After nearly two decades of flying traditional piston aircraft, John Gressett had grown tired. \u201cThere was nothing new and enthralling about aviation. The planes I had been flying were too much work to really enjoy,\u201d explained John. He was on the brink of losing his excitement and passion for aviation, until the Southeastern Minnesota Flying Club retired their 1974 Cessna and purchased a 2005 SR22 GTS. John was not entirely keen on getting a fully loaded Cirrus, but now, he couldn\u2019t be happier with the Club\u2019s decision.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe autopilot and instrumentation is a huge differentiator from other aircraft. You can tell the difference just by sitting in the pilot\u2019s seat. I know the difference between driving a sports car and riding a unicycle, and I would much rather drive the sports car,\u201d chuckled John, talking about the incredible advantage their Cirrus gives them. John was given the gift of a new start. Realizing how much fun flying a Cirrus was compared to other aircraft, he found his love for aviation again.<\/p>\n
As a recently retired IBM Executive, John has been making good use of his new found freedom by crossing off adventures from his bucket list with his Cirrus. In February 2014, he got his real taste for adventure after flying from Minnesota to Costa Rica and back. \u201cBuying this plane in itself was fulfilling the dream<\/em>. In this case, it\u2019s like \u2013 WOW \u2013 who would have ever thought I would fly my plane to Costa Rica?\u201d John remarked. He was scared to death to fly out of US controlled airspace, but John\u2019s confidence in his Cirrus\u2019 ability never faltered when flying over open water. \u201cWhen we jumped off Key West we were terrified, and when we landed in Costa Rica my wife and I were surprised at how easy<\/em> the trip actually was,\u201d John said. \u201cThe flight would have been brutal in anything other than our Cirrus. The SR22 opened up so many opportunities for us that we wouldn\u2019t\u2019 be able to do any other way.\u201d John and his wife took the trip to Costa Rica again in February 2015 after deciding they couldn\u2019t get enough.<\/p>\n He\u2019s taking full advantage of the Cirrus Life, and there is even more adventure in store for John in the future. He\u2019s planning on doing a similar international trip, but this time heading northwards to Churchill, Manitoba. \u201cSightseeing and whale watching will be a great new adventure,\u201d said John. \u201cOnly in a Cirrus is traveling internationally possible, fun and comfortable.\u201d His Cirrus has made him an adventure flying enthusiast, and John\u2019s current ambition is to teach Cirrus owners how easy flying their own planes internationally can be.<\/p>\n He intends on seeing the world in his Cirrus, and the more John flies, the longer his bucket list gets. He\u2019s adding new destinations every day!<\/p>\n