the 100 Centennial Edition SR22s, Cirrus has delivered in excess of 1,100 SR20 and SR22 series aircraft.

FMI: www.cirrusdesign.com