N953CD NTSB Report Released

Prior to the creation of Sky Shares, one of the founding principals learned many valuable lessons as a newly instrument rated pilot. Proving the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) system works to give pilots another chance to live. Please review the NTSB report link below.

http://www.ntsb.gov/ntsb/GenPDF.asp?id=DEN07LA082&rpt=fa

Parade of Pistons a Success for Sky Shares

July 17-19th brought Flying magazine's Parade of Pistons event to the Denver Jet Center and Sky Shares was there. Over 1000 people came to the three day event. Those looking for an aircraft fractional were able to view the Sky Shares Cirrus SR22 GTS X in the welcome shade of a hangar, and speak with principles Justin Steinke and James Turpen about opportunities available with the aircraft.

Flights You Should Take WIth Your CFII

Cirrus airplanes are highly capable machines equipped with an array of features and technology that seemed unimaginable only a decade ago. They allow less experienced pilots to fly safely in conditions that would have been considered hazardous to those same pilots before. Because of this, we are seeing more and more accidents in these expensive airplanes that mimic training accidents.

I decided to take a look at the NTSB's record of fatal and non-fatal accidents for Cirrus aircraft going back to 1999, and I discovered patterns. What's interesting to note is that almost all of the non-fatal accidents occur during the landing flare or go-around attempts. The fatal accidents almost always involve flight into terrain while maneuvering near airports both in visual and instrument meteorological conditions.

Many people who buy Cirrus airplanes do so because they may utilize their aircraft much more quickly then other types on the market. The traditional flight training route can be partially circumvented because Cirrus makes airplanes that are very easy fly. In addition to a host of incredible avionics features, the Cirrus has a parachute. That kind of redundancy gives pilots and passengers a sense of security not found in other airplanes. Those same features may also lull pilots into a false sense of security--a parachute can't save you when you're 10 feet above the ground.

The fact that so many incidents occur during the landing phase of flight points to a training issue. There are quite a few destroyed Cirrus airplanes that were perfectly good before their last landing, and what makes it sting even more is that these accidents are completely avoidable with little addition training.

Flight instructors are highly trained and qualified individuals--the only problem is that flight instruction is so structured that it's easy to overlook items that may be beneficial to a new pilot. We all practice crosswind landings. We all practice short and soft field landings. We all practice spot landings. What we often fail to do is practice crosswind landings when the winds are 15 gusting to 22. When during your flight training do you recall going up with your instructor on a blustery day? How about when the windsock was standing straight out? If the first time you encounter these conditions is when you're alone with passengers, how are you going to feel when you break the landing gear off because you begin to porpoise and don't know how to recover?

If you've never experienced challenging wind conditions, you owe it to yourself to go up on a crappy day with a qualified instructor and teach yourself how to handle them. That way, when you arrive at your destination with unforecast gusts to 45 knots, you'll at least be prepared to tackle the challenge without fear of the unknown. Unless you quit flying today, it will happen to you some day. If you'd really like to learn how to handle your airplane near the runway environment, you should fly in a tailwheel airplane. A few hours in a taildragger will do more for your flying than hundreds in a Cirrus. And don't forget to do all of the above, at night, with your landing light off, too!

The previous discussion focused on problems Cirrus pilots encounter that don't result in death... The next one does.

Many of the fatal accidents in Cirrus airplanes involve flight near airports in instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) in hilly or mountainous terrain. The avionics in your airplane are tools that, if used to their utmost capability, can get you into and out of some pretty serious situations. But like all tools, they're only as good as the person using them. There are people who can carve an animal with a chain saw--there are also people who would carve off their leg if given one. The same holds true for airplanes. Do you know your tools and how to use them? Don't let your ego answer that question. There are lot of aircraft occupants who paid the ultimate price because of overblown egos.

If you did all of your instrument training under the hood around your local airport, how qualified do you think you are to fly an approach into Lake Tahoe, California at night? A recent Cirrus crash in Big Bear City, California highlights that question. The pilot was maneuvering eight miles from the airport at night in instrument conditions and impacted trees and terrain. The question to ask yourself is would you fly in the back seat of an airplane with a pilot of your qualifications under the same conditions? Your airplane is a tool that must be used under limitations you place upon yourself. You ultimately have the final say, so make sure you'd be happy with your decisions if someone else was making them and you were the passenger.

Speaking of passengers, let's examine the difference in decision-making with and without them aboard. When you're alone, there is no pressure other than that you place upon yourself. When you have passengers, the destination may be so exciting that they may place undue pressure on you to proceed, even when doing so is not a wise decision. Remember that it's always better to have a pissed off passenger in a hotel than a dead one at a morgue. Never let your passengers or your plans dictate your safety.

There are many more things you can do to improve your flying safety, but you have a good start. I will leave you with the story of a Cirrus pilot who made a series of dumb decisions, but broke the accident chain with his final action. On this particular flight, it was a very dark night and the destination airport was marginal VFR. As the airplane approached, the airport went IFR, so the pilot elected to do an ILS approach into the airport. The tower asked, and the pilot responded that he was IFR qualified and current--only he wasn't. After being told to turn left to intercept the localizer, the pilot turned right. The tower controller directed the pilot to turn left again, at which point the pilot began to turn left. A few seconds later, the controller asked the pilot what airplane he was flying. His response was, "Cirrus, I had to pull the parachute." He had become so disoriented, he had to use the parachute. I have to commend this pilot for overcoming his ego and using his parachute before it was too late. His series of turns had placed him into a classic "Death Spiral" and he was only seconds away from losing the option to use his parachute. When in doubt, pull it out! Please use your parachute at the first sign you think you should. Too many Cirrus pilots have flown past the point of no return with a perfectly good parachute riding shotgun.

