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Raised around general aviation from an early age.
addition to providing service for several other brands’ product lines within the lawn maintenance verti- cal, PWI is Walker Mowers’ (featured in the August 2021 Owner’s Corner) oldest and largest distributor.
At present, PWI has a presence in 12 states from Maine to Indiana. Gen- eral aviation is integral to the busi- ness’ future territory expansion and ongoing customer support efforts. As the company’s footprint has grown, and even prior to the distributor’s most recent addition of three states in its network, the benefit of flying in support of the business was apparent.
Plotka currently flies a 1997 Piper JetProp fronted by a 560 shp
had to have back surgery. After that, I decided I can’t do this anymore.”
Intent on making business travel more efficient, Plotka’s thoughts once again turned to the sky. He continued, “I already had salespeople on the road, but this is how I was doing business. So, I looked at my wife and said, ‘I love you, but I’m not doing this anymore. I’m going to start flying again.’”
And with her still somewhat re- luctant support at the time, Plotka traded the pickup truck and trailer for a 2014 Cirrus SR22. This aircraft was replaced with a 2017 SR22 G6 just under two years later after Plotka flew it for several hundred hours.
“I really enjoyed training in the Cir- rus. I wanted to make sure I returned to training in a current, technology- advanced aircraft. I also wanted to make sure I was able to take advan- tage of all the safety features as well. If you are going to learn how to fly, Cirrus does an amazing job. Unfor- tunately for me, my mission outgrew the plane’s capabilities.” And as any pilot who talks to Plotka will quickly learn, continued quality training is very important to him.
“Cirrus and their commitment to good training really set me up for suc- cess in moving up. It has put me on the path to continue to explore, learn and train. Cabin-class, pressurized, and turbine operations are all things that require training and proficiency, so I set out to find a similar standard of training in a different aircraft.”
Panel transformation: G500 TXi’s, GTN 750Xi’s, and a GFC 600.
In addition to being a pilot and PA-46 owner, Plotka enjoys spending time with friends and family, includ- ing his 21-year-old son, Robert and 24-year-old son, Jeffrey. Additionally, his hobbies include “anything with an engine,” such as cars, motorcy- cles and boats. While Anita initially hesitated for many years to join him in flight, he is happy to report that she is more comfortable f lying now. They are currently planning a two- week cross-country f light to celebrate their 30th anniversary in 2023.
Plotka’s outward zeal for life also includes everything related to his longtime business, Precision Work Inc (PWI). The company was start- ed by his in-laws in 1965 and is a power equipment distributor based in Port Washington, New York. In
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-35. He transitioned to the turbine aircraft last May. The step into the retract- able turboprop has been a rewarding one, allowing his team to travel more efficiently and be home more often when tending to sales calls.
“I have always believed that I am in the relationship business. I hap- pen to sell lawnmowers, but we treat our customers and vendors as part of our extended family. Every em- ployee touches our customers every day, whether it be via phone, email, in-person visit or even just the boxes that arrive via UPS. How our custom- ers feel by our interactions is what sets us apart. I use general aviation to make sure I can continue to per- sonally visit all of our customers as often as possible.”
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