News
Cirrus Aircraft celebrates delivery of 5,000th aircraft
Oct. 6, 2011, Duluth, Minn. - Cirrus Aircraft is celebrating a business milestone with the delivery of its 5,000th airplane.
October 6, 2011 By Carey Fredericks
The company, which began production in Duluth, Minnesota just 11 short years ago in 1999, has gone from an entrepreneurial dream to a global aviation company with aircraft delivered in more than 60 countries around the world.
"We are truly excited and humbled to be delivering the 5,000th Cirrus aircraft," said Dale Klapmeier, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft. "When we started, we dreamed of building airplanes that made people's lives easier and better. Five thousand aircraft later, we're proud of this achievement and we will continue to improve upon that dream."
Known for incorporating luxury automotive ergonomics, pilot-friendly avionics and advanced safety features into its high performance airplanes, Cirrus pioneered the use of the FAA-certified Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ that is standard equipment on all Cirrus aircraft. For nine years in a row, the Cirrus SR22 family of aircraft has been the best-selling four-place airplane in the world.
"The delivery of the 5,000th airplane underscores Cirrus' business success in the aviation industry," said Todd Simmons, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing at Cirrus Aircraft. "All of our aircraft owners, employees and partners are rightfully proud of what we have accomplished together," said Simmons.
The 5000th SR airplane has been purchased by Joe Whisenhunt of Little Rock, Arkansas. Mr. Whisenhunt, along with his family, were in Hartford, CT, attending the 2011 Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA) Summit where he joined Cirrus Aircraft and AOPA leaders for a special presentation of his new airplane. Mr. Whisenhunt, a loyal Cirrus Aircraft customer and now proud owner of the N5000J, also has reserved an early production position for the Cirrus Vision SF50 personal jet.