Video: The Jet First Flight

Cirrus has made their first test flight of "The-Jet" and the airplane flies beautifully. For those of you interested, Sky Shares owns a position on the jet, so visit HERE to find out more.

Video: The Jet First Taxi

Here's a first look at the new Jet By Cirrus as it taxies under its own power.



Here's the sound of ignition:

Video: Alan Klapmeier Talks About The Jet By Cirrus

Check out the progress of "The Jet" by Cirrus from Alan Klapmeier himself. Here's the video.

A Cirrus Fractional From Sky Shares Offers Owner-Flown Convenience At Partnership Prices

If you're considering the purchase of a new airplane, cost is probably not your main concern. Most people who buy an airplane do so because they want to be able to use the airplane as they see fit, and want the exclusivity of sole ownership. The problem is that you become responsible for the day-to-day tasks sole ownership entails.

If you're at the point in your search where you're considering fractional ownership, then you've already done a lot of number-crunching. You've spent a great deal of time figuring the initial and recurring costs of ownership, but have you considered the additional time required just to keep your aircraft in a flight-ready status?

An airplane like the Cirrus SR22 requires regular updates to its plethora of electronic data products. It also requires regular cleaning and maintenance that you will have to schedule. That means you will have to become intimate with your aircraft logbooks and make sure maintenance items are performed as promised. There are many other items you must be on top of. Have you updated the ELT batteries? Is your pitot/static system IFR qualified? Have you performed the necessary checks to your equipment to ensure you're legal? And what about currency?

Who will you use as a safety pilot to stay IFR current? Which instructor will you fly with when you need a BFR, and how much will that cost? These are all questions you must answer before you buy an airplane, and they all represent additional costs you may not have thought of before. If you think that's a lot of hassle it is. But there's something you can do to eliminate all of that hassle and still have an airplane that feels like it's all yours.

When you purchase a Sky Shares fractional, all of the hassle of flying is taken away and you are left with nothing more to do than schedule your flight, show up and take the airplane flying. All of the little things that can cause big headaches are suddenly eliminated. It's like having 24 hour roadside assistance with your airplane. A simple phone call will resolve just about any issue without your direct involvement.

If you want to fly your own airplane with the least possible hassle, consider a Sky Shares fractional. Visit Sky Shares to learn more.

Business Aviation Gaining Despite Stagnate Premium Airline Ridership

Image Source: STG Analysis.

A new study released by the Stanford Transportation Group shows that travelers using business aviation as an alternative equal 41 percent of the total number of premium airline travelers--an increase of five percent from two years previously.

According to STG Managing Director Gerald Bernstein, "...growing business aviation acceptance, fleet growth, the expansion of fractional programs, pre-paid flight card programs, and the development of new business models enabling lower trip costs have driven a steady expansion in the number of travelers using business jets and turboprops."

Business aviation offers more perks to the premium traveler, is becoming more and more cost-effective and offers less hassle than the strip-search mentality of the major airlines.

Sky Shares Flight Tracker

This embedded map tracks Sky Shares aircraft in real-time.

Patty Wagstaff Interview About Cirrus Perspective

For those of you interested in purchasing a fractional share in our Perspective Equipped 2008 Cirrus SR22, this interview with Patty Wagstaff will offer a little bit of insight.

You may read more about the Perspective by Garmin, HERE

Your Airplane... Your Airport

Your airplane may be hangared at Centennial Airport, but that doesn't mean you have to live near there to utilize it. Wether you live in Fort Collins or Colorado Springs, you fly your airplane from your airport. Sky Shares will position your airplane at no expense so you may utilize the most convenient airport to you.

Sky Shares Now Has A YouTube Channel

Sky Shares has a new YouTube channel that may be used for members who wish to share video memories of flights in company aircraft. We will also be bringing exclusive new video content to you, so visit MySkyShares on YouTube and keep an eye out for fun to come! To learn how to publish to Sky Shares channel, just contact Justin Steinke.

Owner-Flown Fractional Airplane Ownership: Try Before You Buy

If you've been considering owner-flown fractionals, but don't know if you're ready to take the plunge, Sky Shares offers a way for you to dip your toe in the water first. With SMARTShare evaluation packages, it's possible to fly the airplane for up to 100 hours before deciding to purchase a share. In addition to shares in the SR22-G3, Sky Shares also has a position on Cirrus' unnamed seven-seat, single-engine jet. Owners of an SR22 fractional will be front and center for offerings on the jet; it's also possible to reserve a position on the airplane for $12,500. If you've been thinking about fractional ownership, consider Sky Shares.

Story: Sky Shares Featured In Centennial Journal

Sky Shares was featured in Centennial Journal in October '07. Click the link to read the story and see the photos. Photo Copyright 2007 Reggie Paulk Used With Permission

Video: Fly Aboard Sky Shares Fractional Cirrus SR 22

Check out this video of Sky Shares SR22 GTS X...


By Reggie Paulk