Tropic Ocean Airways Expands Bahamas Network,
Additional Service to Nassau, BOGO flights

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., June 2023 

Tropic Ocean Airways, the leader of short-range private and shared charter service for exclusive destinations, continues to expand across the Bahamas with the launch of additional flights between Sheltair at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Odyssey Aviation Nassau (NAS).

Headquartered at Sheltair, the private FBO at FLL, Tropic Ocean Airways operates a fleet of 14 late model Cessna Caravans. Each aircraft is equipped with eight or nine seats – starting at $350 per passenger. Founded by a U.S. Navy TOPGUN instructor, the airline utilizes standard operating procedures based on the military’s best practices, has a two-pilot standard, is ARGUS
Gold Rated, and is the largest amphibious operator globally.

An alternative to flying commercial, Tropic Ocean Airways’ customers receive private-to-private terminal access, expedited check-in process, complimentary valet, and gratis in-flight snacks and beverages. Service between Fort Lauderdale and Nassau is currently available every day except Tuesday and Saturday.

Tropic Ocean Airways’ friction-free check-in experience allows travelers to arrive just 30 minutes before departure, saving hours of travel time. Customers traveling on international commercial flights are recommended to check-in two hours prior to departure, regardless of flight delays.

“We are proud to continue to expand in the Bahamas and introduce even more options to our customers who frequent the capital,” said Rob Ceravolo, CEO of Tropic Ocean Airways. “We’ve listened to our stakeholders and want to address their needs. The additional flights will give Nassau homeowners, business travelers and vacationers freedom to fly private five days per week, including the capability for a day trip, without the high cost.”

In honor of Bahamas’ 50th Independence, Tropic Ocean Airways is offering Buy One Seat, Get One Seat 50%. This $175 savings is valid for travel now through October 31, 2023, and can be purchased online using promo code CHEERS50 or by calling 954. 210.5569. The promotion ends on Bahamas’ Independence Day, July 10, 2023.

As the private aviation industry evolves, Tropic Ocean Airways continues to focus on its customer’s needs, enhancing service offerings and elevating the customer experience. In addition to Nassau, the airline offers scheduled by-the-seat service to Bimini, the Berry islands and Cat Cay Airport, with plans to expand to more destinations by the end of the year.

###

ABOUT TROPIC OCEAN AIRWAYS

Tropic Ocean Airways is the leading provider of short-range charter and scheduled by-the-seat service for exclusive destinations. Founded in 2009 by United States Navy TOPGUN instructor Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean is the largest commercial seaplane airline in the world, servicing destinations throughout Florida, the Bahamas, and the Northeast. To learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways, visit FlyTropic.com.

Fraser Yachts Partners with Tropic Ocean Airways to Provide Personalized Direct Seaplane-to-Yacht Services 

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., Feb 22, 2023 

Fraser Yachts, the longest serving full-service luxury yacht specialist in the world, and Tropic Ocean Airways, the world’s largest amphibious airline, announced a partnership to provide exclusive amphibious air transportation for yacht owners and charterers throughout The Bahamas and Caribbean, be it on land or sea.

In line with Fraser Yachts’ commitment to delivering the highest quality yacht services for both owners and charterers, the new partnership with Tropic Ocean Airways, turns the world into your runway.

The service includes customized and hassle-free booking of transfers to and from a yacht, a full-service lounge for clients and their guests, and a personal concierge available to assist with made-to-order airlift requests throughout a yachter’s travel experience. Additionally, the seaplane can deliver cargo and provisions to the vessel, so that passengers want for nothing while seafaring.

“Whether our clients are looking to enhance their yachting experience or gain access to remote and exotic tropical locales, their seaplane is ready to take them wherever they desire to go,” said Hannah Rose, US Marketing and Partnerships Manager for Fraser Yachts, “Fraser Yachts’ new partnership with Tropic Ocean allows our clients the flexibility of flying to or from their vessel whenever they want, while enjoying breathtaking aerial views along the way – and there is no more exhilarating experience than an in-water landing.”

Tropic Ocean’s fleet of 14 aircraft has been providing amphibious transportation throughout Florida, the Northeast, and The Bahamas for nearly 11 years. The commuter air carrier is the recipient of the highly-coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety.

“Fraser Yachts and Tropic Ocean have joined forces to turn the world into our clients’ runway,” said Rob Ceravolo, CEO of Tropic Ocean Airways. “With their seaplane at the ready, there’s no limit to the convenience, luxury and freedom available to yachters.”

Whether you’re looking to enhance your charter experience or gain access to remote and exotic tropical locales, your seaplane is ready to take you and your guests wherever you yearn to go. Fly safely, stress-free and on your own terms. Enjoy the flexibility of flying when you want — and enjoy breathtaking ocean views along the way.

Individuals interested in learning more about Fraser’s seaplane to yacht packages may contact [email protected].

                ###

ABOUT FRASER YACHTS

Celebrating 75 years of multi-award-winning excellence in luxury yachting worldwide today, Fraser is the longest serving full-service luxury yacht specialist in the world. Handling a client portfolio of yachts worth over 5.8 billion dollars, the key to the company’s longstanding success has always been the quality of its people. With over 190 specialists operating from 17 offices in 13 countries working with over 13,000 highly active and qualified clients, the company offers experienced client support and guidance in all key sectors including Sales and Purchase, New Build Management, Yacht Management, Charter Management, Luxury Yacht Vacations, Yacht Marketing and quality Crew Placement through its dedicated recruitment arm: The Crew Network. Fraser is a part of the MarineMax group of companies, the world’s largest recreational boat retailer. MarineMax is a New York Stock Exchange-listed company, HZO. For more information on Fraser Yachts, please visit fraseryachts.com.

ABOUT TROPIC OCEAN AIRWAYS
Tropic Ocean Airways, LLC is a United States certificated commuter air carrier and the leading provider of short-range airlift solutions in urban areas and remote locations. Founded in 2009 by United States Navy TOPGUN instructor Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean is the largest commercial seaplane airline in the world, servicing destinations throughout Florida, the Northeast, The Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Utilizing standard operating procedures based on the U.S. Military’s best practices, the airline is the recipient of the ARGUS Gold rating for safety. To learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways, visit FlyTropic.com and on Instagram at @FlyTropic.

Tropic Ocean Airways Partners with REVA Air Ambulance to Provide

Expedited Medical Evacuation Services in Remote Locations

Fort Lauderdale, Fla., December 13, 2022 – Tropic Ocean Airways, the world’s largest amphibious airline, and REVA Air Ambulance, a global leader in fixed-wing medical air transport, announced a partnership to provide expedited, full service, medical evacuation for patients located in the Caribbean and other remote locations.

The partnership leverages over forty years of combined seaplane, aviation, and medical evacuation experience. REVA’s medical crew, an on-call 24/7 response team including doctors, nurses, paramedics, and respiratory therapists trained to respond in all critical care crisis situations, have adapted to amphibious aircraft transport and will work collaboratively with Tropic Ocean to coordinate medevac services beginning this month.

“We are pleased to work in partnership with world-class seaplane charter company, Tropic Ocean, to provide a unique one-of-a-kind service that creates greater access to patients and clients in hard-to-reach places throughout the Caribbean and Eastern United States,” said Stuart Hayman, CEO of REVA.

Tropic Ocean has outfitted its fleet of fourteen aircraft with all essential medical equipment. The airline’s Cessna Grand Caravan EX amphibious planes can land on a runway or on water, dramatically increasing rescue opportunities so that specialists can respond quickly to the medical needs of clients in crisis.

“This partnership will save lives,” said Rob Ceravolo, CEO of Tropic Ocean Airways. “Whether on a cruise ship, remote island, resort or private yacht, no patient is inaccessible. We know that time is a critical factor when a medical incident occurs. Tropic Ocean’s collaboration with REVA ensures a rapid response so that clients can get the lifesaving care they need.”

The expedited medevac services made possible by the partnership are expected to greatly benefit Caribbean resort and cruise industries by increasing material and logistical savings and decreasing liability.

“Ultimately, the patient in need benefits the most from this alliance,” said Ceravolo.

 ###

ABOUT TROPIC OCEAN AIRWAYS

 Tropic Ocean Airways, LLC is a United States certificated commuter air carrier and the leading provider of short-range airlift solutions in urban areas and remote locations. Founded in 2009 by United States Navy TOPGUN instructor Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean is the largest commercial amphibious airline in the world, servicing destinations throughout Florida, the Northeast, The Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Utilizing standard operating procedures based on the U.S. Military’s best practices, the airline is the recipient of the highly coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety. To learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways, visit FlyTropic.com and on Instagram at @FlyTropic.

ABOUT REVA, Inc.

 REVA, Inc., owner-operators of a fleet of 20 medically configured aircraft, including small and mid-size jets, employs over 350 air-ambulance-service professionals who deliver caring, efficient, fully-accredited medical care from bases throughout North America including the Caribbean. REVA, Inc., has completed more than 25,000 medical transports that include time-sensitive organ deliveries, trauma response, and intensive-care connections, in addition to private charters associated with medical tourism, cruise-line passenger emergencies, and philanthropic efforts. REVA, Inc. has earned over a dozen top industry honors and recognitions from NAAMTA, EURAMI, International Assistance Group, ARGUS Platinum as well as the AAMS Fixed Wing Award of Excellence, ACE Safety Award, ITIJ 2015 Air Ambulance Provider of the Year Award and ITIJ 2016 Air Ambulance Provider of the Year Award Finalist. To learn more about REVA, Inc., and its worldwide services visit www.flyreva.com.

Strategic partnership and minority investment expands travel options for Wheels Up members and supports Tropic Ocean’s continued growth and expansion

NEW YORK – Wheel Up Experience (NYSE: UP) today announced a new strategic partnership and minority investment in Tropic Ocean Airways, the world’s largest amphibious airline and leading provider of last-mile private charter and scheduled service in Florida, the Northeastern United States, the Bahamas, the Caribbean and beyond.

The multiyear commercial agreement is the latest step by Wheels Up in its efforts to expand the addressable market for its product offerings and offer a seamless first- to last-mile travel solution for its members and customers. The agreement provides for the integration of Tropic Ocean’s charter and certain scheduled by-the-seat services into Wheels Up’s marketplace, and Wheels Up members and customers will be able to directly book and pay for travel on Tropic Ocean flights through their normal Wheels Up booking channels.

The parties will initially focus on providing Wheels Up customers with greater accessibility to options within Tropic Ocean’s current coverage area. Over time, the parties intend to expand to additional markets in the United States and the Caribbean.

Tropic Ocean operates a single fleet type, late model Cessna Caravan EX aircraft.  Tropic Ocean operates two variants of the Caravan, amphibious and wheeled.  Amphibious models are capable of interchangeably landing and taking off from the water or a runway, unlocking access to destinations otherwise not accessible by conventional aircraft.  Operated by two pilots and carrying up to 9 guests, these aircraft are ideal for trips of 250 miles or less.

Together with the commercial agreement, Wheels Up also announced a minority capital investment in Tropic Ocean, a first for Wheels Up, to help fund the continued growth for Tropic Ocean and to support certain shared initiatives under the commercial agreement, including the introduction of new flight offerings that will be exclusive to Wheels Up customers.

“Tropic Ocean is a leader in providing short-range airlift solutions in urban areas, remote locations and markets with limited airport access or otherwise challenged with last-mile connectivity”, said Wheels Up CEO Kenny Dichter.  “Tropic Ocean delivers a strong geographic and product fit as the locations they currently serve are very popular with our members and with an aircraft type that extends the range and access capability of our existing fleet. They are already a Wheels Up safety vetted and verified partner that shares our commitment to customer service, and we look forward to giving our members new and exciting travel opportunities as Tropic Ocean continues to expand.”

Founded in 2009, Tropic Ocean operates a fleet of wheeled and amphibious aircraft and serves more than 70 destinations through private and shared charters.

“Wheels Up is a clear leader in private aviation, and we’re excited to partner with them in offering even more seamless travel options to their members and customers,” said Tropic Ocean CEO Rob Ceravolo. “This partnership will also help us extend the reach of our existing products, invest in our operational capabilities, and expand our offerings to more places and more service types.”

###

About Wheels Up

Wheels Up Experience (NYSE: UP) is the leading provider of “on demand” private aviation in the United States and one of the largest private aviation companies in the world. Powered by a growing marketplace of more than 1,500 safety-vetted and verified aircraft, Wheels Up is the only company in the industry to offer a total private aviation solution that includes a relentless focus on safety and service, with flexibility across all types of aircraft, membership programs, corporate solutions, aircraft management, whole aircraft sales and commercial travel benefits through a strategic partnership with Delta Air Lines.

The Wheels Up App enables members and customers to search, book and fly. Wheels Up Connect, Core, and Business memberships provide enhancements such as flight sharing, empty-leg Hot Flights, Shuttle Flights, Shared Flights, signature Wheels Up Down events and exclusive member benefits from preeminent lifestyle brands. Wheels Up’s ongoing Wheels Up Cares program aligns with philanthropic organizations and initiatives that affect and matter to the company and its customers, members, stakeholders, families and friends. The Wheels Up Cares fleet comprises five custom-painted Beechcraft King Air 350i aircraft, with each plane serving as a flying symbol for a specific social cause.

About Tropic Ocean

Tropic Ocean Airways, LLC is a United States certificated commuter air carrier and the leading provider of short-range airlift solutions in urban areas and remote locations.  Founded in 2009 by United States Navy TOPGUN instructor, Tropic Ocean is the largest commercial amphibious airline in the world, servicing destinations throughout Florida, the Northeast, The Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Utilizing standard operating procedures based on the U.S. Military’s best practices, the airline is the recipient of the highly coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety. To learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways, visit FlyTropic.com and on Instagram at @FlyTropic.

Long before he launched Tropic Ocean Airways, Rob Ceravolo had already logged thousands of hours as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Navy.

