Cirrus introduced the TRAC10 on Monday, a new flight training aircraft intended for professional, collegiate and career-oriented flight schools. The aircraft expands the company’s TRAC training lineup and will be built at the company’s headquarters in Duluth, Minnesota.
Orders And Deliveries
“Drawing on more than thirty years of designing, building, and supporting aircraft worldwide, the TRAC10 is our most deliberate answer yet to what professional flight schools need to succeed,” Cirrus CEO Zean Nielsen said. “Our focus on safety, efficiency, connectivity, and reliability serves every stakeholder in the professional pilot training equation – we are excited for students around the world to start training in the TRAC10.”
The TRAC10 is powered by a 160-horsepower turbocharged Rotax 916 iSc FADEC engine. Cirrus said the aircraft can burn as little as 5.9 gallons per hour at 65% power in cruise and can operate on 100LL avgas, 91/94 unleaded fuel and select mogas blends.
Aircraft Systems
The aircraft has a three-seat cabin, Garmin flight deck and Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). The company said the rear seat is designed for an observer and can include a configurable display for training use. The cabin also includes adjustable seats and rudder pedals, USB-C ports, storage and optional air conditioning.
The TRAC10 also includes Electronic Stability and Protection, the Blue Level Button, stick shakers and a cuffed-wing design. Cirrus IQ is included for fleet data, aircraft status monitoring, maintenance tracking and database updates. Cirrus said it has received orders for more than 100 TRAC10s from 13 flight schools worldwide. U.S. deliveries are expected to begin in 2027, followed by international deliveries in 2028. The aircraft starts at $499,900.
Why introduce a new piston powered plane that runs on 100LL? Unbelievable that the FAA would even certify anything new to run on 100LL. Cirrus should be figuring out how to make their composite fuel tanks impermeable to unleaded fuels like G100UL. Other than the government, who does Cirrus think what flight school is going to afford a $500,000 trainer, that is not even certified for spins? That makes it useless for CFI training.
Training programmers in these… NOT PILOTS!!
So, I’m guessing you didn’t actually read the article.
“operate on 100LL avgas, 91/94 unleaded fuel and select mogas blends.”
Reading is fundimantle
This looks interesting! As an Airport Authority member, I can’t wait to hear it.
Yes, I did! I saw the unleaded variety of that type of fuels approved by the FAA. My point is why waste time and effort certifying a fuel type that will be gone by 2030, either by EPA edict or environmentalist decree.
This is not a Part 23 certificated aircraft, it’s a light sport.
The aircraft will start delivering before 2030 and the unleaded alternative will roll out slowly
The Rotax can use a verity fuels, so once 100LL is gone there will be no interruption since one of those fuels is MoGas.
$499,000? What I paid Beechcraft in 1995 for my brand new turbo Bonanza. (God, I miss that plane…)
It’s a Rotax and as stated in the article, can run on a variety of fuels. With all likelihood any new unleaded fuel will easily run in this engine and fuel system. This isn’t some old Franklin…On the $500,000 dollar part though…well come to the 2025s…you should see how much houses cost.
That would be $1.1 million today. For what it’s worth, a new turbo Bonanza is right around that price today.
It’s the learing centers.
If you could even buy one. Beech is ending production of the Bonanza (and Baron) and are completing the order positions now.
MattW had it right.
What new training aircraft can be certified as such without the ability to practice stall/spins?
It has a stick-shaker!! Mein Gott!!. It’s a 3-place aircraft, not an airliner. What happened to the pilot-feel for an approaching stall through the airframe buffeting and controls?
I know the past years have seen the FAA going soft on challenging students with real world scenarios. Poor dears might have to experience tummy upsets and maybe vertigo.
Why insurance firms have gone along with this desultory education is beyond me.