On The Fly…

Diamond AircraftDA20-C1 has received an increase in gross weight. The FAA now allows 1764pounds in the two-seat aircraft, increasing the useful load to 600 pounds,meaning you and your passenger can pack an extra sandwich or two. It applies toall DA20-C1s…The deal AVweb reported last week has come topass — Lancair has found the money it needs to resume production andexpand the business for their certified aircraft lines. Unnamed investor(s)have put an unspecified amount of money into the business, although the companysaid it was more than the $25 million it was looking for. There’s a backlog of180 orders to tackle first…A Sino SwearingenSJ30-2 hit 558 mph in level flight in during high-speed envelope testinglast week. The tests were part of the bizjet’s certification trials. Test pilotCarroll Beeler said the plane was flutter-free and stable throughout the run…It isn’t everycongressman who gets an airport concourse named after him. But when it’sCalifornia and the name is Sonny Bono, well why not. The concourse at PalmSprings International adds to the list of tributes to the late mayor,congressman and pop singer that includes a 40-mile stretch of freeway, a statueand a wildlife refuge in his name…A pilot safely landeda Cessna 172 on a stretch of highway near San Diego after the enginefailed. Plane and cars managed to avoid each other until a motorist clipped thewing while the pilot and police were pushing it off to the side…Reno Air Raceofficials report the show of support theywere looking for came to pass. This year’s event attracted 222,241 people.A successful year was critical to the future of the spectacle, which wascancelled by the aftermath of 9/11 in 2001 and went into 2002 with a $1.2million in losses.