“I stopped counting at 4,500 or so,” says Ceravolo, who runs his character flight seaplane operation out of Fort Lauderdale with bases in Miami, San Juan and New York, and has just increased his fleet of 13 planes in the Caribbean to provide direct access to spots in the United States , the British Virgin Islands and new service to Bermuda and St. Barts.

Transporting his well-heeled clients to their residences in the Caribbean is also new. “The shift to working from home and home-schooling is making people consider long-term stays at their second homes,” he adds. “I think the top charter these days is our flight from the Miami Seaplane Base, whereyou bypass MIA, direct to a home in, say, Kamalame Cay, where we land on the beach in front of your place.”

Also popular these days are yacht charters. “There’s no need to spend time riding the yacht from Florida,” says Ceravolo. “We’ll drop you off yachtside in a secluded harbor and you don’t need to see another soul.”

Tropic Ocean Airways vessels can transfer eight passengers, each with access to a window seat, and carry two pilots per plane. “We are one of the only amphibious airlines to mandate two FAA-certified pilots on every flight.”

Ceravolo credits a great deal of his experience to his days as a Navy fighter pilot. AS he puts it, “When you are landing at an airbase getting hit by mortars and have hydraulic failures flying over Iraq, you learn some things.”

The graduate of the U.S. Navy Fighter Weapons School (better known as TOPGUN) has dozens of anecdotes like the one above, but the question he gets asked most often has to do with Tom Cruise’s depiction of his former profession.

“Top Gun, the movie, yes, of course. It’s the first thing people want to talk about,” he says with a laugh. “I’ve probably seen it over a thousand times. When we were in F-14 training, we watched it on the occasional Saturday. We called it going to church.”

As for the film’s upcoming sequel? “I’m planning on renting a theater for the Tropic family to watch it together,” he says. “Unfortunately it was pushed back to next year, but that’s OK. That gives me more time to work on my beach volleyball in jeans and dog tags.”

Read the article here: https://digital.modernluxury.com/publication/?m=3623&i=674527&p=108

Tropic Ocean Airways is a large, standardize airline that just happens to land in the water. Founded in 2009 by Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways is committed to providing first-class private charter and scheduled service flights throughout Florida, The Bahamas and beyond. They love what they do, and they should, just as much as you will love flying with them. In fact, once you fly to The Bahamas and the Caribbean with Tropic Ocean, which is not remotely as expensive as you might thing, you’ll probably never travel to paradise another way. Clean, the highest safety rating in the industry, no lines, pre-boarded and passport stamped before you board their impeccable aircrafts.

Behind what is the genius of Tropic Ocean Airways is an entrepreneur with a dream and the audacity to say what if, and to bring that dream to life. CEO Rob Ceravolo, a University of Florida alumni, was a TOPGUN Fighter Pilots in the U.S. Navy, serving as an active duty and reserve member, becoming an air combat instructor, and earning the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Ceravolo’s leadership and vision, coupled with Nick Veltre’s (COO) expertise in seaplane operations, led to the development of an award-winning seaplane company offering unmatched professionalism, dedication to safety, and guest satisfaction.

Tropic Ocean Airways is the largest amphibious airline with a fleet of 13 aircrafts, and as travel to the Caribbean has now opened back up, it’s Ceravolo’s foresight, strategic maneuvering, and proactive approach that will lead to a new era, and perhaps the magical tipping point for this amazing company that was once simply a dream.

Elevated: The experience of travel for people is going to be that much valuable as people have had the opportunity, forced as it was, to really reflect on aspects of their lives and thus both reevaluate and prioritize. You take something away and people realize how valuable it is and perhaps how it might have been taken for granted or not valued as mush as it should have been. Just as with home and design and people being forced to realize there is so much more they can do with their homes by having been forced to have been in them for an extended period of time, same with travel in that now having not had it, people are going to have a heightened, and real, sense of demand in general and at an accelerated pace, and further when it comes to someone such as yourself, having one of the most powerful, exclusive, unique experiences on the planet, but further being in the Caribbean, I would think it’s an exciting time?!

Rob Ceravolo: You hit it on the head. The majority of us value experience. To design life around the idea that  life is an experience and it’s something to be lived essentially. This crisis has helped people re-evaluate what they really value in life.

Elevated: Life is the experience. So how do you make each and every moment of life the experience you want it to be? That includes of course when deciding to make that trip down to the Caribbean, it’s doing it with you. People must also think initially that traveling with Tropic Ocean is an incredibly high ticket such as most private aviation travel, while with you it’s not.

Rob Ceravolo:  It’s a good point. WE’re not the low-cost alternative by any means. That being said, we’re not a private jet. I equate it to a price comparison to a Delta Plus or Delta Business Class experience. It runs anywhere from a $250 ticket where you’re buying a seat to a $15,000 round trip to fly you to your mega-yacht and everything in between. It’s not a $40,000 private jet flight by any means. Especially when you think about the homeowners in the islands. The time alone that you save is a huge value. If you own a home on Kamalame Key, you board one of our flight and we pre-clear you, and an hour later the plane is landing in front of your house! While you’re sitting at the seaplane base in Florida, we stamp your passport and say “Welcome to The Bahamas!” You’re sitting in a lounge in Miami and you’re already cleared into The Bahamas.

See the article here: https://issuu.com/elevatedluxurylife/docs/elevated_caribbean_winter_2020_issuu 

In recent years, upmarket travelers have gravitated to small-ship ocean and river cruising, both of which offer the sought-after combination of relative intimacy, personalized service, gourmet, prepared-to-order cuisine and soft adventure excursions.  Along with per-diem fares that typically range from $700 to $1,000 per day, these voyages come with their own set of high expectations.

But with a near-total cruise industry shutdown due to the novel coronavirus pandemic, private yacht charters are conveniently filling that luxe niche, offering guests a mix of exploration and relaxation, with the added safety and security of a private yacht. Social distancing is, in essence, inherent to yachting.

And while yachts can’t offer all of the public areas and features found on small, ocean-going or river cruise vessels, they do present – after months of isolation – a viable option for families and friends to “quaranteam” by traveling together and reconnecting aboard these safe sanctuaries at sea. Vessel capacity varies by company, but the yachts typically accommodate from 8 to 12 guests on worldwide voyages ranging from 3 to 15 days.

All of the operators below are following current health and safety procedures to mitigate the coronavirus threat, and are sanitizing all high-touch surfaces before and after charters. And although many operate in several regions around the world, the current focus is mostly on sailings in Mexico, the Bahamas and the US Virgin Islands, bowing to the realities of destinations now open to US travelers. Some of the industry’s leading players in the luxury yacht charter niche follow.

Tropic Ocean Airways

Considering the time, money and logistics spent in arranging a private yacht charter, flying your group via a commercial airline to the port of embarkation could defeat the mission’s original objective of a safe, secure vacation. That’s where Tropic Ocean Airways comes in.

The company’s fleet of 13 Cessna Caravans (all crewed with 2 pilots), based in Fort Lauderdale, San Juan, Puerto Rico, Antigua and New York, are ready to fly up to 8 guests to meet yachts in the Bahamas and the Caribbean.

To ease the air-yacht transfer, 11 of Tropic’s Cessnas are amphibious, allowing them to land at sea just yards from the yacht, where tenders then ferry the guests aboard. Alternatively, where available, guests may deplane right onto the yacht’s aft platform. And pre-clearance of Bahamian immigration can be facilitated by the company’s staff in Florida, making the journey that much easier.

One-way rates start at $1,300 (per group) and rise commensurate with flight time/distance flown. Tropic Ocean Airways will also work with clients coming from farther points to arrange commercial or charter air.

Exclusive Resorts

“The Club” offers weeklong, private itineraries for up to 8 travelers. Fall dates for the 7-day excursions to the Bahamas or Virgin Islands begin in November 2020 and run through summer 2021. And since the club’s yachts sail in warm waters year-round, off-the-boat options include swimming, snorkeling, diving, hiking and day visits to remote beaches. A minimum 2-day turnaround between each trip guarantees that the yachts are cleaned and sanitized prior to the arrival of the next group.

Exclusive Resorts is a members-only vacation club that accepts only 100 new families per year. Weeklong yacht charters range from $65,000 to $75,000 and are truly all-inclusive, encompassing even crew gratuities, which typically comprise 10 to 20 percent of the charter fee. Once a reservation is made, members work with a dedicated Yacht Concierge – at no extra cost – to assist them with every aspect of their vacation, from menu customization to planning private island excursions with off-the-beaten-path exclusivity.

Dream Yacht Charter

Building on 20 years of experience, Dream Yacht Charter now offers a portfolio in excess of 1,250 yachts sailing in over 60 worldwide destinations, representing a wide range of voyage options in multiple budget ranges. Travelers can choose from bareboat (you crew and stock provisions), skippered (hire a skipper), by-the-cabin (reserve a private cabin on a guaranteed departure with other guests), crewed (full professional crew, customized menu and itinerary) or sabbatical (sail for a few months – or up to a year).

The company’s yachts sail in the warm waters of the Bahamas, Tahiti, the Caribbean and Central America, as well as close-to-home destinations served from ports in Annapolis, MD, and Ft. Lauderdale. And for those looking for a true getaway once travel restrictions are lifted, the Greek Isles, Bali, Malaysia, Thailand, the Indian Ocean and South Pacific beckon.

The company’s flagship all-inclusive, private crewed charters accommodate up to 10 guests and are priced between $25,550 – $49,410 per week, depending on date and destination.

A seaplane company based in Florida is organizing a mission to bring much-needed relief to parts of the Bahamas that were pummeled by Hurricane Dorian. As soon as weather conditions are deemed safe enough, Tropic Ocean Airways will deploy its fleet from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to assess the damage from a bird’s eye view. The airline has teamed up with the Bahamian government and a group of former Navy SEALS called “Blue Tide Marine” to deliver vital medical support to the islands along with food and water. Former U.S. Navy fighter pilot and C.E.O. of Tropic Ocean Airways Rob Ceravolo joined CBSN to discuss the relief efforts.

Richard Branson

I was in Bimini recently with the Virgin Voyages team to check out our new beach club. It’s a really beautiful small island in the Bahamas, which we travelled to by seaplane thanks to our friends at Tropic Ocean Airways.

When I was offered the chance to fly, I jumped at the chance (though I’m not sure the team travelling me were quite so enthusiastic – there were a few worried faces). I reassured them all that I have flown a seaplane many times before (even if it was 20 years ago – I even used to have a seaplane licence). My instructor was a very experienced former Marine Corps veteran and Check Airman, so we were in very safe hands.

I was delighted to hear that Tropic Ocean Airways was started after the founder Rob Ceravolo, a former Navy TOPGUN instructor, read my business book Screw It Let’s Do It. He’s grown the company into the largest amphibious airline in the world – quite an achievement.

It was so thrilling to be behind the controls once again and to be given a refresher on what they all do. I want to tell you I just felt a calm sense of awe and wonder, but my heart was racing with excitement.

Aviation has always fascinated and intrigued me – I even wrote a book about it – and I love the feeling of soaring high above the earth and looking down. It’s just magical flying just below the fluffy clouds and gazing out at the brilliant blue hue of the ocean stretching out into the horizon.

Seeing the ocean from above always brings home to me the importance of protecting it. I’m so proud that Virgin Voyages has teamed up with Ocean Unite to support their campaign for protecting 30 percent of the ocean by 2030. They are also going to be the cleanest fleet at sea, and have banned single use plastic onboard. There’s a whole host of really impressive sustainability initiatives, such as reef friendly sun cream and ultra efficient technology to reduce our carbon footprint. Virgin Voyages are also pioneering innovative technologies that transform heat from the ship’s engines into clean energy, and purify wastewater so that it’s even clean enough to drink.

I got such a thrill from flying again, and it only happened because I love saying yes.  It’s so important to always be challenging ourselves and trying new things. I’ve always pushed myself to make the most of every moment and every opportunity – and it’s made life one hell of an adventure.

Claire Bessette

Norwich — If you’re in downtown Norwich or somewhere along the Thames River area this weekend, don’t be alarmed when a small plane descends onto the river. It’s supposed to do that.

Tropic Ocean Airways, based in Fort Lauderdale and with a fleet of eight-passenger Cessna Grand Caravan amphibious seaplanes in Caldwell, N.J., will make four trips to Norwich Harbor Saturday and four more on Sunday. The planes will shuttle VIP patrons of the Barrett-Jackson auto auction at the Mohegan Sun Casino to and from the event via the Marina at American Wharf.

Two flights will arrive from New York City, a 40-minute trip, and two will come from Farmingdale, N.J., a 45-minute flight. The planes are scheduled to land in Norwich Harbor at 9:45 a.m., noon, 3 p.m. and 5 p.m., weather permitting.

Since Tropic Ocean Airways’ planes are all amphibious, if the weather and visibility are poor, the planes will go to the Groton-New London Airport in Groton, said Scott Young, director of sales for the airline.

“We’ve just had all the support in the world from the city of Norwich — the mayor’s office, police department, fire department,” Young said Friday.

Young said it was important to make sure local authorities and the public know that the seaplanes are coming to the harbor, so people won’t think a plane is about to crash in the harbor.

Young said the company started exploring possible service to southeastern Connecticut and specifically to Mohegan Sun Casino about 18 months ago. Because of the freight rail tracks between the Thames River and Mohegan Sun, passengers could not disembark directly at the casino.

Company officials met with Norwich city officials, police and fire department representatives, and marina staff and discussed safe approaches to the harbor. In October, they tried it out.

“We took some executives from Mohegan Sun for a sightseeing tour,” Young said.

“We’re excited about this opportunity,” Mayor Peter Nystrom said Friday. “We’re hoping to have the harbor become a destination for seaplanes. It’s a way as establishing our harbor as a destination.”

