Time in type for insurance - SR20 vs SR22

[Lando]

Does anyone have experience transitioning from a Cirrus SR20 to SR22, from an insurance perspective? My 400+ hours so far have all been Cessna and Piper, but I now have the opportunity to rent an SR20. If I get checked out and start flying the SR20 for the next 6-12 months, would that have any benefit when it comes time to potentially purchase an SR22 in the next year or so? (I already have my instrument rating, so that should not be a factor.)

 

[Paul_Havelka]

Yes, time in specific make and model will help you. Depending on the company they most likely will not consider SR20 time for SR22 and vice versa

 

[Tantalum]

Bail on the SR20..

With over 400 hours you should have a decent set of skills to go straight to the SR22

Cirrus has a very competent and impressive set of training modules and syllabi.. if you follow the syllabus it takes about 8 to 12 hours and you get a nice little certificate that should stand for something with the insurance people..

In my experience the official training along with at least 20 hours in type and 250 total time was all I needed

But unless you enjoy anemic climb performance and 140 knot true air speeds and a parachute then you really should just go straight to the SR22

 

[Ravioli]

I don't think @Tantalum read the original post. He has access to RENT an SR20 during the time before he buys. I didn't get the idea the purchase would/could be imminent.

 

[Tantalum]

I don't think @Tantalum read the original post. He has access to RENT an SR20 during the time before he buys. I didn't get the idea the purchase would/could be imminent.

Ohhhh.. right

Then my answer is no

 

[NoHeat]

If I get checked out and start flying the SR20 for the next 6-12 months, would that have any benefit when it comes time to potentially purchase an SR22 in the next year or so?

Not for insurance rates at the company I use. It seems wrong, but to them 20 vs 22 is simply a different model.

I already have my instrument rating

That will help with the insurance rate, but it’s not a factor re. switching models

 

[Roadracin]

My 20 didn't count to my 22T requirement time

 

[scottfromboston]

No. There may be a marginal savings if you have a decent amount of -22 time, but nothing close to what it will cost to do the rental. Keep proficient and save some dough for the purchase process... you're gonna need it.

 

[Lando]

I don't think @Tantalum read the original post. He has access to RENT an SR20 during the time before he buys. I didn't get the idea the purchase would/could be imminent.

Correct. I was thinking it might be useful to get 25+ hours in a SR20, but if it won’t count toward an SR22 I may as well keep dragging along at 20 knots less in my Piper for now and save that extra $$ for when it counts. Thanks for the insight everyone...always appreciated!

 

[wayne]

I was thinking that flying in the SR20 will help you, as long as the avionics are the same, but no insurance help. Since the insurance will want time in type, you might as well wait for the SR22 and do the transition training in it to build time in type.

 

[scottfromboston]

I don't believe that the underwriting is sophisticated enough to see the association between an SR-20 and an SR-22.

One of our partners had 300+ SR20 (he had owned one prior) and I didn't get the impression that it impacted the rates at all - we were all PPL-IR with recent experience and limited SR-22 time. We were required to have 10 SR-22 dual and an "IPC or training class in type" before solo. Not an issue, and IMO it is well-worth doing some specialized training and being well-versed in the Cirrus FOM

Scott

 

[Paul_Havelka]

If this really baffles some of you then get a load on this. Most underwriters view Mooney’s even more critical. Most of the time M20C time will not count for M20E time even though the only difference is fuel injection. Each submodel is different enough in their opinion to warrant this which makes no sense to me.

 

[N1120A]

I don't see why insurance would be much different, given that they are functionality same plane, with different engines.

 

[N1120A]

On our Bonanza, the insurance requirements are any Bonanza, for the open pilot policy. They insured me with 6 hours of Bonanza time and my partner with like 20

 

[GRG55]

I don't see why insurance would be much different, given that they are functionality same plane, with different engines.

They are very different.

We had a Continental powered SR20 in our Club rental fleet for a number of years. Time in it gave no credit from our insurer to anyone wanting to step up to their own SR22. The SR20 proved to be expensive to insure and to maintain. And not as popular as we thought it would be for cross country rentals because it couldn't carry enough.

We just replaced it this summer with a turbocharged 182 (an S or a T, not sure which model), an airplane we think will prove much more popular than the Cirrus due to our Rocky Mountain altitude, the easier step up from a 172 for a 100 hour pilot (our FTU has 13 172 trainers) and the much lower rental cost, in part because the insurance is far less than what we were having to pay to cover the underpowered Cirrus. Our lead underwriter was very clear that the whole industry has become very sophisticated at compiling individual model type records and sharing information to assess loss risk. As part of our due diligence, as we were contemplating making the change, our underwriter told us the statistical loss risk (fatal and non-fatal) of a 182 is almost identical to a 172. They're both just very good airplanes, in that respect, for training and use by recreational/non-professional pilots, many of whom struggle to log even 100 hours in a year now.

He said the loss risk of an SR22 was slightly more than 3 times the loss risk of an SR20. I'm no statistician, just passing on the information we were provided. But one of the factors cited is that a significant portion of the SR20s out there are in training fleets with their high levels of supervised flight hours in a more controlled environment.