The Zhuhai General Aviation Research, Development & Manufacturing Base in Jinwan District recently secured an order for 10 Cirrus SR20 (Generation 6) planes from Beidahuang General Aviation for use in pilot training.

The China Aviation Industry General Aircraft (CAIGA) base has sold 86 homemade Cirrus SR2X (each model features options relative to its SR number) aircraft this year. The other 76 were ordered by Civil Aviation Flight University of China, a partner of Beidahuang General Aviation in its training program.

The Cirrus SR2X series is the most popular piston-powered aircraft in the global market. It has been given the "Best of the Best" award by Robb Report for nine consecutive years and maintained its rank as the best-selling aircraft model for 15 consecutive years. More than 7,200 Cirrus SR2X are now in service in more than 60 countries.

Cirrus SR2X in pre-flight check

CAIGA acquired Cirrus Aircraft (originally Cirrus Design Corp), the world's second-largest general-purpose airplane producer, as a wholly owned subsidiary in 2011. In 2012, it opened production lines of Cirrus Aircraft at its Zhuhai base, which obtained a production certificate last November.

The contract's future delivery will help the Zhuhai base to establish a customer service system, which could become a prototype for other models it produces, according to a CAIGA executive.

Cirrus SR20 and SR22 are equipped with a large parachute that can lower the entire aircraft safely to the ground [Photos by Zhang Zhou / Zhuhai Daily]