Columbia Delivered Record Numbers In 2006

Columbia Aircraft, of Bend, Ore., delivered a record 185 aircraft last year, the company said on Wednesday, despite delays certifying the Garmin G1000 glass panel and a summer hailstorm that affected more than 60 aircraft. The aircraft weren’t significantly damaged but all had to be refinished. No doubt, we endured more than our fair share of challenges in the first half of 2006, said Randy Bolinger, Columbia vice president of marketing. The company’s previous record for one year was 114 aircraft delivered, set in 2005. The 2006 total included 146 Columbia 400s and 39 Columbia 350s. The company also said that overall, orders last year were up more than 200 percent over the previous year. On balance, 2006 turned out to be a very good year, Bolinger said. We expect to build on our second-half momentum going into 2007 and set new records for deliveries and sales in 2007.