Radek-

Great forum!

I agree with the icing problem. Especially at night, it's hard to tell whether
you've stumbled into clear ice or not. Even with a powerful flashlight, you can't
tell what the leading edge is doing or see a sign of clear ice anywhere
else...Maybe someone can come up with a color tape solution that might make
ice more visible?

I also agree wholeheartedly with your circuit breaker comment...Maybe
the co-pilot side should have a map showing the layout of circuit breakers ..
I haven't checked the plumbing, etc on the co-pilot side, but maybe there's
some real estate to the left of the co-pilot left leg on that console that could be used (the map would be a reflection of what's on the other side of the console...)

Another suggestion: The boost pump switch should be red or white (I believe I saw a newer aircraft at Oshkosh that actually had a white button, so maybe that's now been fixed...I hope there's a retrofit in that case...). In flying with students as a CSFI, I find a common mistake is to leave the boost pump on for many minutes after takeoff. Making it actually contrast in color with the background black console would be a big boon in making the switch more obvious (and easier to get to in emergencies, etc...)

My final suggestion is more controversial: I think the CAPS needs a squat switch. With >1500 aircraft now flying, and Murphy's Law being what it is, it's
only a matter of time (in my opinion, less than a year, probably) before
someone inadvertently launches the rocket on the ground, and possibly
kills off a few PAX or crew... My most likely scenario is some pilot rushing to load the plane with first-time PAX after having flown a bit solo around the pattern (to regain landing currency) or maybe a late air-taxi driver rushing
to pick up his PAX , and dashing out of the plane without re-installing the CAPS pin and cover. In my worst scenario, I envision some celebrity (Hollywood starlet or political candidate, perhaps) then trying to maneuver into the plane and spying the "helpful" red handle..... The resulting PR and legal debacle that followed would likely be devastating for Cirrus as a corporation and for
the Cirrus fleet which would be grounded indefinitely until a fix is implemented or all the rockets are permenently disabled.

My concern on this has risen exponentially during the past year as (1) the fleet expands, (2) used planes are bought in the open market, thus avoiding the "formal" training in Duluth (which we CSI's are supposed to step in for.... we'll see if we even get a phone call from some of these new owners...) and (3) the average experience level and professionalism of first-time Cirrus owners decreases (as student pilots and others who buy into the "safety net" aspects of this plane switch over from their Cessna 172s...Flying clubs where pilots seldom fly the same plane regularly also come to mind..). As a NASA scientist involved with spacecraft exploration of the planets in my day job, I know that Murphy always strikes eventually when there's not sufficient oversight...In this case, the only oversight is the proficiency and diligence of the Cirrus pilot population, which over a fleet of a 1.5 thousand (and growing) aircraft has increasingly become more suspect, to say the least...A squat switch would boost this oversight immensely..

Just some thoughts for making a really incredible aircraft even better!

Kevin

Kevin, great idea about circuit breakers! I made a little placard out of page E-14 (“Emergency Checklist”) and I placed it just above Boost Pump Switch.

The best “Ice detection equipment” is your fresh air vent. Have it fully opened and watch for any reduction of an air flow. No airflow – you have some ice.

Also I have revised myself – CAPS pin removal from the very beginning. Pin gets removed on “Passenger briefing” and will be attached to your key chain (this way you will see if you forgot to put it back just by looking at your keys).