On June 6, 2006 Cirrus airplane owners, pilots, and others landed in Duluth, Minnesota, the hometown and headquarters of Cirrus Design Corporation. The 175 Cirrus planes that landed there came for what the Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) dubbed M4, the annual fly-in representing the group's fourth migration home. It was the largest turnout they have had at the event with more than 500 people, including vendors, participating. "Cirrus planes have amassed over 1.2 million fleet flight hours in such a short period of time," said John M. Bingham, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Cirrus. "We make it easier, convenient, faster and safer [to fly]. As a result, the average Cirrus pilot logs more than twice the flight hours than the personal aviation industry norm," he added.
To maintain that kind of reliability requires excellent maintenance. Doug Larson, manager, flight plan, is part of the Cirrus team and heads up the maintenance training done by the company. He started at Cirrus as a maintenance instructor after spending time working at an authorized Cirrus service center in the field. "At Cirrus, we believe very strongly in education," Larson said. He also stressed that although Cirrus has a dedicated customer support philosophy, the company works toward giving technicians and service centers the training and information they need to be able to work independently.
To that end, Larson was involved in writing courseware and general familiarization manuals for the company. The end result of the background Larson brought to the table and the commitment Cirrus has to training is some of the most interesting training courseware in the industry. The interactive, computer-based course is challenging for any technician or engineer with opportunities to learn about inspecting, repairing, troubleshooting and maintaining CIRRUS SR-series airplanes. The course has seven interactive lessons, each with several multi-step challenges, simulating airplane maintenance in the real world of busy schedules, difficult customers and unpredictable situations.
Cirrus University
"We have an online web-based course designed to equip service centers with the knowledge they need," said Larson. The online course is scenario-based with principles applied to maintenance. The scenarios replicate real life so the technician is learning not only how to make a certain repair but also how to document that repair, and where to go to find the information needed to accomplish the repair. "It's quite difficult by design," said Larson.
The company also does numerous training courses on site in Duluth. The on site training consists of weeklong courses and hands-on labs. "We try to show people that it's new and different but that doesn't mean it's that hard," said Larson. "In reality, the differences aren't that significant between our aircraft and what they are used to working on. It's still an aircraft." Most people have gone through the online training program already prior to arriving for the courses in Duluth. They are familiar with the aircraft and processes so that the learning that takes place on site is more of a reinforcement.
The online course consists of challenges to solve and it is very interactive. Each section contains the following basic elements:
1. A challenge you need to solve.
2. Cirrus and vendor technical publications.
3. Information, data, and tips to help you.
4. Solution- choose the solution from among those offered
5. Feedback in the form of remediation or additional insight.
Technicians/Engineers work through a series of interactive simulations built around Cirrus inspection, repair and maintenance. Online resources (technical publications) and other information (logbooks, spec sheets, notes, etc.) are available to aid learners in assessing each situation, to make decisions in determining the best solutions to the scenarios. These resources even include items such as handwritten squawks from a customer. Real-time, online feedback for each choice further develops the user's knowledge. When a question is answered correctly, the program lets the participant know with an encouraging saying such as "You are a well-oiled service machine." On successful completion of the course, a certificate is issued to the technician/engineer for display at their service center.
A participant can return to their courses as often as they want, even after they have completed them. If the program is not complete and a break is required, the program will remember where it left off and bring the participant back to that point at the next sign-in.
General Familiarity
Cirrus is also working to familiarize people in as many facets of the industry as it can with the leading edge technology used in the design and manufacture of their aircraft. For example, a year and a half ago Cirrus co-sponsored a familiarization program for 250 Flight Service District Office (FSDO) inspectors. The inspectors came to Duluth for presentations on the technology used in the Cirrus. "We realized that we needed to train the inspectors," Larson said, because so many of them had never dealt with composites, the type of avionics package the aircraft has, and other systems.
Larson, a member of the SAE composite repair training task group, said that he had just returned from a meeting of that group in Scotland. He ended up becoming a member of the group almost by accident. The group was formed by people from Boeing and Airbus who would be working with the A380 and the B787. Larson attended one of the early meetings. During one of the group discussions, a member said, "We've never had an all composite aircraft before." Larson said, "I stood up and said `Yes we do.'" That comment led to his involvement with the SAE group where standards and requirements are being set for the composite repair industry.
The group is using the background that Cirrus has with composite repair in making their standards.
"Maintaining a Cirrus is easier. It's new and clean. The aircraft is designed to be accessible. It has a simple design. Access panels are larger and there are good visibility lines. Rigging is straightforward, uncomplicated," said Larson. But getting acquainted with this technological whiz of an airplane requires more than the online course.
The training that occurs on site in Duluth is a one-week workshop. "We also expand it to 4-5 days in labs where we do a basic repair to a damaged panel," said Larson. "We teach lay-up and core replacement using real aircraft components with documentation. We just completed a class last [month] where we did the most complex repair simulation we've done. We simulated a bird strike on the horizontal stabilizer. We taught the attendees how to make a mold and to replicate the skin shape."
Although Larson says that the composites lesson is the most challenging section of their training course, the technical publications address it. "All processes, steps, cautions, warnings are in the publication," he said.
