Cirrus transition and recurrent training
Whether you just bought your first SR20, are stepping up to a turbo SR22T, or need your annual recurrent, this is training built around how a Cirrus actually gets flown by owners in Southern California.
Who this is for
- New owners moving into a Cirrus from a Cessna, Piper, Diamond or similar
- Owners stepping from SR20 to SR22, or from a normally-aspirated SR22 to the SR22T
- Owners whose insurance requires a documented transition course or annual recurrent training
- Pilots buying a used G3, G5, G6 or G7 airplane who want to learn that panel, not a generic one
- Owners who fly fine but feel the airplane is still a half-step ahead of them
What a transition covers
Every course is adjusted to your airplane and experience, but the core is consistent:
- Systems: fuel, electrical, ice protection (TKS/FIKI where equipped), turbo and oxygen on the SR22T, and the failure modes worth memorizing
- Avionics: Cirrus Perspective, Perspective+ and Perspective Touch+ — flight plan management, autopilot modes and gotchas, Synthetic Vision, Electronic Stability and Protection, charts and datalink weather
- CAPS: when, how, and the pre-briefed decision altitudes, taught the way Cirrus intends it to be used
- Energy management: the airplane does not like to slow down. Descent planning, speed control in the pattern, and stabilized approaches in a slippery airframe
- Maneuvers and abnormals: stalls and slow flight to the Cirrus standard, engine-out profiles, electrical failures, partial-panel on a glass panel
- Real missions: coastal IFR, the marine layer, Class B transitions, and the mountain and desert flying you will actually do from San Diego
Recurrent training
Most insurers want annual recurrent training in type, and the owners who fly best are the ones who treat it as a tune-up rather than a hurdle. A recurrent session is typically a half-day of ground and 2–3 hours of flying built around what has changed: a new avionics update, a new mission, a long gap, or the things you have quietly stopped doing. I provide the documentation your insurer asks for.
Format and logistics
Training happens in your airplane at your home field — Montgomery-Gibbs, Gillespie, Carlsbad, or anywhere within about 25 miles of San Diego. Ground sessions can be done at the airport or over video. A full initial transition for a new owner usually runs two to three days of focused work; a step-up or recurrent is shorter. We scope it on the intro call.
Common questions
Do I need a transition course if I already have a lot of hours?
Usually your insurer will answer that for you. Beyond insurance, the Cirrus avionics and energy profile are different enough from most trainers that even experienced pilots find a structured transition shortens the time it takes to feel genuinely comfortable.
Can you train in my airplane with the older Avidyne or Garmin G3 panel?
Yes. I teach in Perspective, Perspective+ and Touch+ airplanes most often, but the training is built around your specific panel, including earlier generations.
Do you provide the insurance documentation?
Yes. Transition and recurrent training are documented with a logbook endorsement and a summary letter that insurers accept.
Are you a Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot (CSIP)?
Not at this time. I am an independent instructor with 500+ hours in the SR22 series; the training follows the Cirrus syllabus structure. If your insurer specifically requires a CSIP, tell me on the intro call and I will say so plainly.