FAA approves surveillance Cirrus SR22
Original plan called for 2015 deliveries
Cirrus Aircraft in May received FAA approval for customers to install external cameras, sensors, and communications equipment on the Cirrus G5.
The Cirrus Perception system has changed since it was introduced in 2014. Photo courtesy of Cirrus Aircraft.
The equipment can be aimed at a variety of applications, including law enforcement, surveillance, wildlife surveys, search and rescue, pipeline patrol, and aerial mapping.
The G5 can now carry sensors that have become smaller and lighter and were originally carried only by larger turbine-powered aircraft. The approval was made under the existing SR22 type certificate.
Cirrus has joined several aircraft manufacturers in offering surveillance capability, including Diamond, Quicksilver, Beechcraft, and other Textron Aviation models.
Alton K. Marsh
Freelance journalist
Alton K. Marsh is a former senior editor of AOPA Pilot and is now a freelance journalist specializing in aviation topics.
Topics:
Aircraft
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