It’s affectionately called “the plane with a parachute.”

And the Cirrus-made aircraft has landed at Pryor Field Regional Airport near Decatur delivering opportunities to train on and fly the unique planes.

Rocket City Aviation Services has expanded its presence at Pryor Field with a Cirrus Training Center bringing advanced pilot training opportunities and modern aircraft access including a Cirrus SR22 and a new Cirrus SR20, which arrived directly from the showroom floor.

The addition of these technologically advanced aircraft provides pilots and students in North Alabama access to some of the most modern and safety-focused training platforms in general aviation.

“Rocket City Aviation Services is a Cirrus training center, meaning we are an extension of their system — partners, if you will,” said Stephen Walker, co-founder of Rocket City Aviation Services. “We support them by bringing customers to their campus, training their customers, and serving as a trusted local representative for the company.”

Rocket City Aviation’s expansion enhances Pryor Field’s continued growth in aviation services, workforce development, and general aviation activity.

“Our role with Pryor Field is that of a flight school and management company; we are a large purchaser of their fuel, as well as the hangar space,” Walker said. “Our relationship with them is just as important, because they help our operations run smoothly and bring customers — experienced aviators and newcomers to general aviation — to Pryor Field.”

Photo: Cirrus

So, about that nickname: “The plane with a parachute.”

When there is a malfunction with the plane, a parachute deploys to lower the aircraft to the ground safely.

“On all Cirrus aircraft, the parachute deploys when a red handle on the ceiling is pulled,” Walker said. “This ejects a rocket from the back of the fuselage, pulling a parachute out with it. It only requires 600 feet of height to fully deploy.”

And, Walker said, the feature has performed flawlessly.

“There have been multiple instances where the parachute has been deployed and when pulled in the manner Cirrus directs (based on the height the aircraft is at and speed), it has a 100% success rate in over 250 deployments,” he said.

Another unique feature is the so-called drone safety feature. If the pilot is incapacitated, a passenger pushes a red button and the autoland system is activated.

“This button overrides all flight inputs, announces to the cabin that it has entered autoland mode and will land at the closest, most reasonable airport,” Walker said. “It accounts for wind, fuel, runway lengths, airport services, and will even transmit the aircraft’s intentions to air traffic controllers.

“It will land itself, brake, and shut the engine off, then permit the occupants to escape the cabin.”

Cirrus aircraft – including the Vision Jet, the world’s first single-engine civilian personal jet – also feature state-of-the-art integrated Garmin avionics that reduce pilot workload. Many Cirrus models also come standard with FIKI (Flight into Known Icing) and features such as a blue “level” button that automatically returns the aircraft to straight-and-level flight if a pilot becomes disoriented.

Rocket City Aviation offers pilots the opportunity to train for and rent the aircraft for local flights or trips, such as a 90-minute flight to the beach.

“Certified pilots can train through the official Cirrus transition course to be checked out and eligible to rent our aircraft for local flights or trips,” Walker said. “All pilots must train personally with our instructors. We offer opportunities for someone to train in their aircraft or to train to fly and rent our aircraft so that they can explore the opportunities of general aviation independently.”

For those of us who want to take a plane to the beach, Walker said “there is no charter service offered at this time; however, we are preparing to offer those services in the very near future.”

Pryor Field is between Athens, Decatur, and Huntsville, on U.S. 31 adjacent to Calhoun Community College, less than three miles from the I-65/I-565 interchange.

“As Pryor Field continues to grow as a gateway for aviation and aerospace in North Alabama, partnerships with companies like Rocket City Aviation Services help fulfill the airport’s mission of connecting businesses, people, and opportunities nationwide,” Adam Fox, CEO of the Pryor Field Airport Authority. Fox said. “Their investment brings additional high-quality flight training opportunities to the region while further supporting our vision.”

For more information about Rocket City Aviation Services, visit rocketcityaviation.com.

For more information about Pryor Field Regional Airport, visit https://www.flydcu.com.