TRAINING · ISSUE 01

SR20 systems before the checkride.

The systems questions that keep showing up on private and instrument checkrides. CAPS, fuel, electrical, Perspective+ failures — what the DPE is actually asking and how to answer cleanly.

By Jashn Gulati · 9 min read · April 29, 2026

The SR20 oral isn't designed to fail you. It's designed to test whether you can run the airplane when something stops working. Most students who get rattled in the systems portion of a checkride aren't weak on the airplane — they're weak on how to phrase what they already know. Below is the way we drill it at The Pilot Port.

What examiners are actually asking

CAPS — Cirrus Airframe Parachute System

Activation altitude, demonstrated minimum, and decision criteria
What inhibits CAPS (none — it's available across the envelope, with caveats)
Pin condition before flight, T-handle inspection
What happens immediately after pull — pitch attitude, descent rate, post-deployment posture

Fuel system

Total / usable / unusable fuel by gallons
Boost pump logic — when on, when off, and what the indication looks like in flight
Tank selector positions and crossfeed behavior
Fuel imbalance limits and how to manage them

Electrical

Two alternators, two buses — bus 1 vs bus 2 loads
Battery 1 and battery 2 — what each one feeds in failure mode
Alternator failure indications on the PFD
Load-shedding sequence in a single-alternator scenario

Perspective+ failures

Red X — what it means and which display it's on
Reversionary mode — how to invoke it, what you lose, what you keep
AHRS / ADC failure — backup instruments and the cross-check
Loss of magnetic heading vs loss of GPS — different procedures, different consequences

The DPE isn't trying to trick you. They want one clean sentence per system: what it does, how it fails, what you do. If your answer has three caveats and two "well, it depends," you sound unsure. Pick the right answer and own it.

How we prep for it at TPP

AeroTech has the systems oral bank built directly into the syllabus. Your CFI signs you off when you can do a 20-question rapid-fire on these four areas without notes, in under 12 minutes, and explain each failure mode in a single sentence.

What's coming in the full version

The full TPP oral question bank for PPL and IR on the SR20
How to answer "tell me about the airplane" without wandering for three minutes
The mistakes we see most often on the IR oral — partial-panel and unusual attitude phrasing
What to do the morning of the checkride that actually moves the needle

Frequently asked

What is the minimum CAPS deployment altitude on the SR20?

Cirrus publishes a demonstrated minimum altitude of 600 feet AGL for level deployment, with higher recommendations for spin recovery and other scenarios. Always reference the current POH for your specific aircraft.

How does the SR20 electrical system work?

The SR20 has two alternators and two main buses (Main Bus 1 and Main Bus 2). Each alternator primarily feeds its respective bus. There are also two batteries — Battery 1 and Battery 2 — that maintain essential equipment in failure scenarios. The Perspective+ PFD shows alternator failure and load-shedding indications directly.

What does reversionary mode do on the SR20 Perspective+?

Reversionary mode consolidates primary flight data onto the remaining display when one PFD or MFD fails. You retain attitude, airspeed, altitude, and basic navigation, but lose secondary screens and some moving-map functionality.

How much fuel does the SR20 hold?

The SR20 typically holds about 56 gallons total with roughly 53 gallons usable, depending on serial number and modifications. Always check the specific aircraft POH and the W&B documentation for the exact tail you are flying.

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