He said while the trips this weekend are tied to the Barrett-Jackson auction, they are coming to Norwich during a busy weekend of events. The Rose Arts Festival will take place all day Saturday at the Chelsea Parade and in the evening with music venues throughout downtown.

“This is the kind of event that could be happening every single weekend here, weather permitting,” Nystrom said.

Young said city officials asked many “great questions” about logistics and safety during their meetings and found no hindrances. No specific permits are needed for the seaplane to land in the harbor, city officials said.

Young said Tropic Ocean Airways is a rapidly growing business that provides customers with a way to get to popular and difficult destinations without dealing with the traffic congestion on Northeast and Florida highways. The company also takes passengers to remote islands in the Bahamas and Caribbean.

The company was founded nine years ago by former Navy F-14 fighter pilot Robert Ceravolo. It started with one four-seater seaplane in Florida. The company now has 13 amphibious planes and more than 100 employees in the Fort Lauderdale, Fla., area and the New York City area.

“The world is our runway” is the new line the company trademarked. “That really says it all,” Young said.

One of the main topics during Caribbean Aviation Meetup was the lack of connections between island in the region. Where came the company actually offering a solution – amphibious aircraft. Tropic Ocean Airways, the largest amphibious airline with a fleet of 13 aircraft.

“We love what we do — just ask our passengers who fly with us time and again. Additionally, we are honored to have the highest safety rating in the industry”

Obviously, we had to find out more directly from the company’s CEO Rob Ceravolo.

Q. Rob, what was your way to aviation – why, since when you were dreaming about or it was a random choice?

A. My father was an Italian immigrant who came to the US in his early 20s.  He was a teenager in southern Italy during World War II…the American military liberated his town from the Nazis.  He always remembered the US bombers and fighters flying low over his mountain-top town and fell in love with the US and aviation.

Some of my earliest memories are spending time with him at the airport, or sitting on a cushion in small plane so I could see over the dash and take the controls.

Flying fighters for the US Navy was not only a dream of mine, but a dream of his, as well.   I always wanted to be a fighter pilot since I was a little kid…since I loved the sky and the water, the idea of landing fighter jets on Navy ships was amazing (and, of course the movie TOPGUN helped nudge me in that direction!!).

I was so fortunate to bring a Navy jet down to Fort Lauderdale for the Air and Sea show in 2003 so he could see it.  He passed away three weeks later, but I was very fortunate that we were able to share that experience together before he passed.

Q. Motivation to start your own company, choice of the specific niche?

A. As a Navy pilot, I was very fortunate to have experience in the F-14D, F-18E, and F-5N aircraft.  After deploying twice, I transitioned to shore duty and was sent to TOPGUN’s Adversary program.  I always believed that the training and development in the military could be applied to civilian aviation (as civilian aviation is a very fragmented industry when it comes to training and standardization).    The civilian mentality is ‘hours equals experience’ which is such a ridiculous and arbitrary metric to track!  How can you identify the quality of experience simply by how many hours someone has in a cockpit?  In the military you are ‘developed’ throughout your career, not just in flight school.  The most senior pilots learn something new every day.  This is why a young Naval Aviator can fly a high performance jet into combat and then land on an aircraft carrier at night with only 400 hours!  I believed (and proved) that we can apply this form of development to civilian aviation.

I also had a dream to someday fly seaplanes as it is the logical next step for a guy who loves both the sky and the water.  The idea of seaplane flying for me is “freedom.”  It is so different than regular aviation in that it gives you that freedom and access to places that are normally out of reach.  Seaplane service can become an economic engine for any region that is either congested (New York City) or remote (Bahamas, Caribbean).  They create air service without the need for millions of dollars of investment into an airport and runways, which also have a significant impact on the area and environment.

Q. In your opinion, your greatest success and the biggest challenge you are working on?

A. Our greatest success is building the team from one person to the over 100 teammates we have today.  Historically, we’ve looked outside the aviation industry for people, and worked to develop them from the ground up, fostering an amazing culture in the process.  The right team is so important.  Anyone can buy pretty airplanes…but it is rare to build a team that will embrace the idea of constant improvement and be willing to think outside the box, buck the status quo, and work together to change the way aviation companies do business…a team that balances professionalism with compassion.

We do what we do very well. In 2018 alone, we flew 35,000 guests in five countries while maintaining five stars reviews.   We have worked hard to create an operation and experience that is unmatched, and we are working with several governments to apply what we’ve learned and develop similar operations in new regions.  Point to point, direct, amphibious service combined with our ability to train and develop people from the ground up can be a game changer in a region that struggles with reliable and guest-focused airlift.  It opens up opportunities for development of high-end, low-impact resorts, enhancing the visitor’s experience while creating jobs.

The biggest challenges are:

• changing the public’s perception of seaplane flying from the ‘cowboy mentality’ to an actual professionally run airline that just happens to land in the water.
• Maintaining the quality culture that has been the instrument of our success as we scale and grow in new regions

EY announces Robert Ceravolo of Tropic Ocean Airways named Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 Award winner in Florida

Orlando, FL, June 13, 2019 – EY today announced that Rob Ceravolo, CEO of Tropic Ocean Airways, the world’s leading amphibious airline, received the Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2019 Award in the Consumer Services category in Florida. The award recognizes entrepreneurs who are excelling in areas such as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities, while also transforming our world. Mr. Ceravolo was selected by an independent panel of judges, and the award was presented at a special gala event at the June 13, 2019 at the Hilton Orlando.

Mr. Ceravolo, a former Navy fighter pilot and TOPGUN instructor, founded the airline to help solve airlift problems in congested and remote regions.  The company has grown consistently since 2011, carrying over 35,000 guests in 2018.  Additionally, the airline provided disaster relief throughout the Caribbean during the major hurricanes of 2015, 2016, and 2017.  The backbone of the company is its dedication to employee development and training.

“I’m so honored to win this award considering the lineup of amazing finalists,” Ceravolo said.  “Entrepreneurship is more than just running a business…I have over 100 entrepreneurial-minded teammates who help Tropic succeed every day.  This award is for them.”

Since 1986, EY has honored entrepreneurs whose ingenuity, spirit of innovation and discipline have driven their companies’ success, transformed their industries and made a positive impact on their communities. Now in its 33rd year, the program has honored the inspirational leadership of such entrepreneurs as:

• Howard Schultz of Starbucks Corporation
• Pierre Omidyar of eBay, Inc.
• Jodi Berg of Vitamix
• Robert Unanue of Goya Foods
• Reid Hoffman and Jeff Weiner of LinkedIn
• Hamdi Ulukaya of Chobani
• Kendra Scott of Kendra Scott LLC
• Andreas Bechtolsheim and Jayshree Ullal of Arista Networks
• James Park of Fitbit
• J.W. “Bill” Marriott, Jr. of Marriott International, Inc.
• Lonnie Moulder and Mary Lynne Hedley, PhD, of TESARO, Inc.

As a Florida award winner, Mr. Ceravolo is now eligible for consideration for the Entrepreneur Of The Year 2019 National Awards. Award winners in several national categories, as well as the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Overall Award winner, will be announced at the Entrepreneur Of The Year National Awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 16, 2019. The awards are the culminating event of the Strategic Growth Forum®, the nation’s most prestigious gathering of high-growth, market-leading companies.

Sponsors

Founded and produced by Ernst & Young LLP, the Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards are nationally sponsored by SAP America and the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.

In Florida, regional sponsors also include Platinum sponsors Greenberg Traurig, LLP and PNC Bank and Silver sponsor the Orlando Business Journal.

About Tropic Ocean Airways

Tropic Ocean Airways, a U.S. certificated commuter air carrier founded by a U.S. Navy TOPGUN fighter pilot, is focused on the use of professionally-operated amphibious aircraft to create airlift solutions for congested and remote regions. The airline, which has grown over 35% year over year, safely transported over 35,000 guests in 2018 throughout destinations in Florida, the Northeast U.S., The Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways is the recipient of the highly coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety and enjoys a five-star customer service rating on TripAdvisor and social media.  Ceravolo and his team of over 100 experienced aviation professionals have developed and implemented standard operating procedures modeled after the U.S. military, which ensure the highest levels of safety and service aboard each flight.  For more information, please visit www.flytropic.com

About Entrepreneur Of The Year®

Entrepreneur Of The Year®, founded by EY, is the world’s most prestigious business awards program for entrepreneurs. The program makes a difference through the way it encourages entrepreneurial activity among those with potential and recognizes the contribution of people who inspire others with their vision, leadership and achievement. As the first and only truly global awards program of its kind, Entrepreneur Of The Year celebrates those who are building and leading successful, growing and dynamic businesses, recognizing them through regional, national and global awards programs in more than 145 cities in more than 60 countries. ey.com/eoy

About EY’s Growth Markets Network

EY’s worldwide Growth Markets Network is dedicated to serving the changing needs of high-growth companies. For more than 30 years, we’ve helped many of the world’s most dynamic and ambitious companies grow into market leaders. Whether working with international mid-cap companies or early stage, venture-backed businesses, our professionals draw upon their extensive experience, insight and global resources to help your business succeed. For more information, please visit us at ey.com/gm or follow news on Twitter @EY_Growth.

About EY

EY is a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction and advisory services. The insights and quality services we deliver help build trust and confidence in the capital markets and in economies the world over. We develop outstanding leaders who team to deliver on our promises to all of our stakeholders. In so doing, we play a critical role in building a better working world for our people, for our clients and for our communities.

EY refers to the global organization and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation is available via ey.com/privacy. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

Bill Springer

As I found out during a recent interview, Tropic Ocean Airways founder and CEO Rob Ceravolo is not a stereotypical seaplane pilot. And Tropic Ocean Airways is way more than a stereotypical seaplane operation.

“I had two dreams when I was a kid,” he says when I asked him what inspired him to buy his first seaplane with the goal of building an “amphibious” airline. “One of them was to become a fighter pilot.” He flew F-14s and the F-18s in the Navy and graduated Top Gun.

“The other was to start an aviation company when I retired.

“So, when I got out of the Navy in 2009, I was riding motorcycles through southern Italy with a buddy. Then I started reading Screw It, Let’s Do It by Richard Branson.” The rest, as they say, is history. As soon as he returned to the States, he said “screw it, let’s do it,” and sold everything he had to buy his first seaplane.

Why seaplanes? I ask.

“I grew up around the water,” he says. “I’m a water guy. I love boats, fishing, sailing, free diving. I obviously love to fly. But the idea of landing on an aircraft carrier is even better. That’s why I joined the Navy, not the Air Force. Seaplane flying is the same thing. It combines two of my passions—aviation and the ocean. The other thing about seaplanes is… they create the ultimate freedom.

“Imagine you’re flying around with your buddy and you’re like, ‘You know what? I want to go to land over there and go snorkeling. Or, drop me off, I’m going to go kite boarding in this remote location.’ Or bonefishing. We can arrange for a boat and a guide to meet you when you land that will take you to the most beautiful bonefishing locations in the world. It’s like heli-skiing, if you will, but on a seaplane.”

Yacht owners and captains are also catching on to the ease and freedom Tropic Ocean Air seaplanes make possible. Ceravolo’s seaplanes have delivered owners to superyachts anchored off remote islands in the Bahamas. And yacht captains love Ceravolo’s airline that prides itself on its ability to deliver the most outrageous special requests to yachts in the most far-flung locations.

And while Tropic Ocean Airways may sound like it’s comes right out of a Jimmy Buffet-esque seaplane in paradise song, Ceravolo’s upbringing and Navy background is much more professional, disciplined and safe than the more stereotypical “cowboy-type” seaplane service.

“The Navy does such a great job of developing pilots,” he says. “So, at 400 hours, you’re landing on an aircraft carrier, at night, after a mission over Iraq… because of the training. So, we applied that concept so we could make a real seaplane airline. Over the course of several years, we developed training programs. We developed the two pilot crew concept. We standardized the operation. We created a debrief loop where we talk to our guests. We talk to our clients. We talk to our pilots. We talk to our maintenance guys, customer service. Every day, we sit down and we say, ‘Okay, what can we do better?’ That’s what the Navy did. The Navy debriefed every day. Over the last 10 years we’ve created this amazing airline. Last year, we flew 35,000 people in five different countries with five star reviews. Name an airline that gets five star reviews! We don’t always get it right, but we always learn from our issues and get better.”

Ceravolo brings a refreshing attitude to giving back to the community from his upbringing and military service too. “I think that the military has a misconception. All of the veteran-started companies I know give back because service people are taught to volunteer in the community. It’s what you do because you are part of the community.

“What happens after a natural disaster? There’s a Navy ship. Within 24 hours, a navy ship pulls up doing relief efforts and all this other stuff. And it’s just kind of ingrained in that culture of service. So we said we’re going to do this by company because I feel very privileged to operate in where we do. I feel very fortunate that the company is growing and succeeding, so we give back because we can, and it’s the right thing to do.”

It’s obvious Ceravolo is as proud of his contribution to the community as he is of the success he is having in the Bahamas and beyond. Tropic Ocean Airline’s dock-to-dock seaplane service from Miami’s historic Seaplane base on Government Cut to Baker’s Bay (Discovery Land Company’s ultra-exclusive residential resort community in the Bahamas) is the most luxurious way to get there. And with regularly scheduled flights from Miami and Fort Lauderdale to Bimini, Great Harbour Cay and Fresh Creek in the Bahamas, and numerous private charter destinations all over in the Bahamas and the Caribbean, Ceravolo’s dream of creating an “amphibious airline” has become a reality.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (March 11, 2019) – Tropic Ocean Airways, a South Florida-based luxury amphibious airline delivering the solution for elevated air travel to remote or congested destinations and Pacific Bound Yachts, a bespoke luxury yacht and aviation travel and concierge agency specializing in “off the beaten path” destinations, partnered to complete the first water landing in Cuba in more than
60 years on March 5, 2019.

