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Citation CJ2 jet soars with enhanced modernization package, avionics upgrade

Rod McDermott, CEO of McDermott + Bull Executive Search uses his aircraft to take his mission and his business further. Relying on his Cessna® Citation® CJ2® to reach more people in more places, he knew he needed to upgrade the avionics to a system that will help him stay on the move. When searching for the right solution, he turned to Textron Aviation.

“I started working with Textron Aviation going back to 2012. My dad bought a 172 out of Independence, Kansas. And the way I saw them treat him, who was 79 years old and buying his first aircraft, was unbelievable. They treated him like he was buying a Citation Latitude,” recalled McDermott. “And I said, "This company really does it right. They really earn their partnership with you."

In his executive search efforts, McDermott finds himself traveling to several locations regularly to conduct business. Needing a platform that would help him operate as a single pilot, he opted for the Cessna® Citation® CJ2®.

“I bought the CJ2 back in 2017. It's really the right plane for my mission. And we're out of Southern California, so some of our trips are a long way. We might go to Teterboro in New York, we might go to Atlanta or Florida or Vancouver or Toronto,” shared McDermott. “The performance, the range, the capabilities has really helped us expand our business. Since we bought it, our business has gone up 400%.”

While he was pleased with the performance and the ability of the aircraft, McDermott sought an enhanced experience in the cockpit, featuring a new avionics system. Working with Textron Aviation, McDermott learned of the CJ2 Modernization program, including installing the Garmin® G600® avionics suite.

“This platform was built in 2002, and the avionics were developed in the 1990’s for it. So, I got really excited about installing the Garmin G600 and the GFC 600 Autopilot in my aircraft because I saw the functionality. It's now a later-stage, leading-edge product for this aircraft, so now I really can move my plane into the digital age. And because I fly single pilot, the level of situational awareness is going to go way up.”

McDermott was convinced that the avionics upgrade would be key in taking his mission to new heights. With the ideal solution in mind, he wanted to work with people he knew he could trust. McDermott turned to Textron Aviation.

“I chose Textron Aviation to do this modernization because I had them do the pre-purchase inspection for my plane back in 2017. What they showed me through that process is, there was no stone unturned. So that's how I knew it was going to be done right.,” McDermott explained. “Trust in a business relationship is incredibly important to me, and so that's why I choose to work with Textron Aviation. Exactly what they told me they were going to do, they did. And when I had a few maintenance items come up, I said, "Absolutely, do those," because I knew there weren't going to be surprises.”

Ultimately, McDermott calls his experience, and the upgrade a success. Noting the support during entire process and strong communication throughout, he says he is confident in where this enhanced cockpit will lead him next.

“I can't tell you how excited I am to have my aircraft back. I feel like I've got a brand-new plane. The 750 TXis, man, they're lightning fast. Everything looks amazing. And having the G600 touchscreen really was a life-changing experience. I've got XM weather, I've got XM radio, I've got the new Garmin radar in there. It's got a very powerful software behind it that gives you the data that you need to decide where you need to navigate through cells, and that's going to take away a huge amount of pilot workload.”