Cirrus Vision Jet 

The biggest splash this year was made by Cirrus with its new Vision Jet. The single-engine aircraft, which Cirrus started delivering last December, is designed to be easy to fly for owners who are not professional pilots. In fact, the majority of new Vision Jet owners are step-up pilots from the Cirrus piston fleet and benefit from this design aimed at making that transition as easy as possible.

Cirrus’s in-house training ensures that every pilot feels confident and safe in the cockpit. And to enhance that feeling of safety, Vision Jets—like all other planes in the Cirrus fleet—are equipped with a full-airplane parachute. (Cirrus says that its parachute deployments have saved more than 148 lives since 2002.)

The distinctive V-tail and the Williams turbofan engine mounted atop the fuselage ensure that the Vision Jet stands out everywhere it goes. The avionics system in the cockpit warns the pilot whenever the airplane gets too slow or is turned too steeply, and the automatic pressurized cabin system maintains proper oxygen levels at any altitude.

With big windows and a spacious cabin, the Vision Jet can carry as many as five adults and two children, and it flies at 345 mph for up to 1,150 miles and 1,380 miles at 275 mph. It sells for about $2 million.

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The easy-to-fly Cirrus Vision Jet does not require a professional pilot

Photo: Courtesy Doug Scaletta