The flight, a private seaplane charter, was coordinated fully by Pacific Bound Yachts for one of their clients and executed by Tropic Ocean Airways. The plan involved picking up guests from a private yacht cruising on the southern coast of Cuba and transport them to Miami International Airport for a connecting flight. This historic and highly anticipated seaplane flight took many months of planning by Pacific Bound Yachts (who are currently in the process of changing their name to Discovery Bound Yachts & Aviation) to ensure all necessary protocols and approvals were in place to ensure a safe and smooth flight experience.

The teams conducted thorough research of the area and liaised with government officials from both countries. Pacific Bound Yachts was instrumental in the success of this initiative, providing critical details regarding optimal landing location for a seaplane, and facilitating all required permitting and approvals. Both companies share a commitment to the safety and comfort of each guest, so nothing is left to
chance.

This momentous flight departed from Tropic Ocean Airways’ private lounge at Fort Lauderdale International Airport, made a brief stop in Key West, and continued into Cuban airspace where Cuban Air Traffic Control guided the seaplane to the designated water landing area. Once at the destination, the highly-trained two pilot crew conducted an aerial survey of the proposed landing area and coordinated with Pacific Bound Yachts’ Director of Aviation to ensure the safety and integrity of the proposed landing zone. The crew safely touched down into the protected waters ahead of schedule and moored the seaplane to a buoy adjacent to the yacht where Customs and Immigration officials greeted the crew and processed the guests returning to the United States.

“Seaplanes are part of the storied history of Florida’s connection to Cuba, dating back to days of the Clippers operating the air bridge between Miami and Havana,” said Tropic Ocean Airways’ Founder and CEO, Rob Ceravolo. “I’ve heard for almost a decade that reintroducing seaplane flights connecting the two nations will never happen. Our company is built on removing the limits on what is possible – this
historic flight and water landing is a testament to that. We feel fortunate to share this historic flight with Pacific Bound Yachts; we appreciate their support and partnership.”

“Over the past number of years, we have worked hard to navigate through the proper official channels to establish reliable luxury yacht and private aviation experiences in Cuba. We are proud to add this to our list of aviation ‘firsts’ in Cuba such as the first helicopter landing on a private vessel in Havana harbor in history, and now the first seaplane landing in the country since 1959, according to Cuban Civil Aviation,” said Founder and COO Lisa Greenberg. “We are proud to have selected Tropic Ocean Airways as our partner and the provider for this historic accomplishment given their ever-expanding fleet and services throughout the Caribbean.”

About Tropic Ocean Airways

South Florida-based Tropic Ocean Airways, LLC is a United States certificated commuter air carrier, founded by United States Navy TOPGUN fighter pilot Rob Ceravolo in 2009. In addition to being the largest commercial amphibious airline in the world, Tropic Ocean Airways is one of the fastest growing commercial airlines on track to transport more than 45,000 guests throughout destinations in Florida, the Northeast., The Bahamas and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways is the recipient of the highly- coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety and enjoys a five-star customer service rating on TripAdvisor.

Ceravolo and his team of over 100 experienced aviation professionals have developed and implemented standard operating procedures borrowed from the U.S. military, which ensure the highest levels of safety and service aboard each and every flight. To learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways, visit FlyTropic.com and on Instagram at @FlyTropic.

About Pacific Bound Yachts

Pacific Bound Yachts specialize in providing luxury yachts and private aircraft support while visiting & the beaten path; destinations. Travel from Cuba and the Galapagos to Iceland and the Baltic, their highly personalized itinerary planning and local support in more than 35 countries ensures bespoke and immersive experiences for the world’s most discerning clients. PBY offers an integrative approach to support owners, captains and crew. Their team includes well-seasoned yacht agents, expedition leaders, and aviation specialists whose experience stretch five continents.

Pacific Bound Yachts will launch their highly anticipated re-branding effort in the fall of 2019 with a company name change to Discovery Bound Yachts & Aviation. “We have been working beyond the Pacific and with aviation for over 10 years. It’s time our name matched our offerings.”, said Lisa Greenberg, Founder and COO. 954.638.7757, info(at)pacificboundyachts(dot)com

Over the course of almost six decades something in the neighborhood of 24,000 pilots have earned their seaplane ratings at the facility, located on Lake Jesse in Winter Haven, adjacent to the city’s regional airport.

There are more than 15,000 airports in the United States and thousands more grass strips. To general aviation pilots, though, only a few airfields are truly notable. Oshkosh is one — the big air show in Wisconsin that becomes the world’s busiest airport for a few days each summer. Also Lakeland’s Sun ’n Fun, another highly eventful place for a week or so in the spring. And then there’s Brown’s Seaplane Base — the most famous seaplane training facility in the world — and it’s located right here in Imperial Polk County, operating every week of the year. Over the course of almost six decades something in the neighborhood of 24,000 pilots have earned their seaplane ratings at the facility, located on Lake Jesse in Winter Haven, adjacent to the city’s regional airport. A few are highly experienced military pilots. A handful have been astronauts. Some, like Jimmy Buffet, are famous. Most, though, are recreational pilots looking for a wholly new adventure in the air. Jack Brown started the place in 1963. His sons Jon and Chuck have been running it for decades. Both are FAA designated pilot examiners for single-engine seaplanes. It’s fair to say no one would confuse the physical plant for an architectural masterpiece but that doesn’t make it any less of a landmark. What is essentially a boathouse on steroids exudes a satisfying Old Florida vibe with its warm pine paneling, screen porch, dockside view and laid-back charm. And that’s just the way the Browns and their customers want it — low on pretension, high on competence and camaraderie. Most of all, it is gateway to a type of flying well-suited to a town that once semi-innocently billed itself as “The City of 100 Lakes” — which turned out to be an exaggeration by a factor of two. Once aloft, though, the view reveals a topography of watery landing fields amounting to hundreds of acres — in other words, a sunny, friendly, floatplane paradise. We spoke recently with Jon Brown, the 30,000-hour pilot who heads the operation, about its history and prospects for the future.

Q. Your father started the business. How did he happen to end up in Central Florida?

A. Dad was a Navy pilot in the Pacific. I didn’t talk to him too much about his war experience and I regret that. I do know that he was a pilot before the war started. After military flight training in Pensacola in 1942, he shipped over to Hawaii. The admirals found out that he was a pilot with a lot of experience so they grabbed him to transport them around the islands. But he also flew fighter planes, a lot of seaplanes, had many experiences in the war. After the war we moved down from West Virginia and he became a civilian flight instructor for the Air Force at Bartow Air Base from 1952 until it closed. In 1960 he came over to the Winter Haven airport and became the first FBO (fixed base operator). Back then the airport was just an old, dilapidated field. He got some (Piper Cub) 150s and J-3s and started teaching people to fly.

Q. How did the seaplane base come into existence? Had he always wanted to be in that business?

A. In 1963 he took a J-3 Cub with floats in on trade and we trucked it down to the spot where we are now — dragged it down an old dirt road fishermen used, lashed to a boat trailer, and stuck it in the water. He was taxiing it around and flying and one of the other pilots said, “Hey, I’d like to get a seaplane rating, can we do it?” And he said, “Yes, I think we can” and that’s how the seaplane base started. Shortly thereafter he started putting up the buildings here.

Q. Were you involved from the beginning?

A. I was helping him at the FBO as a line boy, flying with whoever I could get to take me up. I soloed on my 16th birthday and the next day I got my driver’s license. My brother, Chuck, soloed on his birthday too. After I went off to college I didn’t fly much because I had to pay for the airplanes up there. I came back in 1973, getting ready for the airlines, trying to build up time. In 1975 everything was all set to go and then my dad had the airplane accident that took his life.

Q. Your father was a tremendously experienced pilot. What happened in the accident?

A. He was flying an airplane, for a friend, that he shouldn’t have been in, going to Charlotte, North Carolina. Beautiful day, a Sunday. He was going to drop the plane off and come over to Chattanooga where I was at the time. I saw him the day before and he wasn’t happy with the airplane. It was an old Seabee that shouldn’t have been in the air, and the elevator detached. He tried to make it into an old racetrack field and clipped some trees.

Q. That could have ended the business. How did you not just survive but continue to grow?

A. I stepped in and kept it going with a lot of help from a lot of people around the city here, bankers included, who went way above what they should have done to help us keep things going. I really didn’t know much about seaplanes back then. I look around now — I’ve been here 46 years — and it seems like just yesterday.

Q. Your operation is known as the biggest seaplane training facility in the country and beyond. How did you achieve that?

A. The reason is we can fly 365 days a year. We do about 65 percent of all the seaplane training in the world because that’s what we focus on. There are other seaplane schools that are active, up north, but they have only about a four-month window. A lot of other seaplane bases focus more on cargo and passengers.

Q. Who are your students and where do they come from?

A. Most are Americans. About 25 percent are foreign, primarily Europe but several from Asia. China is really getting involved with seaplanes now. With all the rivers over there they’ve seen the need for it in remote areas.

Q. Are the majority of pilots coming to get a rating they can use, or just for the experience and the fun of it?

A. Probably 70 percent just want to experience seaplane flying — a bucket list thing — and the rest have a specific reason for getting it, such as a pending job that requires it. A friend of ours who taught for us for several years started Tropic Ocean Airways down in Miami. They’ve got 12 (Cessna) Caravans down there, flying daily out to the Bahamas because there are lots of places people want to go that you can’t reach with commercial airlines. We trained probably 30 of his prospective pilots for their initial seaplane rating.

Q. This place started with just the one airplane. What’s the inventory now?

A. We have 10. We’ve got six cubs, a super cub, a Maule and a couple of land planes. We have four full-time instructors and 10 or 12 retired airline or Air Force pilots who help us out. An aviation mechanic who is also a qualified aircraft inspector is on staff as well.

Q. You are 71. Your brother Chuck is 63. Who is the future?

A. A young man named Ben Shipps came to me about seven years ago to get a seaplane rating. He was going to school in Virginia, studying business and aviation. I flew with him, did his check ride, and I think it’s the best check ride I’ve ever had out of 18,000 of them that I’ve given. I said, “What are your plans? Are you going to get your flight instructor certificate? Would you like to come down and fly for me for a little bit?” And he said, “I sure would. I love this seaplane flying.” So he came down and a year or so later he met my daughter and they hit it off and got married over at Fantasy of Flight. We had the reception in Kermit Week’s big hanger and he put planes in there that my dad had flown in the war. Ben worked hard while he was here, was a great instructor, got all his ratings and in September he was selected by the FAA as a pilot examiner — a credential very difficult to acquire. He started doing check rides in December. And now my son-in-law, who is 30, will be stepping in and taking over and keeping the place going. It’s my way of getting out of here — slowly.

Q. What has been the great allure of this for you?

A. The freedom that’s involved in seaplane flying, the people who come in to get the experience, the joy they get out of it. My dad never knew what it was going to become when we started with that first little seaplane out on Lake Jesse. The base means something to people. It means something that we’ll be in our 60th year before long. And it’s helped put Winter Haven on the map.

Dorie Cox

A group of yacht industry people watched from the dock as the seaplane descended over an underway barge and steered clear of anchored sailboats. The Cessna continued its flight toward Rybovich in West Palm Beach and landed in the Intracoastal Waterway just east of the marina docks.

Once the rotors slowed, the plane’s 1st officer, Laiss Khairzada, opened the port side door, climbed out onto one of the plane’s float pontoons and unscrewed the anchor compartment. When the rotors stopped, he dropped a small anchor in the water.

The group from the dock motored to the plane in a tender, pulled side-to and passed a line to Khairzada to hold the tender to allow passengers to climb onto the floats. Once seat-buckled in and briefed, Tropic Ocean Airways pilot Capt. William Coggan and Khairzada navigated the plane through the water toward the north and into the wind for lift-off and a flight to Miami Seaplane Base and the Miami Yacht Show in mid-February.

Yacht Capt. Mark Downes was one of about 50 people who flew with Tropic Ocean Airways on that days’ flights. As captain on M/Y Qing, a 150-foot Cheoy Lee, he marveled at his first seaplane trip since he was a kid and noticed the similarities of the amphibious float seaplane to the maritime industry.

“That was awesome, being able to stay low along the coast,” Capt. Downes said of the flight. “It’s a much more interesting way to go. We’ll hang out in the Bahamas in the future, and I’ve been looking at options for transport.” Capt. Downes has often watched seaplanes land when he has been anchored in a bay on a yacht. “They need it calm and protected, but it’s crazy where they can land,” he said. Capt. Coggan agreed and said landing speed can be 50 to 80 miles an hour on the water. “We can work in extremely congested waterways,” he said. “We are also privileged in Miami to be able to land in this base with cruise ships.”

Capt. Coggan commented on maritime similarities including the use of Garmin 1000 for navigation and weather. “When we’re on the water, the FAA has nothing to do with us,” Capt. Coggan said. “We follow maritime rules of navigation in the water.” Both boats and seaplanes monitor the weather and are cautious not to operate in unsafe conditions both in the air and on the water, he said. “The airplane always points into the wind,” Capt. Coggan said.

“That makes for a fun challenge. Every takeoff and landing is different and it does take creative problem solving with wind and waves.”

As the plane landed in Miami’s Government Cut and passed the cruise ships toward downtown, officer Khairzada prepared to lower the airplane rudders from a center console.

“Before a flight, the gears are up, tucked and streamlined,” Khairzada said. “Way before water operations begin, we slow on the water and then drop them for rudder control.”

Passengers disembarked and made plans to visit the nearby Miami Yacht Show while Capt. Coggan and Khairzada supervised filling the fuel tanks in the wings. Dorie Cox is editor of The Triton.

Read the full article in Seaplane Magazine.

By: Pia Bergqvist

Redbird Flight Simulations launched a couple of unique simulator products on display at the EAA AirVenture show grounds for the week.

