WHEN CIRRUS AIRCRAFT co-founder Alan Klapmeier survived a midair collision in 1984, he vowed to put a parachute into his airplanes. By 1999, Alan and brother Dale had created the clean-sheet, single-engine Cirrus SR20. It had an airframe parachute as well as good visibility and an ergonomic interior design. In 2001, Cirrus debuted the higher-powered SR22. In 2003, this Cirrus SR22, N266CD, became the first single-engine piston aircraft with a "glass panel"-fully integrated avionics via computer screens-to be FAA certified. The primary flight display showed basic instrument information such as altitude and airspeed. The multifunction display showed moving maps, communication, and other data.
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