In each July issue of Aviation Consumer we pick 12 products, services or companies that were standouts over the editorial year. You know, the best of the best. We don’t take our Editor’s Choice Gear of the Year awards lightly, but when we handed the keys to Cirrus Jet N52CV back over to Cirrus’ Matt Bergwall after flying it halfway across the country (and spending a couple of days on the factory production floor) we knew we had this year’s winner.
The SF50 is everything Cirrus said it would be, which is a reasonably easy step-up jet for pilots who have mastered the SR22 piston single. It certainly isn’t the fastest or sexiest-looking small jet, but the tradeoff is that buyers get a taste of the jet world at a cost that isn’t stupidly expensive. A spacious cabin, well-thought-out Garmin G3000 avionics and pleasant flying characteristics add to the jet’s overall appeal.