The company introduced a seaplane trainer, specifically designed for Tropic Ocean Airways, which operates Cessna 208 Grand Caravans in the Bahamas, the Caribbean, Florida, and the northeastern United States. The simulator is a modified CRV training device that provides full motion simulation of flight conditions in a Grand Caravan equipped with Wipaire’s amphibious floats. The trainer will enable the airline to provide training to its pilots at a much lower cost.

“Organizations such as Wipaire and Tropic Ocean have expanded the possibilities for floatplane operations, but innovation from the training community has lagged considerably behind,” said Redbird Flight Simulations’ president, Charlie Gregoire. “This device offers floatplane pilots and training programs access to affordable technology that accurately represents their modern amphibious aircraft.”

The simulator is equipped with Wipaire’s Laser Gear Advisory system, which alerts the pilot if the gear configuration doesn’t match the landing surface.

“The CRV training device bridges the gap between Wipaire’s world-leading engineering and quality and the real-world of floatplane operations,” said Wipaire’s vice president of marketing and sales, Clint Clouatre. “This is an unequaled way for pilots to learn the safety features and operational procedures for Wipline float in a controlled, realistic environment.”

As is the tradition at AirVenture, the Austin, Texas-based company also announced a simulator designed more for the entertainment factor. Redbird teamed up with EAA Warbirds of America to produce a custom MX2 simulator based on the Vought F4U Corsair. The simulator honors Captain Thomas J. Hudner, a famous Naval aviator and medal-of-honor recipient, and is set up in Warbird Alley at Wittman Regional Airport for warbird lovers to play with. This is the sixth year Redbird has designed a simulator for AirVenture visitors and it is the third one representing a warbird.

Read Full Article

Tropic Ocean Airways, a global industry leader in seaplane operations, teamed with Delta Air Lines Subsidiary Endeavor Air to launch its new Aviator Career Enhancement (ACE) Program. The ACE Program will provide commercial pilots with invaluable mentorship, professional development, and a defined career pathway to potentially become a pilot at a major airline.

“We recognize the need to attract more young people to the aviation profession,“ said Tropic Ocean Airways’ Founder and CEO, Rob Ceravolo. “In order to do this, we must show them that we’re willing to invest in their growth and create a path to the major airlines. We give them invaluable experience, making them more attractive to airlines. Our partnership with Endeavor Air in this recruiting effort will prepare our future pilots for an exciting career. Providing a clearly defined career path for young, ambitious pilots will be an industry game-changer.”

Tropic Ocean Airways hires qualified pilots with a minimum of 250 accumulated flight hours. When a pilot meets the required qualifications, they are eligible to interview for enrollment in the ACE Program with representatives from Tropic Ocean Airways. Tropic Ocean Airways’ pilots admitted into the ACE Program receive a guaranteed employment interview with Endeavor, eliminating the guess work of the next career move, once the candidate satisfies his or her flight time requirements with Tropic Ocean Airways. Pilots in the ACE Program will be able to build important, airline-specific flight time to gain experience. Their experience includes getting to enjoy building time flying seaplanes to some of the most challenging, unique, and picturesque destinations throughout Florida, the Northeast U.S., The Bahamas, and the Caribbean, experience for which airlines are looking. This experience is far superior to traditional methods of flight time building, which focuses on hours rather than airline flying. Tropic Ocean Airways makes a significant investment in preparing future pilots through the ACE program. This investment occurs over a significant time period and goes over and above industry standards.

The ACE Program develops future captains using Tropic Ocean Airways’ specialized training curriculum which has been developed to align with Endeavor Air’s Part 121 flight operations procedures. Its program is modeled after U.S. Navy flight training best practices. Pilots in the ACE Program receive prioritized flight training, professional development coaching, and career mentorship.

With Endeavor’s industry leading hourly pay rates, fast upgrade times, and growing fleet, the ACE Program presents a clear and defined pathway for Tropic Ocean Airways’ pilots who are focused on career advancement. After launching Part 121 careers at Endeavor, pilots will have access to Endeavor’s exclusive Delta Guaranteed Interview (DGI) Program for qualifying Endeavor captains.

“Tropic Ocean Airways provides a top-notch operation for pilots looking to expand their skills and develop their professional experience prior to starting their careers in the regional industry.” said David Garrison, CEO, Endeavor Air. “We see the ACE Program as a truly unique venture where Tropic Ocean pilots can prepare themselves for the next step in their career progression, while refining the requisite credentials we look for in ideal pilot candidates.”

About Tropic Ocean Airways

South Florida-based Tropic Ocean Airways is a U.S. certificated commuter air carrier, providing first-class luxury private charter and scheduled service flights was founded by U.S. Navy TOPGUN fighter pilot Rob Ceravolo in 2009. The airline will safely transport 35,000 guests in 2018 throughout destinations in Florida, the Northeast U.S., The Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways is the recipient of the highly-coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety and enjoys a five-star customer service rating on TripAdvisor. Ceravolo and his team of over 100 experienced aviation professionals have developed and implemented standard operating procedures borrowed from the U.S. military, which ensure the highest levels of safety and service aboard each flight. To learn more about Tropic Ocean Airways, visit Flytropic.com.

About Endeavor

Air Endeavor Air, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Delta Air Lines, is based in Minneapolis, Minnesota and operates more than 800 flights per day to more than 130 destinations across the United States, Canada, and the Bahamas. Endeavor operates the world’s largest fleet of Bombardier CRJ-900 aircraft from five crew bases and ten maintenance stations across the country. To learn more about Endeavor Air, visit EndeavorAir.com.

Fort Lauderdale, Florida (December 10, 2018) – Tropic Ocean Airways, a global industry leader in seaplane operations, providing first-class private charter and scheduled service flights, is once again sharing the holiday spirit to more than 600 children in Great Harbour Cay and the island of Bimini of The Bahamas. For the seventh year in a row, Tropic Ocean Airways gave Santa’s reindeer and his sleigh a short break and provided Santa with one of the airline’s state of the art seaplanes – beautifully adorned and embellished with a festive holiday design to make this very special trip to The Bahamas.

On December 4, Santa’s seaplane departed from the airline’s private terminal at Fort Lauderdale International Airport carrying Old Saint Nick himself. After landing with his bags of goodies, he was greeted by a crowd of excited children from the R. N. Gomez All Ages School. Each child was given a personalized gift with their name on it. The children also had the opportunity to take an individual photo with Santa. The gifts were generously donated and wrapped by Fort Lauderdale’s Cardinal Gibbons High School students. “We are so privileged to have the ability to give back to a community that is so important to us,” said Tropic Ocean Airways’ Founder and CEO, Rob Ceravolo. “The entire Tropic Ocean Airways family agrees that seeing the joy on the children’s faces is a great reminder of what the holiday season is all about.”

This year, Tropic Ocean Airways also included a second stop for Santa’s Seaplane. In collaboration with longtime partner Resorts World Bimini, Santa’s Seaplane took Old Saint Nick to deliver gifts to children at eight locations throughout Bimini, including James Rolle Smith Baptist Preschool, Gifted Hands Preschool, Humble Care Preschool, W.G. Henson Jacob Anglican Preschool, Small World Preschool, Bimini Primary, Louise McDonald High and the Gateway Christian Academy. Bimini was the destination for the first Santa’s Seaplane trip in 2012. It was exciting for Tropic Ocean Airways’ to bring Santa back to Bimini.

“The holidays are a time for giving and our annual Toy Drive is a cause that is near and dear to my heart,” said Resort World Bimini’s President Missy Lawrence. “Our team feels passionate about giving back to the Bimini community and we strive to have a positive impact on their everyday lives whenever possible.”

About Tropic Ocean Airways

South Florida-based Tropic Ocean Airways is a U.S. certificated commuter air carrier, founded by U.S. Navy TOPGUN fighter pilot Rob Ceravolo in 2009. The airline will safely transport over 35,000 guests in 2018 throughout destinations in Florida, the Northeast U.S., The Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways is the recipient of the highly-coveted ARGUS Gold rating for safety and enjoys a five-star customer service rating on TripAdvisor. Ceravolo and his team of experienced aviation professionals have developed and implemented standard operating procedures borrowed from the U.S. military, which ensure the highest levels of safety and service aboard each flight. For more information, please visit www.flytropic.com

About Resorts World Bimini Bahamas

Resorts World Bimini Bahamas is a 750-acre Caribbean beachfront resort and casino located on North Bimini Island. It is operated by the Malaysia-based Genting Group. Their corporate office for the southeast USA is located in downtown Miami, Florida. The resort is located in Bimini, Bahamas, 42 miles east of Miami, Florida. For more information, please visit www.rwbimini.com

Mike Vogel

A former fighter pilot’s seaplane company is a labor of love.

Eyeing the end of his military pilot career, fighter jock Rob Ceravolo had a choice. Transitioning to a job as a commercial airline pilot meant a great salary, benefits and predictability. Instead, Ceravolo founded a seaplane airline.

His Fort Lauderdale-based Tropic Ocean Airways flies from Florida to the Bahamas and, seasonally, from New York City’s East River out to Long Island destinations. Tropic carried 20,000 passengers in 2017, employs 30 pilots and 70 others and reaches more than 40 locations.

A Fort Lauderdale native, Ceravolo, 44, graduated from Cardinal Gibbons High School and the University of Florida before joining the Navy. He flew from carriers and graduated from the service’s fighter pilot school. Tropic flew its first revenue- generating flight in 2011. Ceravolo, finishing active duty in the Navy, wasn’t the pilot. He says he misses the Navy “tremendously” and the flying, the camaraderie, challenge and sense of mission. But he gets all of that at Tropic sans the flying; he’s an executive, rarely a pilot. “If I fly the airplane, I come back with a smile on my face,” he says.

Ceravolo says “seaplanes bring you back a little bit to that romance adventure of the 1940s. I saw the need, and I thought we could do it better. I knew we could build a great company. ”

Some 30% of Tropic’s business is scheduled service and 70% chartered. It’s not a discount ticket. Scheduled service fares, for example, run $400 round trip to Bimini and $300 for one way to Marsh Harbor, both in the Bahamas. But he offers a new fleet of Cessnas, two pilots per plane — in an industry known for a single pilot flying an aging aircraft — and the convenience of skipping the big-airport TSA lines, Customs and boarding process in favor of flying from private terminals.

Read Full Article

Dana Niland
CJ Contributor

Tropic Ocean Airways and The Moorings have teamed up to introduce a “Fly & Sail” program, offering air and sea adventures to the Bahamas.

The combination of Tropic Ocean Airways’ seaplane service, operated with Cessna Grand Caravan EX amphibian aircraft, and The Moorings live-aboard catamaran vacations in the Abacos and Exumas, provide guests the opportunity to experience personalized service and the best scenery the Bahamas has to offer by both air and water.

Guests of the Fly & Sail program may depart from Tropic Ocean Airways’ lounge at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport’s private fixed base operations Sheltair or the Miami Seaplane Base, which is centrally located between Downtown Miami and South Beach on Watson Island.

Upon arrival, Tropic Ocean Airways’ lounge staff greet guests for special assistance with valet parking, bag handling, and check-in and introduce guests to their two personal pilots.

Following a less than 90-minute flight to either Nassau or Marsh Harbour, guests board their private catamaran to sail south to the Exumas or around the Abacos.

Island-hopping from one island to another allows guests to experience an immersive Bahamas vacation and offers the freedom and flexibility afforded by a private yacht.

“Our newly introduced ‘Fly & Sail’ program offers guests a unique opportunity to experience the best way to see the full natural beauty the Bahamas has to offer from the air and from the water,” said Tropic Ocean Airways CEO Rob Ceravolo.

All Tropic Ocean Airways flights to and from the Bahamas feature premium seating for up to eight passengers each carrying up to 30 pounds of baggage, aboard a two-pilot crewed Cessna aircraft, seven of which were delivered to Tropic Ocean Airways brand new from the aircraft manufacturer.

Each aircraft features fully air-conditioned luxury interiors.

With yachts ideal for six to 10 guests, The Moorings offers a yacht charter experience that allows guests to choose between a bareboat “sail-it-yourself” sail and power catamarans, or hire a Moorings skipper to sail the yacht.

Rob Mark

The Navy says Paramount’s 1986 classic fighter-pilot flick Top Gun persuaded men and women to join up in numbers not seen before or since. Over a cup of coffee near St. Maarten’s famous Maho Beach (pre-Hurricane Irma), Rob Ceravolo told me the film worked some of its magic on him and was at least partially responsible for him joining in 2001. “My entire life I wanted to be a fighter pilot. It’s so cool, I thought. They get to ride motorcycles, go to Top Gun, wear flight suits and cool sunglasses and date their instructors.” He went on to fly F-14s before moving on to the F-18 and finally the F-5 after completing Top Gun’s Red Air training.

All that fighter-pilot bravado took a back seat on the day Ceravolo prepared for his first carrier landing on USS Ronald Reagan. “The boat looked so tiny. I thought, What the hell did I get myself into?” There’s risk inherent in flying naval jets, he thought, remembering his anxiety about landing on the postage-stamp-size carrier deck. Then his brain switched gears, and he recalled the great pilot training the Navy gave him. “I took a couple of breaths and calmed myself down. I was still scared, but my training helped me focus on the three important things I’d been taught: airspeed, altitude and distance from the boat. Back to my training.”

Ceravolo left the Navy Reserve in 2014 as a lieutenant commander but never forgot the valuable lessons his military training taught him. The Navy showed him the importance of focusing on pilot development and standardization as a way to fly and a way to think. The Navy doesn’t just hire pilots capable of carrier landings, it chooses pilots for their attitude. He came to realize that attitude can be far more valuable than simply experience on a resume. But wait, there’s more. “Navy pilots study all aspects of flight operations, not just the flying. They taught us how to accept and actually expect criticism, as well as realizing we don’t know everything. Then they train us and train us and train us some more.”

