Cirrus Maintenance Schedule: Annual, Oil Changes, CAPS, Engine TBO and What It Costs

A Cirrus SR20, SR22 or SR22T has a fixed set of maintenance dates: the annual inspection, oil changes by the hour, a parachute system with a 10-year life, line cutters at 6 years, a 24-month check of the pitot-static system and transponder, and an engine with a published overhaul time. This guide lists what each one covers and what the published prices look like. To find an authorized shop near you, use our Cirrus service center directory, which lists every Cirrus Authorized Service Center with CAPS, Vision Jet and avionics qualifications.

Who can maintain a Cirrus

Any FAA certificated mechanic with inspection authorization can sign an annual on an SR series aircraft, and the same applies to licensed engineers under EASA and other authorities. Warranty work goes through a Cirrus Authorized Service Center. Cirrus Aircraft keeps a public locator of those centers and records what each one is qualified for. In October 2026 it listed 213 centers in 31 countries, of which 104 are listed for CAPS overhaul, 33 for full service Vision Jet maintenance and 24 as Platinum Service Centers.

Most owners use an authorized center for the annual and the CAPS work and keep a local mechanic for oil changes and small jobs. The Cirrus Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) is the best place to ask other owners which shops they use; its forums and maintenance resources are worth the membership for any Cirrus owner.

The annual inspection

Under FAR 91.409 a privately flown aircraft needs an annual inspection every 12 calendar months. Aircraft used for hire or flight instruction also need a 100-hour inspection. Cirrus publishes the inspection checklist in chapter 5 of the Airplane Maintenance Manual, and the authorized centers follow it item by item. The main groups are:

• Engine: compression test, oil and filter change, filter inspection, spark plugs, magneto timing, exhaust and baffles, fuel system set-up to the engine maker's specification.
• Propeller: blade condition, hub leaks, governor, and dynamic balance if the owner asks for it.
• Airframe: the composite structure is inspected for damage, delamination and cracks around fittings, plus the landing gear, brakes, tyres, control cables and flight controls.
• Systems: fuel, electrical, batteries, lighting, environmental, oxygen and air conditioning where fitted, and the ice protection (TKS) system on FIKI aircraft.
• CAPS: a visual inspection of the parachute cover, rocket and activation handle, plus a check of the dates on the parachute, rocket and line cutters.
• Avionics: software and database status, a check of the Garmin Perspective, Perspective+ or Avidyne Entegra system, and the autopilot.
• Airworthiness directives and Cirrus service bulletins: a review of what applies to the serial number and what is still open.

Cirrus also offers a progressive inspection schedule for aircraft that fly a lot, where the annual is split into phases through the year. Ask the center whether your aircraft qualifies.

Oil changes and engine checks

Continental and Lycoming, the two engine makers in the SR series, publish oil change intervals of 50 hours with a full flow filter, or sooner on calendar time if the aircraft flies little. Many owners also send a sample for oil analysis at each change. Magnetos have a 500-hour inspection on Continental engines. Fuel injection set-up checks are a normal annual item on the IO-550 and TSIO-550.

The published time between overhauls (TBO) for the engines fitted to the SR series is 2,000 hours: Continental IO-360 (early SR20), Lycoming IO-390 (SR20 from the G6), Continental IO-550-N (SR22) and Continental TSIO-550-K (SR22T). Both makers also publish a 12-year calendar limit. TBO is a recommendation for private operators, not a legal limit, but it drives the resale value and the engine reserve. Check the current service letter from the engine maker, because TBO figures change with the engine build.

CAPS: 10 years and 6 years

The Cirrus Airframe Parachute System has two dates. The parachute and rocket motor have a 10-year life and are overhauled or replaced at that point. The reefing line cutters, the small pyrotechnic devices that control how the canopy opens, are replaced every 6 years. The authorized centers that do the work, such as Waterford Aviation in Michigan and Augsburg Air Service in Germany, state these intervals on their own pages. Only centers that Cirrus lists for CAPS overhaul do the 10-year job; 104 of the 213 centers hold that qualification. Our Cirrus CAPS service guide covers the job, the published prices and how to plan it.

