Technical information

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“I knew Sacramento when they were in the little teeny facility. They just had a canopy with an octagon pad when
we went in there and started dealing with them,” Ross says. “I know the Sacramento people very well. They’ve
been at my house and they’re the key to the whole operation.”
Reliability Important
Ross’ key to successful flight operations for Frazier Ventures, which demands tight scheduling, is reliability. That
is why the company picked the Citation XL over competitive business jets and that is why Ross continues to count
on the Cessna Citation Service Center in California. He values the relationship he has established over the years
with Sacramento General Manager Ken Kantola and Sales Manager Jeff Bakker.
“Jeff knows me very, very well, and so does Ken. Without those guys and Cessna backing, our operation wouldn’t
have been as successful,” Ross says. “And what’s so unique about it is that we’re up in Seattle, they’re in Sacra-
mento, but we have such a close relationship.
“We get a lot of things done that would be impossible with other types of aircraft, because of the parts network
that Cessna has, the availability of the parts, and how fast they can get them to you. Sacramento’s troubleshoot-
ing guys are just top-notch. I can call up with a problem, we diagnose it, and the part is on its way. So, it’s worked
out excellently for us,” he adds.
Ross was particularly impressed by how the Cessna team at Sacramento worked hard to save $150,000 from
dual engine hot sections. “They went the second mile, which saved us money,” he says.
By shunning a one-size-fits-all mentality, Cessna mechanics “took an in-depth look at our engines. We were
able to salvage some parts, like high pressure turbine blades. We were able to go through each one of those to
save as many as possible.”
Matter of Survival
Ross spent a couple years away from flying when he captained a number of large boats. Once he got caught in
the Tehuantepec Winds, which during the winter in southern Mexico roar out toward the Pacific Ocean through
breaks in the western coastal mountains. “It blew me out 100-some miles. You couldn’t go into it because it was
so intense.”
Another time, when he was captain of a 54-foot sport fishing vessel, he had an even more harrowing experience.
“Out at Cape Blanco, I got hit by a rogue wave and it knocked out some windows. I was reported sinking.
“But I finally got everything together. I had to cut up the plywood on the bunks, and make covers for the windows;
I took pillows and that wood to block the portholes so water wouldn’t come in. I had a skill saw that was all wet
with salt water and every time I would press the trigger it would shock me, but it was a matter of survival, and
this was in the middle of the night.” After that happened he gave up boating for a living, because “flying is safer.”
“To be honest with you, it is. Flying only lasts for four or five hours of flying, and in a boat, you’re out for days.”
Recreational fishing and business flying are tame endeavors compared to those experiences.
But more adventures may be on the horizon for Ross, who, at 61, says, “I’m just getting started.”
For additional information call the
Sacramento Citation Service Center
at 877-982-3SMF (877-982-3763).