With 13 years of naval flying under his belt, Ceravolo would have been a shoe-in for Delta, American or Southwest. The airlines are hungry for pilots who’ve passed a host of personality screenings and garnered years of the kind of training that taught them to land an F-18 on the deck of a moving aircraft carrier in darkness and bad weather.

Ceravolo knew he was interested in the airlines, sort of — but not watching the days pass from the right seat of an Airbus or a Boeing. “Most of the airline pilots I knew said they weren’t challenged in the cockpit. That’s why most of them find other things to do when they’re out of the cockpit. I was a Navy pilot flying off carriers, and that sure seemed like an adventure to me.” So now what?

ONE PILOT’S READING LIST

“Why not start an airline of my own using some kind of GA aircraft, like a seaplane?” Navy pilot Rob Ceravalo thought.

-Jon Whittle

In 2009, while still attached to the Navy, Ceravolo thought starting a business would be more adventurous than a traditional airline job. Then it hit him. “Why not start an airline of my own using some kind of GA aircraft?” What could possibly get in the way, except his having no business or airline experience and very little cash? But if you’re going to dream, why not go big, so he decided on a seaplane airline to boot. At least he’d already earned a seaplane rating — that was something. “I really wanted to be a seaplane pilot,” he said. “I’ve always been a big Jimmy Buffett fan and remembered reading his book Where Is Joe Merchant?, the novel about a guy who runs a one-man seaplane operation from Key West. “I thought being a seaplane pilot would be cool someday.” I noticed that something “being cool” seemed to motivate him quite a bit.

What he lacked in actual business experience, though, Ceravolo made up for by reading business books, dozens of them, including Richard Branson’s lessons-in-life treatise, Screw It, Let’s Do It. Branson’s advice, keep trying until you get what you want, persuaded Ceravolo to walk into dozens of banks around South Florida with what he called “a crummy little business plan,” trying to find money to buy a Cessna 206 on floats. The answer at each was the same: “No.” Timing was on his side, at least a bit. With Chalks Flying Service having shut down four years earlier, after an accident in one of its Grumman Albatrosses, no local seaplane service existed.

Then there was that serendipitous meet-up when banker Louis Beck, who not only took to Ceravolo’s idea of seaplanes from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport (FLL), but liked his vision of one day trying to establish a different kind of airline, one with commercial service to Cuba, long before the Obama administration eased travel restrictions in fall 2016. “It took us a year and a half to get our FAA operating certificate, but Tropic Ocean Airways was born in November 2009,” he said. The new company first offered charter and later scheduled air service around South Florida and the Caribbean. Ceravolo wasted no time finding good people and fell back on an established relationship to hire his first employee, Marine helicopter crew chief Nick Veltre, who became Tropic’s first pilot. He also just happened to be the CFI who’d trained Ceravolo for his seaplane rating. Veltre’s still with the company today, serving as Tropic’s vice president.

While Beck’s advice helped buy the first airplane, it didn’t fund daily operations for Ceravolo’s visionary airline. That left him with one option: sell off some of the trappings of his fighter-pilot life. First went the Jeep Wrangler, then the Porsche 911, a motorcycle, a boat, a house, a kayak and all his mutual funds. He also maxed out his three credit cards.

A just culture and hiring for attitude might not sound terribly unique, except few companies actually do it.

-Jon Whittle

Hardly a concern at that point was covering Veltre’s payroll, something Ceravolo accomplished out of his still-existing Navy pay. But it worked to get the company flying, with Ceravolo handling the sales and marketing and Veltre flying the Cessna 206. Without much cash for marketing, the pair believed more people would choose Tropic if they knew the airline existed, so they flew the airplane everywhere around South Florida and the Bahamas to show it off. Ceravolo knew the PR was beginning to work when people said they’d been seeing his airplanes everywhere. Only he and Veltre knew it was the same 206 on floats everywhere. In June 2011, Tropic Ocean Airways became the first operator to fly to Bimini in the Bahamas from Florida since Chalks’ shutdown. It was also the year Tropic Ocean Airways lost a hundred grand.

Despite the losses, Ceravolo and Veltre knew they needed a bigger airplane and began planning for a Cessna 208 Caravan. That’s when Ceravolo struck it rich, sort of, by hitting up his family and friends for the down payment on Tropic’s first Caravan on floats. He had no way of knowing at the time that it would take another eight months to get the airplane added to the FAA operating certificate. As the Caravan took to the air in 2013, Tropic Ocean Airways teetered on bankruptcy.

Another serendipitous relationship appeared not long after, when Ceravolo met a fellow with his own Caravan who needed managing and a resort owner who longed for seaplane service to Bimini. By spring 2014, Tropic was running private charters to Baker’s Bay in the northeast Bahamas. During one of the early events to show off the Caravan, Ceravolo met George Mattson, another man who would become instrumental in Tropic’s success. Mattson was considering a house in Baker’s Bay, but was discouraged by the difficulty getting back and forth to the place. A friend of Mattson’s introduced him to Ceravolo, who convinced him a seaplane would make life much easier. Ceravolo also persuaded Mattson, a retired partner from Goldman Sachs, to invest in Tropic. Mattson soon helped create Tropic’s first real round of financing in November 2014.

Since 2014, Tropic Ocean Airways has grown from 16 employees to 75, and the fleet from two airplanes to 11, now mostly Caravans. Revenues in 2014 hovered around $1.8 million but climbed to just shy of $9 million last year as the airline carried more than 15,000 passengers. Here, you might expect, “And the rest is history.” But that would be a huge oversimplification of the work needed to create a new kind of seaplane travel experience in South Florida and the Caribbean.

As anyone who’s flown the U.S. airlines over the past few decades knows, success breeds success, if you can convince customers to return for the next flight. In the United States, the majors have set the customer-service bar pretty low, treating passengers like a captive audience with limited options, which happens to be closer to the truth than most of us would like to admit.

THE SECRET SAUCE

Tropic’s secret sauce turned out to be its people, not just the employees, but the host of others who believe in them.

-Jon Whittle

“Tropic Ocean Airways isn’t successful today because I’m such a genius, even with great partners like George Mattson and Robbie Peres, our insurance broker,” Ceravolo said. “I think we’re successful because we believe in a different model of air transportation and how the aviation industry ought to look and operate.” Early advice told Ceravolo to approach local Caribbean governments with his hand out in search of subsidies. Ceravolo refused. What local governments did do, though, was offer Tropic a chance to prove itself and the customer-service-focused airline Ceravolo and his supporters dreamed of. “That’s what I love about entrepreneurship in the aviation industry,” he said. “It’s about good, successful people giving other people the chance to succeed. That’s something I hope to offer other people one day.”

He learned offering people a chance could pay handsome dividends, as in the hiring of good employees. Like the Navy, Ceravolo hires for attitude first. “If someone comes to me with a good attitude but no resume, I’ll hire them. Our company sales director started as a customer-service representative and now oversees the generation of $9 million in annual revenue.”

In the Navy, pilots debriefed every flight, with no finger-pointing allowed. They talk honestly about their mistakes and they create lessons for the next time. “My most junior employee could walk into my office today and tell me about something needing improvement and I’ll gladly listen,” Ceravolo said.

Hiring for attitude and a just culture might not sound terribly unique, except few companies actually do it. “People told me the road to success was to use old airplanes and 10,000-hour pilots. It didn’t work.” Remembering the Navy’s “train and train and train some more” concept, “I wondered if we could do the same thing, so we started hiring based on attitude, willingness to work and willingness to admit to a mistake. If I interview a pilot who never made a mistake, the interview ends right there,” he said.

Ceravolo organized a program with South Florida’s Broward College to hire new pilots and mechanics. So far, Tropic’s grabbed a dozen former Broward students over the past year. The company employs 24 pilots across a wide range of ages and experience levels. “All have the same attitude and work ethic,” Ceravolo says. Every company new hire begins by completing a weeklong training class unrelated to their job. They learn the company’s culture, and about our compassion for the customer. “I remind them that Tropic doesn’t pay employee salaries, the customer does. All I do is transfer the money.”

Have the warm fuzzies at Tropic worked? “One of our Tropic pilots called an all-pilots meeting recently to admit an operational mistake. He told everyone what happened and what he thought the entire company could learn from his experience. I almost cried,” Ceravolo said. He also tried to imagine that kind of thinking throughout the industry. Standardized versus inflexible rules, so people don’t waste brainpower. Pilots flying using the same procedures. “We don’t do that in little airplanes,” he said.

The lobby overlooking Maho Beach, where we conducted our interview, was severely damaged by Hurricane Irma.

-Jon Whittle

Tropic flies its single-engine aircraft with a two-pilot crew even though it’s not required. Ceravolo saw this as a good investment in the future, although many people said the increased payroll was plain nuts. “We’re building a pilot cadre at Tropic that doesn’t exist anywhere else, not to mention that second pilot offers a better safety margin. Every pilot, no matter how much flying time they’ve logged when we hire them, spends time in the right seat of the Caravan before moving to a captain’s slot.”

Tropic pilots fly varied missions too, like when a hurricane struck the Caribbean last year. Tropic was asked to help deliver goods to people desperate for food and water. Rob tried to enlist other companies to help, but when they began asking if they were getting paid, he decided that shortsightedness meant it was a job for his airline. “We carried 100,000 pounds of cargo and rescued 33 people,” Ceravolo said, flashing that Top Gun fighter- pilot smile. “The entire company got on board, with no complaints over the long hours.”

The CEO sometimes tells the board near-term profit margins will sometimes suffer to focus on a long-term goal. He believes running a successful airline means engaging with lots of people, employees, passengers, resort partners, vendors and government officials. “And there are young people entering the industry with some great ideas we should be listening to.”

“We don’t want Tropic Ocean Airways to be the perfect-customer-service airline. We just want to be the airline that 100 percent of our passengers want to fly on again. Our employees play a huge role in that success. I also believe the way we train pilots is right for the airline industry. Improving airline training programs is the real key to dealing with the global pilot shortage.”

He summed it all up. “It’s so cool building an airline and getting people excited and headed in the right direction. Running this airline is the most fun thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

Airline plans to grow internally with additional services and employees.

Four new Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft equipped with Wipline 8750A seaplane floats are expected to join the fleet in 2018 at Tropic Ocean Airways in Fort Lauderdale. Already the world’s largest operator of the Grand Caravan EX seaplane, this order will increase the size of the airline’s fleet to 15 aircraft. The order for the first four aircraft, outfitted to carry eight passengers each, also included an unspecified number of options for future Caravans. Tropic Ocean Airways provides scheduled and charter air service throughout Florida, The Bahamas and seasonal air service in the northeast United States. The growing airline carried more than 15,000 passengers in 2016.

Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways’ Chief Executive Officer, said the airline is also exploring the creation of the world’s first dedicated Grand Caravan seaplane training facility at its southeast Florida headquarters. Ceravolo said, “The looming pilot shortage and specifically the shortage of seaplane pilots means the need for a standardized training operation is paramount. We’ve used the military flight training programs as a guide to how we’ll develop our school and offer seaplane training to airlines around the globe.” The company has also taken initial steps to authorize the airline to perform maintenance on its own fleet of Caravans at the company’s Fort Lauderdale repair station.

Textron Aviation’s Senior Vice President of Sales and Marketing Rob Scholl said, “Tropic Ocean Airways is an outstanding operator and excellent ambassador for the Cessna Grand Caravan EX, an aircraft they have relied on… since 2012.” Tropic Ocean Airways, subject of Flying’s “Pilots of the Caribbean,” is also Wipair’s largest U.S.-based operator.

South Florida Business Journal
By Keith Larsen – Reporter
Nov 1, 2017, 7:23pm

Tropic Ocean Airways will create 100 new jobs in South Florida next year as it expands its fleet of seaplanes operating out of Fort Lauderdale, the company announced Wednesday.

The company is the leading seaplane operator on the East Coast, with flights from South Florida to the Bahamas, and from New York to the Hamptons, Fire Island and other resort destinations.

Tropic Ocean Airways CEO Rob Ceravolo made the announcement at Sheltair Aviation during the official kickoff of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. In an interview with the Business Journal, Ceravolo said the jobs will bring in $10 million to $15 million in economic impact.

He said the company has ordered four new planes, known as the Cessna Grand Caravan EX, from Wichita, Kansas-based Textron Group, giving the company a total fleet of 15, with an option to purchase more aircraft in the next five years. Subsequently, the company hopes to begin service to the Caribbean and perhaps other locales that Ceravolo declined to identify.

The new jobs will include pilots, administrative and salespeople, according to Ceravolo.

Ceravolo said there is a growing interest in seaplane flights to the Caribbean, in part because it allows customers to reach their destination quicker.

“We brought a private jet luxury model to seaplanes,” he said. “This amphibian airspace has really exploded.”

The company also announced on Wednesday that it is exploring the development of the world’s first dedicated Cessna Grand Caravan seaplane training facility in South Florida, where pilots will be able to be trained specifically for seaplanes.

Founded by Ceravolo in 2009, the company has grown considerably. After starting with just one employee, the company now has more than 80 employees, he said. In 2016, the company transported over 15,000 passengers safely, the company said.
Prior to starting Tropic Ocean, Ceravolo was a Navy fighter pilot and was awarded two Air Medals for missions in Operation Iraqi Freedom, according to a company press release.

This announcement was more good news for Broward County. A few weeks ago, Sixt Rent A Car, a luxury car rental service, announced it would be expanding in Fort Lauderdale, creating 300 new jobs and making a capital investment of $10.4 million.

The airline will feature the fastest aircraft of its category, the Cessna Caravan EX, in New York this May.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) January 05, 2016

Florida based airline Tropic Ocean Airways will announce the return of their New York seaplane service at the New York Travel Show on 8-10 January 2016. This successful service, now in its fourth consecutive summer season, has become increasing popular with commuters and visitors looking for an alternative luxury travel experience in and around New York.

