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There was a silver lining to the tough times, though. The pandemic allowed the team to refine their offering and delight visitors in a new way.
“The year after the pandemic, the business went absolutely insane. Our best year before was about 180,000 people, to then having over 272,000 people. Since things were going well
enough, I thought, ‘You know what? Let’s start looking at a turboprop,” Greksa recalled.
“Back in 2020, Piper offered the ‘Fly Free for Five’ program on the M600. It was only available for a few months and was a great deal, with spinner-to-tail coverage and recurrent training. So, it was a no- brainer, and once I flew this airplane, I was hooked on having a single- engine turbine. Piper did a great job with this aircraft. The only reason I sold it in 2023 was that the rear seat wasn’t removable, and it was a little tight - especially when flying my staff around.”
In the search for more cabin space, Greksa landed on the Pilatus PC-12 NGX – which he ordered factory new through Cutter Aviation.
“The PC-12 was always the dream aircraft, but I never thought I could do it. So, we figured out how to make it work because I was going to be able to get everything I paid for the M600
out of the airplane. So, he [Josh Kovac from Cutter Aviation] helped me on the purchase end and was my mentor pilot. He’s a great guy and is someone who has forgotten more than I’ll ever know. It was a really enjoyable experience.”
While Greksa was unable to see his aircraft being built, as he visited the Pilatus factory shortly before it entered production, he advised that visiting the facility is an experience like no other. He said that it was exceptionally memorable to see test flights being conducted while overlooking the airport from nearby Mount Pilatus – which one can either hike to the top of or ride aboard the world’s steepest cogwheel railway.
Fond memories of the factory tour and the beautiful country of Switzerland were still vivid in his mind when he completed initial training and the aircraft was delivered.
October 2024 / TWIN & TURBINE • 27