Cirrus Aircraft delivered 308 aircraft in 2014, its highest total since 2008, the Duluth-based plane manufacturer said Wednesday.
Known for attaching emergency parachutes to all of its planes, Cirrus deliveries rose 12 percent in 2014. The company reported billings of $217 million for the year, the General Aviation Manufacturers’ Association said.
Worldwide, the aviation trade group reported that total piston-aircraft deliveries rose 9.4 percent last year, to 1,129.
Cirrus delivered 43 percent of last year’s new piston aircraft built in the United States, GAMA statistics show, including 31 SR20 aircraft, 117 SR22 aircraft and 160 of the turbocharged SR22T aircraft. Cirrus is wholly owned by China Aviation Industry General Aircraft Co.
Cirrus also noted that its parachutes have now saved the lives of 104 pilots and passengers. It touted an incident three weeks ago, when a pilot ran out of fuel 250 miles from Hawaii but safely ditched in the Pacific — an incident captured on video by the U.S. Coast Guard:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gCMdeU22Dk&feature=youtube
http://www.twincities.com/business/ci_27507338/cirrus-plane-deliveries-up-12-2014