[Ernie Martin]

Others are more up to date than me, and they can jump in here and augment my answer, but here's where I think things stand:

The last "sticky" thread contains much of what is known of the SIDs and you should read it carefully. The SIDs were circulated in draft form to selected Skymaster users in August of 2009 and Cessna indicated its intention then to have them published in 2010. They are NOT expected to be required for Part 91 operators in the U.S., unless one or more of the SIDs become ADs, which is considered highly unlikely unless an accident exposes a serious problem.

One of the net effect of the draft SIDs, as they stood when last seen, is that the wings and booms need to be separated from the main aircraft body, which is quite expensive. But the draft SIDs affect not only the wings but many other elements of the aircraft, and some of these other SIDs are also costly.

The user community felt that many of the SIDs were unnecessary as written and even risky, with the possibility of making the aircraft LESS reliable, showed Cessna why, and offered suggestions that would ensure the continued airworthiness of the aircraft without the risk and the enormous costs of the draft SIDs. I don't believe Cessna was persuaded, so it's possible the SIDs -- whenever published -- may be close to the draft versions.

However, not much seems to have happened over the past year or so. Currently, there doesn't appear to be a rush at Cessna to publish the SIDs. There may be some indications that personnel changes or reductions at Cessna, perhaps due to the economy, has derailed the program, at least temporarily.

So, in summary, the draft SIDs are onerous, Cessna has not appeared receptive to changes, but the issuance of the SIDs may be in limbo.

Ernie