Des Neill's work in the agricultural aviation industry mirrors what is happening with sheep and beef farmers.
When farmers were doing well, so was his business, Otago Airspread Ltd, but when farmers were getting poor returns, that also had a major effect.
This year, there was unprecedented demand for the company's services, following what he described as some "really tough years".
At the end of last year, Mr Neill bought a Cresco, which he described as "the Rolls-Royce of top-dressing aeroplanes", and it has just been converted to an agricultural plane.
Only 38 were built - it is number 33 - and there are just three in the South Island. It is the only one of those three that is privately owned. The other two are owned by Ravensdown Fertiliser.
Described as a "significant investment", the plane was originally bought new by Wanaka Sky Diving in 2002.
It was later offered for sale due to that company upgrading to a larger plane.
It had only ever worked from Wanaka Airport and had always been kept ina hangar and "meticulously maintained".
Since the conversion finished in mid-April, it had worked harder than it had in its life, he said.
Mr Neill and his wife Elaine established Otago Airspread in 2000, initially flying a piston-powered Fletcher.
The following year, they bought their first turbine Fletcher. At that stage, farming was going through "a really good patch" and there was demand for a bigger aircraft.
In 2003, they bought the business of Dave Reid, at Roxburgh, who was ready to retire, and then added a second turbine aircraft in 2005. Since then, farming had been "reasonably tough."
Towards the end of last year, there were issues with the engine manufacturers of turbine props for the Fletcher.
Mr Neill was not going to be able to get a new engine for 12 months or an engine fixed for six months, so the decision was made to purchase the Cresco.
Optimistic about the future of sheep and beef farming - along with many years of flying ahead - it made sense to "have the best of gear", he said.
Otago Airspread recently bought the fixed-wing side of Jeff McMillan's Willow Air operation in South Otago, after Mr McMillan decided to concentrate on his helicopter business.
The operations at Roxburgh, South Otago and Mosgiel were all run as one business and clients could get any of the pilots - James Allan (South Otago), Jeff Bishop (Roxburgh) or Mr Neill turning up for a job.
The Cresco, which was now the mainstay of the business, was "magnificent" to fly. It was also extremely productive, carrying two tonnes every load, compared with the Fletcher, which carried 1.3 tonnes.
This year, the unsettled weather had proved difficult but farmers had been extremely patient and understanding.
The main reason the business got through the recent tough years was due to its very loyal clients, Mr Neill said.
Now, with the lift in sheep and beef farming, they were doing work they had not done for five years.
Otago Airspread works all over Otago, with the exception of North Otago, and it was a "good patch" with its diversity, with a lot of high-country properties, balanced by lowland farms.
Mr Neill was a "fairly late starter" in the aviation industry and did not attain his commercial pilot's licence until he was 29.
Previously, he was sheep and beef farming on the family farm at Portobello, a job he really enjoyed.
He decided he wanted to get his private pilot's licence and, after about six hours flying, decided it was "magnificent".
To make a living out of it, the logical step was to move into agricultural flying, as it had a lot in common with farming.
He had no regrets - "I wouldn't want to do anything else" - and he loved flying so much that he could see himself doing it until he retired.
His farming background made a big difference when it came to understanding the requirements of his clients.
He spent about 75% of his time flying and the rest on paperwork, saying "rubbishy" weather days were an ideal time to catch up on administration.
Mr Neill never tired of flying over such diverse and spectacular country. He could be at Waikouaiti in the morning, Glendhu Bay by the afternoon and back to Taieri at night, before heading to Owaka the following day and Moa Flat the next.
"I love it, absolutely love it. We do get pretty spoilt with scenery," he said.