At the recent Aero SA 2025, African Pilot’s Kent Gibbon is joined by Alex Smith, Director and General Manager at Cirrus South Africa, for a guided tour of the Cirrus SF50 Vision Jet — a single-engine, V-tail jet specifically designed for private pilots with an IF rating stepping up from aircraft like the SR22 or other single pistons, looking to enter the jet market. With over 500 Vision Jets flying globally and three currently in South Africa, the aircraft has been well received and proven highly successful.
The tour explores the Vision Jet’s development, including the CAPS parachute system and the V-tail configuration, which was chosen due to the engine’s placement. Alex explains how Cirrus integrated a Stability Augmentation System (SAS) to deliver smooth, predictable handling, helping compensate for the aerodynamic demands of the V-tail design.
The tour also includes the pilot-plus-six seating layout, extended rear baggage compartment, and a look at the cockpit featuring the Garmin G3000 avionics suite with touchscreen redundancy and built-in checklists. Alex discusses fuel efficiency, cruise performance at 31,000 feet, and the aircraft’s proven reliability on dirt strips across Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and South Africa.
Alex also highlights Cirrus’ pilot training and recurrency programme, delivered at the Vision Jet Training Centre in Knoxville, Tennessee.