Other calendar items

• Pitot-static system and altimeter: tested every 24 calendar months for IFR flight (FAR 91.411).
• Transponder: tested every 24 calendar months (FAR 91.413).
• ELT: inspected every 12 months, battery replaced by the date on the unit or after one hour of cumulative use (FAR 91.207).
• Oxygen cylinder: the built-in oxygen system has a cylinder with a hydrostatic test date and a service life stamped on it. The center checks the stamp at the annual and sends the cylinder for test when due.
• Fire extinguisher: weighed or replaced by the date on the bottle.
• Avionics databases: navigation data on a 28-day cycle, obstacle and terrain data less often. Not maintenance, but a common cause of a grounded trip.

Ice protection (TKS)

SR22 and SR22T aircraft with the flight into known icing option carry TKS fluid in a tank behind the baggage compartment and pump it through porous panels on the wings, tail and propeller. The system should be run regularly, even in summer, to keep the panels primed. At the annual the center checks the pumps, filters, panel flow and the windshield spray. Cirrus lists 177 of its 213 centers for ice protection system maintenance.

Composite repair

The SR airframe is composite. Hangar rash, a hard landing or a bird strike needs a shop with Cirrus composite training, and Cirrus lists 173 centers for composite and paint repair. Ask for that qualification before any structural work. Paint is repaired in the same shops or through their partners.

What it costs: published examples

Most centers quote per aircraft after a look at the logbooks, so public prices are rare. Two examples that were published in October 2026:

• Synergy Flight Center, Bloomington, Illinois: a shop rate of $175 per hour for Cirrus maintenance and Cirrus avionics work, effective 1 January 2026.
• Avias Aircraft Services, Kennesaw, Georgia: CAPS replacement at $19,800 for G2, G3 and G5 aircraft with a 48-hour turnaround.

Shop rates vary with the region and the center's approvals, so ask what the rate is and how many hours the annual usually takes on your generation of aircraft. Ask whether the quote includes parts, consumables and shop supplies, and whether the center has a loaner or rental aircraft for longer jobs.

Keeping records

Keep the airframe, engine and propeller logbooks, the CAPS dates and the AD compliance list together, and keep digital copies. Cirrus provides the Cirrus IQ app for connected aircraft, and several centers offer maintenance tracking. A complete record is the first thing a pre-buy inspector asks for and the main thing that protects the resale value.

Find a center

The Cirrus service center directory lists all 213 authorized centers by US state and country, with filters for Vision Jet, SF50 full service, Platinum, CAPS overhaul, avionics, pickup and delivery, composite and paint, ice protection and parts. 188 of the centers offer pickup and delivery, so distance matters less than it used to.

Cirrus maintenance: common questions

How often does a Cirrus need an annual inspection?

Every 12 calendar months under FAR 91.409, and every 100 hours as well if the aircraft is used for hire or flight instruction. Other authorities have equivalent rules.

Do I have to use a Cirrus Authorized Service Center?

Not for an annual or routine work; any properly certificated mechanic can do it. Warranty work goes through an authorized center, and CAPS overhaul needs a center that Cirrus lists for it. Many owners use an authorized center for the annual because of the type training and parts access.

What is the Cirrus maintenance schedule in short?

Oil change every 50 hours, annual inspection every 12 months, pitot-static and transponder tests every 24 months, line cutters every 6 years, parachute and rocket every 10 years, engine overhaul at 2,000 hours or 12 years on the makers' schedule.

How much does Cirrus maintenance cost?

It depends on the aircraft generation and what the inspection finds. Published examples in October 2026 were a $175 per hour shop rate at Synergy Flight Center and $19,800 for a CAPS replacement at Avias Aircraft Services. Ask the center for a written quote.

Can a Vision Jet use any Cirrus center?

No. The SF50 needs a center that Cirrus lists for Vision Jet work: 33 centers hold SF50 full service maintenance and 28 more hold line maintenance only. Use the Vision Jet filter in the directory.

How do I check my CAPS dates?

The parachute, rocket and line cutter dates are in the airframe logbook and on the CAPS placard. The center records them at every annual. If you are buying an aircraft, ask for them before the pre-buy.

Cirrus owners: Cirrus service centers and specialists · CAPS overhaul centers · Vision Jet full service centers · TKS ice protection · cost calculator

Sources: Cirrus Aircraft service center locator and the centers' websites (October 2026), FAR Part 91 inspection rules, engine maker service letters. Prices are the centers' own published figures on the date shown and change without notice.