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Cirrus has spent the past three years preparing for takeoff. In 2001 it lined up a $100 million investment from Crescent Capital, a private firm, to increase production and expand its selection. "Our key challenge is getting Cirrus' name on people's shopping lists," says John Bingham, the company's sales chief. It's working. In July the company sold a remarkable 51 airplanes in one of the slowest markets in years. And last month Cirrus became the first start-up in the past 50 years to sell 1,000 planes within four years of its first delivery. Cirrus may have succeeded in creating a new market. First-time buyers account for almost 40% of sales. "It's an easy plane to fly," adds Bingham. And, Cirrus hopes, to buy.