Hail damages 60 aircraft

A freak hail storm in early June damaged more than 60 new Columbia airplanes parked outside the Columbia Aircraft factory in Oregon. While the composite planes show few visible signs of damage, use of reflected light showed that there were marks on the paint, according to Bing Lantis, president and CEO. The planes must be repainted before they can be delivered to customers and since they can’t be repainted until the insurance company processes the claims, delays are inevitable, he said.