Cirrus Chairman Alan Klapmeier to Speak Jan. 20

Alan Klapmeier, chairman of Cirrus Design Corp., will speak to the Atlanta Aero Club.The Atlanta Aero Club has tapped Alan Klapmeier, chairman of Cirrus Design Corp., as the featured speaker for the regular bimonthly meeting scheduled for Jan. 20.

Klapmeier, who founded Cirrus in 1984 as a kit airplane design and manufacturing company, has led the Duluth, Minn., firm through three decades of transformation. Today, the Cirrus Model SR22 is in its third generation as a production aircraft and is the industry’s best-selling model in its class. In addition, the company is developing a new single-engine jet called the Cirrus Vision.

“The Cirrus Design Corp. is clearly a business school case study in how to successfully bring a new aircraft into the marketplace,” Atlanta Aero Club president Steve Champness said. “Many manufacturers have tried and failed in attempts to introduce and produce new aircraft. However, Cirrus has not only been able to survive the rigorous FAA certification process; it has done so with new technology and leading-edge innovations.”

Champness said the Atlanta Aero Club is looking forward to Klapmeier discussing the outlook for Cirrus in the coming year, including the status of their newest developmental aircraft, the single-engine Vision jet. Klapmeier will also give his views on the state of general aviation during a down economy.

“The health of general, business and commercial aviation is a primary concern to our members, who represent a broad cross section of the industry,” Champness said. “Atlanta and other key cities in Georgia are home to commercial air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, and large aviation service, support and component manufacturing companies. Aviation is a key leading indicator to the state of our economy.”

The meeting is scheduled for noon on Jan. 20 in the Grand Ballroom of the Capital City Club, 7 Harris St., downtown Atlanta. The cost is $40 for members and $45 for nonmembers and includes lunch. Check in is 11:30 a.m., and reservations can be made by calling 800-878-7555 or e-mailing cc@atlantaaeroclub.org.