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know if I want to do this anymore. I want to be a pilot, but I just don’t know if I want to be a professional pilot’.”
A little time out of the cockpit was beneficial, as it pro- vided him the time to start his organic commodity busi- ness. Of course, after starting this venture, he still had skyward ambitions and was, fortunately, able to balance aviation and growing the company that now has an inter- national footprint.
“As the business did better, I was still flying. But I was flying for pleasure. And as it continued, my budget got a little better, and I was able to buy different airplanes. So, the airplane was also really a practical business tool for me. Fortunately, I had a lot of experience as a CFI, so moving into different airplanes wasn’t terribly complicated for me and I was insurable.”
Prior to the M2, Keegan most recently owned a Beechcraft G58 Baron. He flew the light twin for several years prior to moving higher into the flight levels, even keeping it for a few more years after acquiring his M2. But this memorable highlight of Keegan’s aviation life was fol- lowed by the tragedy of natural disaster.
“In 2017, I bought the Citation M2. It was new, and I took delivery on the 27th of September before flying it home to Sonoma County in Northern California where I was born and raised. Then only about a week later, we lost our home in the Tubbs Fire. I was actually in Washington D.C. when the wildfires happened. I hopped in the plane and flew home. That’s when we started our next journey southward.”
Keegan and his wife, Sarah, decided to use the total loss as a catalyst for the next chapter of their lives. Ultimately, they decided to move to Orange County. The move south has been beneficial for the couple, especially Keegan’s undying love for aviation.
“What has been so interesting about this whole thing is that it really made me go full circle back to where I started all this and my objectives for flying. Flying for me has been a practical tool for my own business, but I’m also just a geek about flying and love aviation. I now do mentor flying with people and have been training a friend for a couple of years in his Kodiak 100. He went from literally zero time flying, with me in the right seat, being amazed by aviation, to recently completing his commercial certificate.”
When not helping others realize their aviation goals in his free time, Keegan likes to race motorcycles, sports cars, and Baja trucks. So, it’s not a surprise that flying the Citation X as captain is a dream come true for the speed- driven aviator. The need for speed similarly permeates his personal aircraft choice, although he advised that there are important tradeoffs between models within the light jet market segment — even amongst product families.
“What I have found out about the M2 is that it does at least what the book says it’s going to do. And you can’t say that about a lot of airplanes. It is fantastic,” he began.
Keegan continued, discussing a few of the distinct differ- ences between the nine-seat 525-series aircraft and another Citation he had once considered stepping into. “I person- ally don’t need more seats. What I wish it would do is go
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August 2023 / TWIN & TURBINE • 27