As for the avionics, Larson explains to the course attendee that everything displayed on steam gauges is now displayed on the glass cockpit gauges. "It's just a new way of displaying the information. You do the same thing with steam gauges as with electronic gauges. It's just slightly different. It's not that big of a deal," Larson said.
Another challenge Cirrus tries to overcome is that they have found that many people don't rely on the publications. "As we did research building our online course we traveled around the country to talk to service centers. They told us that Cirrus pubs are some of the best out there," Larson said. Since many service centers are working on aircraft that aren't made anymore, Larson says the manuals don't get updated. "Parts are missing in the tech pub. For many years prior to GARA pubs were not updated, or contained information that was not applicable to what you were doing. Reliance on maintenance manuals dropped," said Larson. "But what we do is push people to go to the manual first. It takes less time to look up an answer than to contact the help desk. We are trying to educate the service centers about this. Don't get me wrong, the help and support is there if you need it." Cirrus says that it has pushed vendors with whom they do business to write more complete publications.
"One thing we are actively working with the vendors of our avionics is to tailor the tech pubs to make sure they are clear," Larson said.
Systems and Components
The Cirrus Aircraft Parachute Safety system (CAPS) is one of the most unusual and advanced systems a maintainer may encounter with small aircraft. But, once again, Larson reassures technicians that it is not hard to maintain. "The CAPS system is very stable and requires very little maintenance. The chute only needs to be removed and repacked every ten years," said Larson. "Every six years the line cutters need to be replaced." The aft bulkhead is where the parachute is mounted. There are Kevlar straps with the lines stitched together, which allows the parachute to fully inflate. Once the aircraft settles into a descent the line cutter is activated and cuts the rope. The rocket powered system that ejects the panel and sends the chute out can only be inspected by a specially trained facility. The company is still preparing and training for those inspections when they will become necessary in the future.
There have been seven deployments of the CAPS system and two of those aircraft have been put back into service.
Cirrus is working closely with Teledyne Continental engine for warranty metrics. "We are watching the fleet usage and life of parts," Larson said. "We are also watching the reliability of parts," he said.
The landing gear has composite struts and a steel nose gear. The composite struts are made of 120-ply fiberglass and are thick and wide. "They are flexible yet strong. They can bend and take a load. Fiberglass has memory and always returns to its original shape. The steel nose gear has a bumper cushion system." There is a hard landing section in the manuals that addresses the inspection process if there has been a hard landing.
The SR22 has a weeping wing system for ice encounters. It is required to be checked by the owner once a month, which consists of turning on the system briefly. There is a small reservoir of fluid and there are sponges that need to be kept wet. "Turning the system on briefly allows those sponges to stay wet," said Larson.
Confidence Levels Are High
"Over the course of that week of training, just five days later, the technician's confidence is significantly higher. The mystery and fear is solved. They leave here saying, `I can make a quality repair.' The confidence they leave with is tremendous," said Larson.
"We also have a network of authorized service centers. To become an authorized service center requires several factors based on customer need and the region. Being an authorized service center allows that facility to complete warranty work in addition to any other work," Larson said. Independent shops can also attend training at the factory and online. Cirrus has five full-time support people.
"A point to Cirrus's credit, they know the critical aspect of maintenance. The presidents and founders of Cirrus understand the critical role of maintenance for the safety of the fleet and the owners of our aircraft," said Larson. "When technicians come to our facility to train, we treat them very well."
Sidebar:
A Sample Scenario:
You are an Aircraft Maintenance Technician at HighFlight Service Center, a repair station at Hanscom Field in Lexington, Massachusetts. In addition to maintenance services, HighFlight also offers fuel. The shop has a great reputation for quality and has built a base of loyal customers over the past 12 years. In addition to you, HighFlight has three other AMTs.
It's Monday morning. As you arrived for work, you noticed Dr. Ralph Washington, a long-time HighFlight customer, had parked his CIRRUS SR22 (N402WK) outside the hangar. Heading for the break room and a morning cup of coffee, you encounter Steve Castigleone, HighFlight's Director Of Maintenance.
You are that AMT and your boss Steve Castigleone assigns the annual on Dr. Washington's aircraft to you. You are told Dr. Washington needs the aircraft back by the end of the day, Friday. Castigleone tells you that if the squawks require a fix, the owner want us to advise him before ordering parts.
From that scenario, the program takes the participant through the paces of beginning this project all the way to it's conclusion.
Sidebar:
Cirrus SR22 Specifications
Performance:
Takeoff 1020 feet
Takeoff (50' object) 1574 feet
Climb rate 1304 feet/minute
Stall Speed with Flaps 61 KIAS
Cruise Speed (75% power) 185 KTAS
Cruise Range with Reserve 700 nautical miles
Maximum Range (55% power) > 1000 nautical miles
Landing Ground Roll 1141 feet
Landing over 50' object 2325 feet
Engine:
Manufacturer Continental
Model IO-550-N
Horsepower 310
Design Weights and Loading:
Maximum Gross Weight 3400 pounds
Standard Empty Weight 2250 pounds
Useful Load 1150 pounds
Usable Fuel Capacity 81 gallons/486 pounds
Full Fuel Load 664 pounds
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