Jay Leno Shows Off The Cirrus SR22T: The Plane That Can Save Itself

Jay Leno, a former comedian, host, and fan of fast cars, hosts a YouTube channel called Jay Leno’s Garage, an Emmy Award-winning series where he primarily reviews and compares cars and motorcycles, sharing his passion and expertise regarding classic vehicles, restorations, and supercars. The channel not only features ground-based vehicles, but on occasion features ones that fly, such as the Cirrus SR22T G7+, a single-engine general-aviation aircraft.

The featured SR22T has tricycle landing gear, a red paint job, and sleek lines, giving it an attractive hot-rod appearance. Aside from looking good and appearing comfortable, the aircraft has some interesting things going on under the hood, featuring two life-saving technologies: Safe Return Emergency Auto Land and the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System, both of which can save the pilot and aircraft in the event of an emergency.

The SR22T Can Land Itself

According to ePlane AI, the SR22T G7+ featured in the latest episode of Jay Leno’s Garage has tricycle landing gear, which is very useful for making tight turns, braking, and increased visibility on the tarmac. Its aesthetics are enhanced by its bright red exterior and a cabin design that has levels of comfort and style comparable to a luxury car. Most appealing to general aviation customers is the Safe Return Emergency Auto Land system, developed in collaboration with Garmin.

This groundbreaking technology enables the aircraft to autonomously land in the event that the pilot becomes incapacitated. Similar systems have been seen in a few general aviation aircraft and are designed to complete an emergency landing at the nearest suitable airport, without human intervention. Such systems are great for general aviation pilots, who often operate solo. In the case of the SR22T, the system activates with the press of a button, charting a course to the nearest suitable airport, executing a safe landing, applying brakes, and shutting down the engine.

Throughout the automatic landing procedure, passengers receive clear updates via cockpit displays, which helps to alleviate anxiety during emergencies. Cirrus initially introduced Safe Return Emergency Auto Land technology on the Vision Jet in 2020, but its use on the 2025 SR22T G7+ is its first appearance in a piston-powered aircraft. This advancement reflects a growing trend in general aviation toward the use of such systems, increasing passenger safety through automation.

A Parachute Can Save The Plane And The Passengers

For problems that might occur in the air that are mechanical, rather than biological, the SR22T G7+ and every other new Cirrus aircraft is equipped with the Cirrus Airframe Parachute System (CAPS). This safety feature deploys a large parachute in the event of engine failure or midair collision, which then safely lowers the entire aircraft to the ground. Since its introduction in 1999, CAPS has been credited with saving over 200 lives, according to Cirrus, underscoring the manufacturer’s commitment to safety in the air.

Along with saving human lives, the CAPS system has also saved a couple of dogs’ lives, according to Hot Cars, which published a recent feature on the SR22T and its feature on Jay Leno’s Garage episode. According to the piece, the parachute does not deploy automatically, and a handle must be pulled to open a hatch and release it.

With both safety systems present in the plane, there is little that the SR22T cannot handle going wrong, and whether the pilot suffers a medical emergency or the plane does, one of the systems can easily see the plane on the ground safely. In the case of the Safe Return Emergency Auto Land system, the innovation would not have been possible if it were not for things like autopilot systems, which would normally be used to reduce the workload on the pilot, taking the stick during long legs of a journey or lining up the plane to land.

More About The Cirrus SR Series

The SR22T has many features that make it useful in the general aviation field, and the SR concept has certainly proven popular. With over 11,000 SR Series aircraft having been delivered since it first took to the skies in 1999, it is the world’s best-selling piston single of the past two decades, according to AutoEvolution. The SR22 has also been a big success, outselling the smaller, less powerful SR20 by a wide margin. The SR20 is so small, in fact, that it once taxied under the wing of an Airbus A320 on the tarmac, much to the Airbus pilot’s surprise.

The SR22T, which was introduced in 2010, is a turbocharged version of the SR22, appealing to customers who crave high-altitude performance. Cirrus designed the cabin of the SR22T to feel welcoming, and it features many comforts of an aerial living room, with air conditioning, USB ports, XM radio, and even Bluetooth audio. According to the National Transportation Safety Board, the SR22 was also the first light aircraft in the general aviation industry to feature a full glass cockpit.

In terms of cost, a new SR20 starts at $700,000, while a fully loaded SR22T G7+ with all the bells and whistles can reach $1.3 million, and in terms of purchasing an aircraft, this is not too bad. On the used market, previous generation SR22T models range between $650,000 and $950,000, depending on service records, avionics, and options packages, and hours flown.

The New G7+ Variant

The Safe Return Emergency Auto Land system had already been implemented on the Cirrus Vision jet in 2020, but it has now been brought to a piston-powered aircraft with the SR22T G7+, a variant that hit the market in May 2025. The G7+ has all sorts of improvements, but the variant gets its name from the Cirrus Perspective Touch+ flight deck, which includes 35% larger instrument touch screens and a contextualized 3D taxi guide.

The interior has been redesigned, featuring increased legroom, a lower glare shield for better forward visibility, and other improvements. Aside from the Safe Return Emergency Auto Land and CAPS systems, several flight control and safety improvements have also been included, such as stick shaker functions for the side-yokes, which warn of an approaching stall condition, a new flap airspeed protection system, an automatic fuel selection system, a push-button engine start interface, and an updated automated flight control system (AFCS), according to Flying.

While the 315 horsepower the SR22T variant produces may seem low when compared to larger aircraft. Anything over 300 horsepower on such a light piston aircraft appears to be quite enough, especially for new pilots. Some owners on the Reddit thread above, which assessed the prospect of learning on an SR22, stated that new pilots would certainly benefit from learning to fly using the tamer SR20, but for practicality’s sake, most recommend going for the more powerful plane:

“I own an SR22 G2 and I love it. That being said: Its a lot of plane. Especially for a new pilot. The IO-550 engine gives out 310hp. There is a lot of P factor and right rudder needed. A lot of the cirrus crashes occur during missed approaches or go arounds and crash to the left of the runway. The parachute made no difference; it was a skill issue.”

“There is merit to learning in the SR20, but I think you will be happier as you are building time in the more capable aircraft. I’ve helped plenty of people learn how to fly the 22 from scratch – it doesn’t take heroic effort.”

Sometimes, Safety Measures Fail

Despite the potential benefits of systems like Safe Return Emergency Auto Land and CAPS systems, the industry response has not been without some concern following the fatal crash of Grammy-winning songwriter Brett James and his family in an SR22T, which had a CAPS system equipped, according to GlobalAir. Though it was not the most recent G7+ variant, with auto-landing capability, the automatic landing system is facing heightened regulatory examination, and regulators are scrutinizing such systems in general aviation aircraft more closely.

The Aviation Safety Network reported the aircraft crashed during an attempted go-around at runway 7 of Macon County Airport. ADS-B data suggests that the aircraft conducted the go-around, but then came in for a second attempt, crashing into a field 500 feet to the north of the runway. The FAA and NTSB are currently investigating the crash, and a preliminary report is expected this month.

Companies competing in the area of aviation innovation and safety, such as Blackhawk Aerospace, an aircraft performance improvement company, have used this time to showcase their own achievements by showcasing an integration of Garmin’s autothrottle and autoland system into a Beechcraft King Air 350, a larger twin-engine turboprop, which was first delivered in 1990. Overall, autoland systems are generally regarded well by industry regulators and are likely to become more common in newer aircraft.