Cirrus Aircraft debuted the G7+ series of its 2026 SR20, SR22, and SR22T single-engine piston airplanes, with a number of upgrades ranging from new paint, design, and avionics features to a four-blade propeller available for the SR22.
While the changes, which some manufacturers might characterize as a modest mid-cycle refresh, are not revolutionary, the G7+ includes features that could reduce the workload during approaches, especially for VFR pilots operating at nontowered airports.
Cirrus Pilots Get Pattern Advice
Recent improvements to the SR series’ Perspective Touch+ flight deck, developed with Garmin, include new visual approach procedures meant to improve situational awareness while easing workload. Revised avionics allow pilots to choose among various routes of entry into the traffic pattern. Those paths appear on the moving map and can be hand-flown or coupled with the autopilot.
People who analyze aviation accidents, either professionally or as amateurs, point to the dangers of traffic patterns, which often are scenes of midair collisions, stalls, spins, and other deadly incidents.
While pilots sometimes relax once in sight of their destination airport, they are in fact entering a potentially hazardous zone that requires enhanced vigilance. Upgrades to the latest SR series aircraft seek to give pilots a more complete picture of the airport environment.
Ivy McIver, executive director of the SR product line at Cirrus, explained that while earlier versions of the avionics would navigate directly to the runway, pilots now can choose where and how they join the traffic pattern, and whether they wish to hand-fly the course or use the autopilot.
“We are always looking for ways to provide pilots with more useful guidance,” she said.
The latest SR models also feature Safe Return Emergency Autoland, automatic database updates powered by Cirrus IQ PRO Advanced, runway occupancy awareness, and smart pitot heat. In spring 2025, the SR series became the first piston aircraft with the FAA-approved autoland system as standard equipment.
Passenger-Pleasing Additions
“The 2026 SR Series G7+ provides our customers with more choice, more connectivity, and more pilot convenience combined with revolutionary safety systems, such as the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS) and Safe Return Emergency Autoland,” said Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen. “The 2026 SR Series continues to evolve in lockstep with our owners’ missions and serves as a valuable extension of their businesses and lifestyles.”
Pilots and passengers will appreciate the new aircraft’s integrated, high-power USB-C ports for each occupant. The ports are designed to support a wider range of equipment, including a Starlink unit for internet connectivity.