Our team at Lone Mountain Aircraft Sales is excited to announce that our very own, Daniel Christman, is now a jet pilot for the world’s first-ever single-engine personal jet, the Cirrus Vision SF50. Daniel, a Lone Mountain sales representative in Atlanta, Ga., completed his type rating courses on May 26, fully certifying him to operate what is commonly referred to as “The Vision Jet”.
The SF50 is a single-engine, low-wing, seven-seat, light jet aircraft designed to be flown by the owner. Not requiring a full-time professional pilot or a flight department, the Vision Jet is the first civilian single-engine jet to achieve certification with the Federal Aviation Administration. Certified on Oct. 28, 2016, after a 10-year process, the Vision Jet is a revolution in personal transportation and is equipped with the exclusive Cirrus Airframe Parachute System™ (CAPS™), setting a new standard in jet aircraft safety.
As the owner of Aero Atlanta Flight Center, a Cirrus Platinum Training Center in the Atlanta area, Daniel has been involved with Cirrus since November 2003 when he ordered a Cirrus SR20. After his purchase, he received training to become the first Cirrus Standardized Instructor Pilot as endorsed by the University of North Dakota. Since then, Daniel has been involved with both new and pre-owned sales for the Cirrus SR2X aircraft, first as a factory direct regional sales manager, then on the pre-owned side with Lone Mountain Aircraft Sales.
“The first time I saw the Cirrus SF50, I knew I wanted this to be the first turbine aircraft I flew,” said Daniel. “It was ‘The Jet’ I had been waiting to fly!”
After completing the first two phases of training, which included online learning modules and a two-day touch-trainer course, Daniel set off for the type rating course in Duluth, Minn. Type training is a 10-day course containing four days of ground work and five days of flight, with one off day.
According to Daniel, by the time the flight training rolled around, he was itching to get into the pilot’s seat.
“I’ll never forget the moment I started the turbine engine for the first time,” said Daniel. “The smile I had on my face the first time I hit the ‘Run’ knob did not come off during the entire training process.”
“Having a Type-Rated Vision Jet Pilot on the team is a distinct advantage for our sales team, especially considering that this aircraft is designed to be owner-flown and sold to pilots,” said Mark Rogers, Lone Mountain President.
Congratulations, Daniel! We are proud to have you as a part of the Lone Mountain team as an official Vision Jet pilot.