Tropic Ocean Airways scheduled weekend service will operate out of New York City Seaplane Base located on the East River between 23rd and 25th Streets on FDR Dr to destinations including East Hampton, Montauk, and Block Island. Commencing May 2016, the quick and reliable service will be operated by the Cessna Caravan EX Seaplane, the fastest aircraft of its category. The EX features leather executive style seating and air-conditioned cabin. Tropic Ocean Airways will also be offering charter options during the summer throughout New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Pennsylvania.

CEO and founder of Tropic Ocean Airways, Rob Ceravolo, commented “We are very excited to offer our seaplane flights in New York. The scheduled service has rapidly expanded over the short time that it has been operating and our charter service has become very popular with executives and visitors to New York and the surrounding area.”

The New York Times Travel Show will be held at the Jacob K. Javits Center NYC and provides a perfect venue for Tropic Ocean Airways to showcase their New York seaplane service. With over 500 exhibitors, the show provides visitors with valuable travel tips and information on domestic and international travel, luxury destinations and popular hot spots.

In addition to the popular New York scheduled and chartered service, Tropic Ocean Airways continues its successful operations from its home base in Fort Lauderdale. With a fleet of wheeled and amphibious aircraft, Tropic Ocean Airways provides luxury scheduled and private charter flights, cargo flights and yacht provisioning services throughout Florida and the Bahamas.

For further information and details on scheduled and chartered flights in the New York area or to purchase tickets, please visithttps://flytropic.com

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Tropic Ocean Airways was founded by Navy Topgun fighter pilot Rob Ceravolo in 2009. As an FAA certified air carrier, the tropic family consists of experienced pilots, first-class sales center, and in house maintenance facility. Pilots with over 100+ years of combined flying experience operating in tropical and harsh environments make Tropic Ocean Airways a safe airline. Tropic Ocean Airways offers private charters to The Bahamas and throughout Florida and the Keys. Seaplanes are amphibious and able to perform water based, or runway landings and departures.

Fort Lauderdale, FL, Monday, 30 November 2015

Leading Florida based airline, Tropic Ocean Airways, have announced the extension of their existing Great Harbour Cay schedule to include an additional travel day. The announcement will be welcomed by residents and visitors of Great Harbour Cay who regularly use this popular route.

Tropic Ocean Airways direct service from Sheltair’s private terminal at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport to Great Harbour Cay is one of their most successful routes. Currently operating a twice weekly service on Fridays and Sundays, the much needed Wednesday service will be introduced from 16 December 2015.

Tropic Ocean Airways founder and CEO, Rob Ceravolo commented “We are delighted with the introduction of an extra travel day to our Great Harbour Cay service. The route has proved very successful with our customers and the additional cargo and freight requirements have now made it necessary to expand our service”

This popular route is currently served by Tropic Ocean Airways wheeled 2015 Cessna Caravan Ex aircraft. Equipped with the most advanced technology in its class, the 9 seater aircraft provides a first class travel experience to all guests. The cabin provides a luxurious interior and an advanced air conditioning system ensuring all guests travel in comfort.

Located just a short distance from the Florida coast and with a flight time of just one hour, Great Harbour Cay offers beautiful scenery and secluded white sandy beaches and coves. Visitors can enjoy the great opportunities for fishing and water sports or relax and recharge in the beautiful beach villas or the boutique hotel CarriEarl.

The new schedule from Fort Lauderdale to Great Harbour Cay, including the additional Wednesday service, will commence on 16 December 2015.

Wednesday

Depart Fort Lauderdale at 12:12 – arrival Great Harbour Cay at 13:12

Depart Great Harbour Cay at 14:00 – arrival Fort Lauderdale at 15:00

Friday

Depart Fort Lauderdale at 09:30 – arrival Great Harbour Cay at 10:30

Depart Great Harbour Cay at 11:18 – arrival Fort Lauderdale at 12:18

Sunday

Depart Fort Lauderdale at 12:12 – arrival Great Harbour Cay at 13:12

Depart Great Harbour Cay at 14:00 – arrival Fort Lauderdale at 15:00

The introduction of an additional travel day to the Great Harbour Cay schedule further reinforces the rapid growth and success of Tropic Ocean Airways since it was established in 2009. Their increasing fleet of wheeled and amphibious aircraft provides first class travel throughout Florida and the Bahamas.

Reservations can be made online or by phone on a price per seat rate. For further information please visit https://flytropic.com

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by Navy Topgun graduate, Rob Ceravolo, the FAA certified Tropic Ocean Airways provides scheduled flights between South Florida and The Bahamas.  Additional services offered include private charter flights, cargo and freight services and direct to yacht provisioning services. The fleet of amphibious and wheeled aircraft are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors

Contact:

Contact our team of travel specialist Email: [email protected] or by phone 1 800 767 0897

For Media please Email: [email protected]

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) November 23, 2015

Florida’s premiere seaplane operator, Tropic Ocean Airways, is pleased to announce the launch of twice weekly scheduled flights to two locations on the beautiful Abaco Islands, Bahamas. Commencing in December 2015 and departing from Sheltair at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport, services will be available to the popular towns of Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay.

Tropic Ocean Airways is listening to the needs of its customers and adding Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay to its ever expanding list of destinations serving the Bahamas and South Florida. Passengers will fly in style, on a price per seat rate, in one of Tropic Ocean Airways wheeled aircraft offering luxury cabin interior and fast runway to runway travel.

Scheduled flights from Fort Lauderdale to Marsh Harbour will commence on 16 December 2015 and will fly on Wednesday and Saturdays.

Flight times for both Wednesday & Saturday:
Depart FLL at 13:00 – arrival MHH at 14:18.
Depart MHH at 15:06 – arrival FLL at 16:24

Tropic Ocean Airways route from Fort Lauderdale to Treasure Cay will be a Monday and Friday service and will commence on 18 December 2015.

Flight times for both Monday & Friday:
Depart FLL at 12:00 – arrival TCB at 13:12
Depart TCB at 14:00 – arrival FLL at 15:12

The beautiful towns of Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay will be popular additions to Tropic Ocean Airways destination list. Enjoying calm waters, warm breezes and panoramic beauty, the resorts of the Abaco Islands will be accessible to both visitors and residents direct from Fort Lauderdale with a flight time of just 1 hour 20 minutes.

Tropic Ocean Airways prides itself on offering guests a premium travel experience. Trusted and caring reservations and customer service teams put the needs of their clients first and provide a personal service to make travelling relaxing and enjoyable.

Tropic Ocean Airways founder and CEO, Rob Ceravolo commented “Our Tropic team provides exceptional service making your trip seamless and efficient. A dedicated guest relations agent will greet you at our private terminal and will assist you with your check in, baggage and walk you to your flight”.

Since Tropic Ocean Airways was founded in 2009, the airline has experienced huge and rapid growth. The versatile aircraft fleet has expanded to include both wheeled and amphibious aircraft to enable landing on both land and sea. The range of services offered by Tropic Ocean Airways includes scheduled and private charter flights, cargo flights and yacht provisioning services.

For further information on scheduled flights to Marsh Harbour and Treasure Cay or information on the services provided by Tropic Ocean Airways please visit https://flytropic.com

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Tropic Ocean Airways was founded by Navy Topgun fighter pilot Rob Ceravolo in 2009. As an FAA certified air carrier, the tropic family consists of experienced pilots, first-class sales center, and in house maintenance facility. Pilots with over 100+ years of combined flying experience operating in tropical and harsh environments make Tropic Ocean Airways a safe airline. Tropic Ocean Airways offers private charters to The Bahamas and throughout Florida and the Keys. Seaplanes are amphibious and able to perform water based, or runway landings and departures.

Contact:

For Reservations or General questions Contact our Reservations Team 1-800-767-0897 [email protected]
For Media contact [email protected]
Website: https://flytropic.com

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) October 07, 2015

Tropic Ocean Airways has been collecting donations and utilizing their entire fleet of aircraft for relief efforts in areas devastated by Hurricane Joaquin in the southern islands of the Bahamas.

Tropic Ocean Airways team on the ground in George Town, Great Exuma is working closely with the Bahamian Government, Local Authorities, Palm Beach County All Hazards Incident Management Team (IMT), Red Cross and Pathfinder Task Force to get supplies out to those who need them most.

Since the weekend the airline has been able to deliver over 30,000 pounds of supplies to command tents set up by the Bahamian Government in Georgetown, Bahamas. Once in Georgetown the supplies are then disseminated out to multiple locations within the affected area utilizing a mix of wheeled aircraft and seaplanes.

“From the base we have been coordinating with the Bahamian Government and other organizations in relief efforts – to reach locations such as Spring Point settlement in lower Acklins, San Salvador Island, Pittstown in the Crooked Islands, and Deadmans Cay on Long Island” said Tropic Ocean Airways Safety Officer and Pilot Brian Silver – acting as operations coordinator for relief efforts on the ground in Georgetown, Bahamas. “Our efforts have been to assist with evacuations, transport engineers and infrastructure specialist, as well as mobilize government officials and supplies to less accessible areas” he stated.

Support from organizations both in the Bahamas as well as South Florida as been outstanding. Organizations such as Resorts World Bimini, Sheltair Aviation in Fort Lauderdale, Jet Aviation in Nassau, Bahamas, and Strachans Aviation Bahamas, AirParts Company Inc, and Bahamas Out Island Promotion Board have contributed to relief efforts. South Florida based groups and generous individuals also have teamed together to source much needed supplies.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in luxury private aviation throughout Florida and the Caribbean. The company is owned and operated by highly experienced military aviators and backed by leading business executives with 20 years of experience managing high-end portfolios. Their fleet of showroom-quality aircraft are always flown by two pilots ensuring safety remains their top priority.

For more information about the Hurricane Relief Cause please send an email to [email protected].

To contact a member of Tropic Management, or inquire about company information, partnership requests, and advertising, you may send an email to media(at)flytropic(dot)com, or contact via phone at 1-800-767-0897 Ext. 113.

Fort Lauderdale, FL (PRWEB) October 06, 2015

Tropic Ocean Airways, a Fort Lauderdale-based airline, began offering Game Day flights from Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International’s Sheltair to Gainesville Regional Airport. The route was started to meet the needs of Florida Gator fans living in South Florida that would like to enjoy the game for the day and save on drive time.

The convenient round-trip flights are charter-style at a per seat rate for up to nine guests. The flight time is approximately one hour and twenty minutes. The flight is set to arrive to the game two hours prior to kick-off in order to allow for tailgate time and will depart one hour after the game ends.

The route is operated by two highly skilled pilots in one of Tropic Ocean Airways’ new Wheeled Cessna Grand Caravan Ex, featuring leather club seating and window views from every seat.

The airline offers guests free valet at Fort Lauderdale’s Sheltair terminal, access to Tropic Ocean Airways’ exclusive departures lounge, and in-flight snacks and beverages.

The next flight will be to Jacksonville, FL instead of Gainesville, FL for the Gators vs Georgia game on October 31st. The remaining football schedule with flights to Gainesville are: November 7th vs Vanderbilt, November 21st vs Florida Atlantic, and November 28th vs Florida State.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Tropic Ocean Airways provides a premium luxury lifestyle experience unmatched guest experience solidifying their position as the leading seaplane operator on the East Coast and the Bahamas. Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in luxury private aviation throughout Florida and the Caribbean. The company is owned and operated by highly experienced military aviators and backed by leading business executives with 20 years of experience managing high-end portfolios. Their fleet of showroom-quality aircraft are always flown by two pilots ensuring safety remains their top priority.

For more information, or to inquire about Tropic’s services, please visit their website at https://flytropic.com, call a dedicated associate at 1-800-767-0897, or send an email to reservations(at)flytropic(dot)com.

To contact a member of Tropic Management, or inquire about company information, partnership requests, and advertising, you may send an email to: media(at)flytropic(dot)com, or contact via phone at 1-800-767-0897 Ext. 113.

Tropic Ocean Airways, a local South Florida based airline, initiated relief efforts to those affected by Hurricane Joaquin in the Bahamas. The airline operates a fleet of Cessna Grand Caravan wheeled and seaplanes. The all-weather aircraft have high cargo capacity to accommodate supplies. The team has been working with organizations in both the Bahamas and South Florida to support their assistance plan.

Tropic Ocean Airways sent three aircraft to the Bahamas yesterday full of supplies such as water, baby food, and nonperishable items. They have some aircraft and crew based in George Town, Bahamas, while the others will run between Fort Lauderdale and other islands. The crew include ex-military personnel with relief experience from the earthquake and tsunami devastation in Japan in 2011 as well as other highly experienced pilots. The seaplanes will deliver supplies to the less accessible outer islands of the Bahamas in desperate need such as Rum Cay, Crooked Island, and Clarence Town Long Island.

The airline is utilizing its entire fleet this week to support the relief efforts in the Bahamas. Some organizations who have contributed thus far are Sheltair Aviation, Resorts World Bimini, Jet Aviation in Nassau, [Strachan’s Aviation in George Town, Bahamas, as well as generous individuals who are friends and guests of Tropic Ocean Airways. Items are still being accepted. Please contact the travel team at Tropic Ocean Airways reservations(at)flytropic(dot)com or 1-800-767-0897 for more information.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in luxury private aviation throughout Florida and the Caribbean. The company is owned and operated by highly experienced military aviators and backed by leading business executives with 20 years of experience managing high-end portfolios. Their fleet of showroom-quality aircraft are always flown by two pilots ensuring safety remains their top priority.

For more information, or to inquire about Tropic’s services, please visit their website at https://flytropic.com, call a dedicated associate at 1-800-767-0897, or send an email to reservations(at)flytropic(dot)com.

