Cirrus and smart pitot heat
I read the Cirrus SR G7+ flight trial in the June 2025 issue of Aviation Consumer and see that the pitot heat rocker switch has been removed from the bolster panel in favor of Cirrus’ Smart Pitot Heat system, which automatically comes on (under engine power) when the temperature is below -5°C.
I’m not a fan of the auto-on pitot heat feature in a Cirrus equipped with Safe Return Autoland. We were taught to turn on the pitot heat whenever flying through visible moisture, and the heat would help remove water from the pitot tube. Is this now considered old thinking? Additionally, you can get pitot icing warmer than -5 degrees C … just saying.
—Luca Bencini, via email
We asked Cirrus for a response and they clarified the specifics of the feature and weighed in on real-world use.
“The automatic pitot heat turns on at +5 degrees C and this feature is a normal-use item. It reduces pilot workload and automates the pitot heat such that it turns on at temperatures when you need it (+5°C and colder) but is off when you don’t need it, eliminating the need for the pilot to remember to turn it on. It prevents a situation where a pilot forgets to turn on the pitot heat and inadvertently collects pitot ice.
“Most icing manuals, aviation guidance, and weather models consider +5°C as a conservative upper limit for icing risk. The risk increases significantly below +5 degrees C, which is why operational procedures use that threshold. Above +5 degrees C, icing is typically only possible in very unusual or localized conditions, so it’s not a routine concern.
“Most pitot heat systems and pilot procedures rely on the +5 degrees C cutoff as a practical balance between safety and equipment wear/power consumption.”
While we’re talking about the new Cirrus SR22, we incorrectly said the latest SR22 has a 1328-pound gross weight. What we meant to say is that the 310-HP SR22 has a published 1328-pound useful load.
Starlink: not just for teenage PAX
Yes, I know you are Aviation Consumer magazine—not our late lamented Aviation Safety magazine. But still, in your recent May 2025 issue, couldn’t you put in just a bit of safety with your gushing review of the Starlink system for use ion GA cabins?
Yes, I know I am an old but not bold pilot, but in your review of the full-face internet in the cockpit, couldn’t you put in something like “if you are the pilot-in-command, don’t check your email while on approach”?
Yes, Starlink might make your teenager happier to fly with you, but now we already have marvelous data support of aviation decisions. Is it really a great idea to encourage folks to check old reruns rather than ADS-B info on your destination weather?
Now that your sister-publication Aviation Safety is out of print, I think that the Aviation Consumer side needs to do a bit more.
—Frank Blair, via email
The main purpose of our recent Starlink field report was to evaluate the practicality of using the hardware (including powering it) in a small cabin and most important, its Wi-Fi performance.
We talked about streaming capabilities because frankly, streaming demands a lot of bandwidth and the Starlink passed the test. In our conclusion, we reiterated that having in-flight availability of more varied weather data could justify the cost of the hardware and subscription.
But we agree with you that a full-up weather source report—with a Starlink thrown in the mix—is prudent.