The Columbia 300 is derived from a successful line of kit-built airplanes. The aircraft was certificated in 1998.
Cessna Aircraft Company bought Columbia Aircraft Company in 1997 and renamed the aircraft the Cessna 300.
A 310 hp Continental powers the Columbia 300 at speeds up to 190 knots. The four-place cabin is comfortable for its class. Big gull-wing doors make entry and exit over the wing as easy as it can be in a low-wing airplane. With side-stick controls, there is no banging the controls into the knees of the right-seat passenger. The aircraft is certificated in the Federal Aviation Administration's “utility” category, with more stringent requirements than the “normal” category. A full IFR version is available.
The composite construction, fixed-gear single offers excellent performance for a four-place aircraft that approaches or exceeds that of retractable models. In fact, it is faster than many retractables, without the weight and cost penalty. Being a newly certificated aircraft, things such as safety crash worthiness are addressed in more detail and with more stringent requirements. On paper, this is one of the best performing airplanes in its class.