I’m Steve Wilson a flight instructor, aircraft mechanic, former air safety accident investigator and aircraft owner. I work mainly in aircraft sales of small propeller planes, selling and teaching in what’re now called “technically advanced aircraft”: planes that have computers in the cockpit.

This technology has made it easier for a new generation of pilots to manage sophisticated and high performance planes as their own personal airliners. What’s very different between small aircraft and jet airliners is the altitudes in which they fly. Small planes without pressurization cannot climb over the top or weather systems like jets can. I’d argue a small airplane pilot has a more difficult job and a lot more to deal with – navigating around and through weather systems than jets that jet’s can soar over in blue skies. A small plane spends more of the flight being in instrument flight conditions where there’s little or no visibility and the plane is subject to a greater probability of icing. That’s when cloud moisture freezes on the aircraft wings. Small planes spend more time in this weather and are subject to more serious icing conditions. A plane that’s turned into a popsicle doesn’t fly so well.

Another major difference between jets and little planes, is that jets are normally flown by two pilots, trained professionals. One to fly the plane, and the other to watch over, keep ahead of navigation, handle communications, and just help. Little planes, like the kind I sell - like this one, are flown by one person – it’s owner. This person generally does not have thousands of hours experience, he or she is not subject intensive training requirements, and does not have a copilot to help. Many aircraft owners that I know learned to fly recently got an instrument rating and bought a plane. Successful enough to afford it, these people are smart, responsible, and are good decision makers. Yet they lack experience, not knowing how much trouble lurks in unfamiliar weather situations, complex airspace, unfamiliar air traffic situation, or when something about the plane fails, like the autopilot for example. This plane’s easy to fly when the autopilot and everything else working properly. It flies itself and sells itself.

Some of the more advanced and high performance small planes like this one have optional de-ice equipment that breaks or melts ice off critical flying surfaces when it’s accidentally encountered. There are a few small planes that are allowed to fly into and through icing conditions on purpose. The FAA calls that “Flight into Known Ice,” and those aircraft undergo very rigorous testing to prove the de-ice systems are adequate. An extra-skilled and super-experienced pilot may attempt this.

Cirrus Design, a company in Duluth Minnesota manufactures such a plane that’s certified for flight into known ice, they call that F I K I, or FIKI. I write a blog, it’s stevewilsonblog.com where I critique the manner of Cirrus advertising. Indeed FIKI improves their plane’s safety, yet the manner in which Cirrus brazenly ignores danger and promotes fly-though-through-any-kind-of-weather, it can lure an amateur pilot into a most difficult flight scenario.

I’ve been critical of Cirrus sales tactics for a long time. They’ve sold hundreds of high-performance aircraft to newbie pilots who end up in far more difficult flight situations than they ever bargained for when they bought the plane. There are at least 97 Cirrus fatalities that I know of in recent years. In blog post titled, “Dead Pilots Don’t Lie”, I present long-hand analysis proving Cirrus planes have killed and seriously injured people at a rate three-times as frequently per hours flown than have simpler aircraft more appropriate to an amateur pilot’s skill level.

Still Cirrus does not hesitate to sell their high-performance SR20 and SR22 to low-time, new pilots. They point out, it’s an invincible airplane that delivers, quote “peace of mind” and “confidence”.

Go to the Cirrus website yourself at cirrusdesign.com. Hover over features and click on known ice. Watch the video of Cirrus co-founder, Dale Klapmeier, brag of his ability to fly in ice, at night, single-pilot.

Indeed, I can make flying this airplane appear easy. And, it is, so long everything’s working fine, nothing unexpected happens, and you mentally stay ahead of its speed.

But may I warn you, be wary of confidence that’s inspired by aircraft features unless there’s certain pilot competency and experience to back it up.

Read my blog.