Thu, Oct 08, 2009
On the weekend of August 28th, 2009, Lancair/Columbia/Corvalis
300/350/400 owners arrived in Bend, Oregon for the final Bend
Reunion Fly-In. The bittersweet gathering followed
Cessna’s difficult decision on April 29th of this year to
close the former Columbia facility and move all factory operations
to Wichita, Kansas in response to the harsh economic climate.
Steve Masters, President of the Cessna Advanced Aircraft Club,
explained that the reunion provided owners with one last
opportunity to show support and gratitude for the Bend community
before the move.
The reunion, however, featured positive developments for the
owner group as well. Cessna representatives took the
opportunity to reiterate their continued support of the aircraft
and their owners. Earlier this year, Cessna Aircraft debuted
the newly named 350 Corvalis and 400 Corvalis TT, formerly the
Cessna 350 and Cessna 400 respectively, in a sign of their
long-term commitment and excitement for the aircraft product
line.
When Cessna purchased Columbia Aircraft in November of 2007, CEO
Jack Pelton assured existing owners that they would be looked
after; the partnership has proved to be extremely beneficial for
the existing owner group. Owners have survived the
acquisition with warranties in tact and confidence in
Cessna’s dedication to continued service and support.
Though the closure of the Bend facility and final Oregon reunion
marked a sad finale for the aircraft owners and the local
community, Masters explained that the owner group remains
optimistic about their partnership with Cessna. The owners
have experienced a tumultuous ownership history. Originally
manufactured in the late 1990s by Lancair Certified, the company
became Columbia Aircraft Manufacturing after Composite Technology
Research Malaysia (CTRM) bought a controlling interesting in the
division in 2003. After filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in
2007, Columbia Aircraft entered acquisition talks with several
companies, finally announcing the successful purchase by Textron,
Cessna’s parent company. It would seem, then, that
while the owners may be changing their home base, they’ve
finally found their “home.”
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