Proclaims Lancair Columbia 300 A "Beautiful and Wonderful Handling Airplane"

One might note that any landing the Prime Minister makes is a good landing... butrthe PM really does sound impressed with his recent flight in a Lancair Columbia. Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamad yesterday flew a Lancair Columbia 300 over the skies of the tropical island of Langkawi, Malaysia, during the LIMA International Air and Maritime Show.
 
Dr. Mahathir took the controls of the production aircraft for an hour-long flight during a break in the scheduled overseas meeting of The Lancair Company's Board of Directors. An avid pilot and aviation enthusiast, he took to the skies and headed out on what was supposed to be a brief flight over the airport.

Instead, he kept his entourage, dignitaries, members of the press and an entire nation waiting for well over an hour.

As he boarded the Columbia 300, he turned to Lancair executives Bing Lantis, President/CEO and Mark Cahill, Exec Vice President, saying that his wife wouldn't let him accept an invitation to fly F18s, but gave him the nod to fly the Lancair. Dr Mahatir praised Lancair co-founder and designer Lance Neibauer and his team on a beautiful design and wonderful handling airplane. It has been nine years since Malaysia decided to back the vision of Lance Neibauer and The Lancair Company.

The Malaysian Government is establishing a record of successful involvement and investment in the world's aviation design and production industry. Spearheading this is their major investment in The Lancair Company of Bend (OR).  Additionally Malaysia has become the appointed component manufacturer of wing structures for Airbus Industries- one of Europe's most successful modern commercial aviation aircraft manufacturers.

FMI: www.lancair.com