Fixed gear speed penalty

In the US, they require a lot more, it starts with something like 500h total time and then 10h with an instructor.

Sorry, but I have a hard time believing that. Yes, "open pilot" clauses for higher-end aircraft often stipulate such limits (500h/25h on type appears to be an usual limits), but surely an owner seeking to insure their own aircraft for "Named Pilots" can always negotiate, increase the excess, agree specific training, etc.? At a cost, of course.

BTW - I first flew a Mooney 201, based at an airfield with a 540m (asphalt) runway, with around 10hrs TT after my PPL and not much more than 2 hours conversion training... not sure that would happen today (well, first of all, I am much older, but attitudes have also changed a lot since then).

I have found my post about the relative premiums - post #22 here.

I have just phoned up UK's biggest GA insurer (who I have been with for 11 years) and the view, compared to a TB20, was as follows:

At 1500hrs PIC, the premium is between similar and +10%. They want 10hrs training with a Cirrus specialised instructor. He as applying this to me - 1600+ hrs and a CPL/IR, and was quite relaxed.

At 300hrs PIC, the premium is 20-30% extra (at best) and they want 50hrs training. Much below 300hrs, there is little prospect of even getting insurance. That would be the much more usual PPL case.

I got insurance on the Mirage as a sub-300 hour PPL/IR (edited - technically by the time I got it back to the UK and the insurance started it was about 330 hours). I did the initial conversion course and got the FAA IR in about 30 hours. They didn't ask for anything more. Same with the Meridian, conversion only needed. With the number of hours I have been doing I will be hoping for a better rate when the Meridian next comes up.

despite them ticking all the boxes in the TB20 MM (when doing the £2500+VAT basic Annual) which could have been complied with only by greasing it.

Peter, i think that is quite a horrendous number. If that is typical for TB20s also elsewhere, it is a good baseline to draw a comparison with the SR22.

In Europe's biggest Service Center for Cirrus aircraft, the flat-fee for the annual inspection for an SR22 is 2150 Euros (1800 £), plus VAT...

Where is that service centre?

In the UK, £2500+VAT seems to be a standard figure for a retractable SEP, non-Cirrus. I've seen it from about five firms over the years - give or take a bit.

Cirruses here tend to be serviced by a narrow range of firms. I don't know why. Perhaps the owners congregate to certain high profile names.

There are firms that fleece you way over that. One very well known 145 firm is known for doubling the figure and then haggling back down. One chap was hit with £5000 on a new C182. I have been warned by several customers to never use them for maintenance, though they were reportedly OK for avionics.

Also, when I was using firms, I never paid as little as £2500. There was always some extra, starting with the ~£300 for greasing the gear correctly.

Currently I pay way less than £2500, by renting a hangar for 3 days (£100) and doing the whole job with an A&P/IA, but obviously that's not a fair comparison since most people are not able to do that for various reasons.

Peter, that's quite expensive for an annual. What is included there - avionics, 100 hours inspection and annual?

My C10T Silver Eagle's annual is about 2500 Euros. And that's it. But it's N-reg...

Maybe Germany - the home of Lidl - is cheaper?

Oddly enough the price here is the same for G and N reg, which is bizzare... in effect the Ns are subsidising the Gs.

Especially as the cost of an IA (£200 or so) is not included on the N.

Some UK prices from a well known firm (one I have never used for maintenance however) are here.

Where is that service centre?

That is General Enterprises/Cirrus Europe at Eelde (EHGG).

Maybe Germany - the home of Lidl - is cheaper?

Mine is maintained in France. But they have approx. the same price as in Germany.