How to fly a perfect ILS approach to real minimums in Cirrus SR22 STEC A/P

This short guide explains what to do and not to do flying a real ILS approach in an SR22. We do not cover Garmin programming here, just plane configuration.

First a critical philosophy for all ILS approaches: When flying to real minimums, you're not flying the plane to land, you're flying to go missed, in your head, and in configuration.

1. 30 seconds to before glide slope intercept: 50% flaps, 19" MP, reduce to final approach speed 105ias.
2. At glide slope intercept reduce to 13" MP for most SR22 (105ias).
3. No configuration changes AT ALL between GS Intercept and DH!
4. 100' before minimums, disconnect A/P and hand-fly.
5. At minimums: pitch up, mixture and throttle full forward, boost on, on positive climb rate flaps go up.
6. OR, If able to land, full flaps when RUNWAY ENVIRONMENT IN SIGHT.

Flaps take 3s from 50% to 100%.  Descending from 200' AGL to flare height takes at least 24 seconds, an eternity of time to SAFELY make flap configuration change.

Landing with 50% flaps is DANGEROUS. Especially with low visibility you're going to have with ILS, the plane floats for very long time, combine that with unfamiliar airport, short runway, and higher than usual approach speed and you're going to overrun the runway one day. If you have to, lower flaps in the flare. Adding symmetric drag is not unstable when already trying to bleed energy IMHO.

Adding flaps in IMC on ILS is DANGEROUS, especially on STEC autopilot.

1. Destabilizes the pitch and airspeed and produces ugly pitch purposing resulting in dramatic 10kt IAS changes.

2. The IAS destabilization from (1) will result in drastic horizontal purposing (s-turns) as well if there is a cross wind due to relative crossing changing with airspeed.

2. SR22 does NOT climb with full flaps and full power. Your go-around is going to be dangerous and unstable. You'll be in IMC, close to the ground, hand flying, full flaps are dangerous.