First CASA-Certified Plane Offering Both Entegra, G1000

Aero-News received word from Down Under this week that Columbia received Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) certfication for the manufacturer's Garmin G1000-equipped 350 and 400 models. This achievement represents the first foreign market to certify both Avidyne Entegra- and Garmin G1000-equipped aircraft for local registration.

“Both the Entegra and G1000 (shown below) suites have unique features and benefits so the choice is largely a matter of personal preference,” said Randy S. Bolinger, Vice President of Marketing & Sales at Columbia. “Providing the two most popular avionics suites in the industry allows pilots freedom to select the system that they want and feel most comfortable flying."

The normally-aspirated Columbia 350 cruises at 191 knots while the turbocharged Columbia 400 is the reigning speed king of certified, piston-powered aircraft with a cruise speed of 235 knots. Each aircraft is capable of making trips in excess of 1,000 nautical miles without refueling.

Columbia 350s and 400s are available in Australia and New Zealand through Columbia Down Under, the Company’s international sales and service center based at Maroochydore Airport (MCY) on Australia’s Sunshine Coast.

In addition to Australia, New Zealand and the United States of America, Columbia aircraft are also available in the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg, Germany, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Poland, Switzerland, Demark, Sweden, Norway, Finland, Greenland, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico.

FMI: www.flycolumbia.com