Jerry Marti behind the yoke of his Cessna Citation M2 Gen2
Jerry Marti of Lamar, Missouri, is a 3,600-hour pilot who currently flies a Cessna Citation M2 Gen2. Before purchasing this aircraft in September of 2024, he owned several other Citations – which he enjoys for their safety, speed, range, and runway performance.
Marti’s journey to the flight levels began when he was twelve. His first general aviation flight opened his eyes to a passion that he continues to nurture decades later.
“I learned to fly in high school and took lessons from Tom Richards, my junior high math teacher,” Marti said. “I had met him before then, though, as he was a pilot for a trip my dad had chartered to Emporia, Kansas, when I was in the sixth grade. I got to ride along and was hooked immediately on flying. So, when I got into high school, I started to take lessons and then went to Oklahoma State University, where I majored in aviation and aviation marketing.”
Marti flew during his collegiate tenure in Stillwater as a part of the Flying Aggies flight team. He credits competing at National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) contests as catalysts for his safety-first intention and precision flying skills.
While in college, Marti earned his instrument rating and commercial license, and after graduating, became CFI/CFII. To date, Marti has owned nine aircraft, four of which were Citations.
“I have owned a Cessna 172, Piper Saratoga, Malibu Mirage, and a Cheyenne II before graduating to the turbine world with a Citation Jet. After that, I moved up to an M2 and am currently on my third rendition. I like the airplane for its safety and weather capabilities.”
In addition to the Wichita-built light jet, Marti has a 1969 K-35 v-tail Bonanza outfitted with a G1000 avionics suite. Recreational flying typically happens in the Bonanza, but the demands of Marti’s work call for longer, stronger legs.
“One of the reasons that I ended up going with the M2 was because I operate out of a 4,000-foot-long runway [KLLU]. The aircraft can get in and out of that size of runway very well, and I like that the aircraft gives me the ability to get in and out of smaller airports,” he said.
“Most of the missions that I fly are business-related. We are involved, business-wise, with the Roark Group of Rogers, Arkansas and Clear Creek Golf Car and Utility Vehicles. Our main hubs are Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Little Rock, Wichita, and Springfield, Missouri. We pretty much fly weekly, and many of the flights I make are with two or three employees or customers. The airplane has been a good fit for the flexibility that I need.”
He [Marti] credits competing at National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) contests as catalysts for his safety-first intention and precision flying skills.
The performance of the aircraft meets Marti’s demands and more. He advised that he had found the performance of the M2 to be spot on in its published performance numbers.
“On a flight to Oklahoma City, we fly anywhere from 23,000 to 28,000 feet, depending on traffic. If we don’t have a clear shot to 280, then we have to step up and don’t have the time to get there [in that short of a flight]. On a flight like that, it will be 37 minutes, and we will burn about 780 pounds of fuel.”
While most of Marti’s flights are within a state or two of Missouri, sometimes he flies closer to the jet’s advertised 1,200 nautical mile range. He has flown the aircraft as far east as Novia Scotia and west as far as Alaska. Another farther destination is Augusta, Georgia, where he visits because his company is a Club Car distributor and an E-Z-GO dealer.
Golf is important to him both personally and professionally.
“My son Jeremy (‘J-Dawg’) and I own and operate a golf course in our hometown named Jeremy’s Creek Golf Course. Previously, it was a private club that was going to close. In 2019, we purchased it and have since made it available to the public,” Marti noted.
“We continue to improve the course and have added a restaurant open to the public, Mother Tucker’s Pizza. Owned by Jeff and Jenny (Mother) Tucker, the pizzeria is known not only for its unusual name but also for made-from-scratch dough, sandwiches, and a salad bar. Jeremy’s Creek and Mother Tucker’s are on the downwind leg of Runway 17 at Lamar Municipal Airport.”
In addition to sharing a love for golf with his family, his relatives have fostered an appreciation for aviation. Marti’s two daughters and a son-in-law have learned to fly – sometimes joining him in the cockpit.
Marti is confident that the Citation family will continue to serve his needs as business and personal demands evolve.
“As far as the things I don’t like about the M2, it doesn’t have a drink holder in the cockpit that will accommodate a Yeti,” Marti laughed when asked what improvements he would suggest for the aircraft. “I like the growth opportunities within the 525 line and keep coming back to the M2 because I like the aircraft so much. As business allows, it would be nice to go a little higher and a little faster with a CJ3+ or CJ4 and stay in the family without having to relearn everything.”