To contact a member of Tropic Management, or inquire about company information, partnership requests, and advertising, you may send an email to media(at)flytropic(dot)com, or contact via phone at 1-800-767-0897 Ext. 113.

November 5th-9th, 2015, Tropic Ocean Airways is showcasing for a second year at the 2015 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in Booth number 629. The 56th annual show covers seven locations and more than 3 million square feet of space attracting an international audience of boating enthusiasts and industry professionals in the “Yachting Capital of the World.” Tropic will be featuring their brand-new luxury 2015 Cessna Grand Caravan EX fleet, private island getaways, and offering high-end special offers to the private traveler and yachting industry.

With a solid military owned and operated foundation, this renowned seaplane operator excels in their industry due to their emotional understanding of the luxury lifestyle market, bespoke customer service, and perfect safety record. Tropic Ocean Airways is a leading provider of direct-to-yacht and door-to-dock, provisioning services throughout Florida, the Bahamas, and other parts of the Caribbean. The organization continues to establish strategic partnerships in order to ensure their guests and client requests are fully accommodated.

The airline offers reliable, convenient, and unparalleled first class air transportation services for yacht owners, brokers, and captains alike. The amphibious aircraft are capable of taking off from any runway and landing at an awaiting vessel to transport your supplies, crew, and distinguished guests. The company has been servicing yachts and private islands for over 5 years saving thousands of dollars on repositioning fees and desired time and effort.

Visit Tropic Ocean Airways at Booth 629 to learn more about their yacht industry and private aviation capabilities. Additionally, they will be featuring exciting boat-show only promotional offers, destination management and consulting, conducting interviews with their top leadership.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Tropic Ocean Airways provides a premium luxury lifestyle experience unmatched guest experience solidifying their position as the leading seaplane operator on the East Coast and the Bahamas. Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in luxury private aviation throughout Florida and the Caribbean. The company is owned and operated by highly experienced military aviators and backed by leading business executives with 20 years of experience managing high-end portfolios. Their fleet of showroom-quality aircraft are always flown by two pilots ensuring safety remains their top priority.

For more information, or to inquire about Tropic’s bespoke services, please visit their website at https://flytropic.com, call a dedicated associate at 1-800-767-0897, and send an email to [email protected].

To contact a member of Tropic Management, or inquire about company information, partnership requests, and advertising, you may send an email to media(at)flytropic(dot)com, or contact via phone at 1-800-767-0897 Ext. 113.

Tropic Ocean Airways enlisted by BLADE to service busy New York Summer Seaplane Travel.

BLADE, the crowd sourcing App for helicopter travel and BLADE Aqua Seaplane services, teams up with Tropic Ocean Airways for summer travel between Manhattan and the Hamptons.

Tropic Ocean Airways, the largest seaplane operator in Florida and the Bahamas has positioned a number of their aircraft in the New York area in order to meet the demand for short-distance aviation service to chic summer destinations such as Nantucket, Martha’s Vineyard, Cape Cod, Fire Island, and the Hamptons.  BLADE, a crowdsourcing aviation app, has been collaborating with Tropic Ocean Airways since June for operations in the North East.

The new and spacious Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft provide a quick, comfortable, and convenient way to get around the summer traffic, with jet-style seating for 8 and convenience of landing directly at the dock or beach of your destination.

Guests flying between Manhattan, the Hamptons, and New England have the chance to experience the Tropic Ocean Airways service that they know and love from Florida and the Bahamas.

Rob Ceravolo, the CEO of Tropic Ocean Airways stated: “We are glad to be the preferred seaplane operator for BLADE, Inc for the seaplane travel division – Blade Aqua, we take pride in our service and standards.  There is no better way to travel between Manhattan and the Hamptons.”

As summer soon will come to a close, the vacation doesn’t have to end.  Tropic Ocean Airways continues to operate their fleet of wheeled and amphibious aircraft out of Fort Lauderdale International Airport’s FBO SheltAir as well as Miami Seaplane Base on Watson Island just off Downtown Miami.

Travel options throughout Florida and the Bahamas such as Marsh Harbour, the Berry Islands, Bimini, Andros, and Eleuthra are just a few of the many trip options that the first-class team at Tropic Ocean Airways can assist with.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Tropic Ocean Airways is expanding their operations further strengthening their position as a leading airline in South Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth in the first few years of operation, to the point where today they are flying private charters, scheduled destination flights, cargo, and direct to yacht provisioning services.

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

For more information please visit our website at https://flytropic.com or our sites on Facebook.com/tropicoceanairway Twitter.com/flytropic Instagram.com/flytropic

For further information contact: Tropic Ocean Airways mail: [email protected]

Tropic Ocean Airways works with Textron Aviation to secure seventh aircraft for its fleet.

Fort Lauderdale, FL July 13, 2015 Tropic Ocean Airways, a Fort Lauderdale based operator serving the state of Florida and the islands of the Bahamas, has announced the purchase of their seventh aircraft continuing on a path of growth. Once delivered, Tropic Ocean Airways will have two wheeled Cessna Caravans and five amphibious Cessna aircraft.

The 2015 wheeled Cessna Grand Caravan EX is equipped with the most advanced technology in its class, including a new Garmin G1000 glass cockpit avionics suite, a high powered Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140 engine, and the latest cabin interiors.

Tropic Ocean Airways Chief Executive Officer Rob Ceravolo declared: “The introduction of this additional wheeled Cessna Grand Caravan EX to our fleet is a key component of our plan to expand regional operations and deliver a first-class service that our guests can rely on.”

“We’re pleased to supply products that allow our customers to grow their business operations, as evidenced by this order and the success of Tropic Ocean Airways,” said Brian Howell, regional sales vice president, Textron Aviation. “By adding the latest Cessna Grand Caravan EX model to their fleet, Tropic Ocean Airways customers will benefit from the aircraft’s versatility and reliability while traveling in comfort.”

Tropic Ocean Airways is expanding their operations to further strengthen their position as a leading airline throughout Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth, today providing private charter flights, scheduled operations, cargo services, and direct-to-yacht provisioning services.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

For more information please visit our website at https://flytropic.com or our sites on Facebook and Twitter.

For further information contact: Tropic Ocean Airways mail: [email protected].

Tropic Ocean Airways to launch direct flights between Bimini and Fort Lauderdale.

Fort Lauderdale – June 29, 2015 – Tropic Ocean Airways is Florida’s preferred way of travel. Based out of Fort Lauderderale/Hollywood International Airport’s Sheltair Terminal, the company has announced scheduled flight service between Bimini and Fort Lauderdale commencing later this week in time for the 4th of July holiday.

The Fort Lauderdale based carrier currently operates charter flights to destinations throughout Florida and the Bahamas departing from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport as well as the Miami Seaplane Base – just opposite downtown Miami on Watson Island.

Bimini will be Tropic Ocean Airways second scheduled service destination in the Bahamas. The group also operates flights twice a week to Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands on Fridays and Sundays.

Tropic Ocean Airways will launch service from Fort Lauderdale to South Bimini on their new wheeled Cessna Grand Caravan EX. The aircraft seats up to 9 guests, features a comfortable leather interior in a spacious cabin, with individual AC and window views from every seat.

“Bimini is close to home for us, we support many local organizations and have been flying charter flights to the island from day one,” said Tropic Ocean Airways CEO, Rob Ceravolo. “We are glad to offer our premium service to the businesses, homeowners, and visitors of Bimini – it’s like flying a private charter at a per seat rate.”

He went on to include, “We are confident that our guests will find value in the service be it passenger travel plans or accommodating cargo in our spacious Cessna Caravans, our team is always ready to serve.”

Tropic Ocean Airways is expanding their operations to further strengthening their position as a leading airline in South Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth in the first few years of operation, to the point where today they are flying private charters, scheduled destination flights, cargo, medical comfort evacuations and direct to yacht provisioning services.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

For more information please visit our website at www.flytropic.com or our sites on Facebook and Twitter.

For further information contact: Tropic Ocean Airways mail: [email protected]

Little Palm Island Resort and Spa in the Florida Keys has named Tropic Ocean Airways as their Seaplane Travel Partner.

Little Palm Island Resort and Spa is a private island oasis right here in the Florida Keys. The island is located on Little Torch Key which is only accessible by seaplane or boat. Bungalows are scattered throughout the secluded resort to ensure a true escape.

The facilities include a top rated spa, beautiful beach, spectacular pool, and fine dining. There are endless options of activities to take advantage of including sailing, diving, fishing, or simply relaxing and enjoying a pampered getaway.

Little Palm Island Resort and Spa has named Tropic Ocean Airways their exclusive seaplane operator. The partnership was established as both brands are highly regarded for their first class and premium customer service.

“We have been flying to Little Palm Island for many years and absolutely love the property. We are glad to align ourselves with a brand that also maintains the highest standards in service” said Rob Ceravolo, CEO of Tropic Ocean Airways.

Tropic Ocean Airways is expanding their operations to further strengthening their position as a leading airline in South Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth in the first few years of operation, to the point where today they are flying private charters, scheduled destination flights, cargo, medical comfort evacuations and direct to yacht provisioning services.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

See Full Press Release

Vanilla Ice arrives on Tropic Ocean Airways seaplane to show off his remodeled Mansion in Palm Beach County, Florida.

When it was presented to Robert VanWinkle better known as ‘Vanilla Ice’ to incorporate arrival by seaplane into his hit TV show “The Vanilla Ice Project” he knew Tropic Ocean Airways would be the team to call.

“The Vanilla Ice Project” which airs on the DIY network features the 90’s musician turned real estate entrepreneur as he remodels mansions in South Florida. On his latest project in Palm Beach County, Florida – Rob is in a rush to finish the house before the big reveal. The Season 5, Episode 13 “Frenzied Finish” aired Saturday evening at 10pm and will re-air this Friday June, 26th at 7PM EST.

Toward the end of the episode, Vanilla Ice prepares for his guests arrival for his first reveal of the project by hopping aboard Tropic Ocean Airways seaplane to get an aerial view.

“There’s no better way to get an aerial view than this right here” said Rob AKA Vanilla Ice of Tropic Ocean Airways Cessna Grand Caravan EX.

The pilot and crew handled every aspect of the journey including an on-water landing and seamless transfer to a Jetski to ensure that the star had a grand entrance.

“VIP baby” he said as he hopped off his Jetski and onto the shore of the freshly remodeled waterfront home in Palm Beach County, Florida.

Tropic Ocean Airways based in Fort Lauderdale, FL is expanding their operations further strengthening their position as a leading airline in Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth in the first few years of operation, to the point where today they are flying private charters, scheduled destination flights, cargo, and direct to yacht provisioning services.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

For more information please visit our website at https://flytropic.com
or our sites on Facebook and Twitter.

See Full Press Release

Airline Gives Round Trip Charter Flight For Two to Little Palm Resort in the Florida Keys. 

Tropic Ocean Airways donates live auction item for Veritage Miami benefiting United Way of Miami-Dade. The round trip flight for two from Miami Seaplane Base, on Watson Island to Little Palm Resort in the Florida Keys, including accommodation provided by the resort, will be operated by two of Tropic Ocean Airways pilots in one of their late-model Cessna Amphibian aircraft.

Veritage Miami is an annual well-attended four-day wine, beer, liquor, and food festival with activities ranging from tasting events, exclusive chef presentations, live music and interactive dinners.

The events spanned the county from Wynwood to Coral Gables, and a dinner with live auction at the Marlins Stadium. Attendees included local celebrities and business professionals.

“We [Tropic Ocean Airways] support our communities and are glad to donate to a local cause,” said Tropic Ocean Airways CEO Rob Ceravolo. “We are delighted to partner up with Little Palm Resort for this unique travel experience.”

Tropic Ocean Airways is expanding their operations further strengthening their position as a leading airline in South Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth in the first few years of operation, to the point where today they are flying private charters, scheduled destination flights, cargo, medical comfort evacuations and direct to yacht provisioning services.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

For more information please visit our website at https://flytropic.com or our sites on Facebook and Twitter.

For further information contact: Tropic Ocean Airways mail: [email protected]

Tropic Ocean Airways teamed up with Vital Flight for ‘A Special Day for Special Kids’ event held at the Boca Raton airport last weekend

Tropic Ocean Airways, a local South Florida based company was one of the sponsors for Vital Flight, a non-profit volunteer pilot organization which put on the event ‘A Special Day for Special Kids’ each year.

Children and their parents were able to enjoy a trip along the shoreline from Boca Raton airport in Tropic Ocean Airways latest Cessna Grand Caravan EX. The wheeled aircraft is fully air-conditioned and has executive seating configured for nine guests. Tropic exceeds required safety and maintenance standards, always operating with two pilots.

“I love giving back to our community” said Captain Ricardo Bock Santos “The children and parents were smiling the whole trip, it makes our work worth while to see the joy we can bring to people in difficult situations”.

Tropic Ocean Airways was able to provide four flights during the event giving numerous groups of families a day to remember.

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways’ fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians and wheeled aircraft are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

See Full Release

Tropic Ocean Airways, a Florida based airline, announces weekly scheduled flights on Fridays and Sundays to Great Harbour Cay, Bahamas utilizing factory new 2015 Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft.

Tropic Ocean Airways is launching two weekly scheduled flights from Sheltair’s private terminal at Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport (FLL) to Great Harbour Cay (GHC) in the Berry Islands, Bahamas. Tropic is expanding their operations throughout the Bahamas and South Florida to meet the growing demands for private aviation and tourism industry. The airline has also announced that they will be operating their factory-new wheeled 2015 Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft to Great Harbour.

With direct service to Great Harbour in the Berry Islands, Tropic Ocean Airways will further strengthen their position as a leading airline in South Florida and the Bahamas providing clients with a premium travel experience. The airline has experienced rapid growth in the first few years of operation, to the point where today they are flying private charters, scheduled destination flights, cargo, medical comfort evacuations and direct to yacht provisioning services.

The Grand Caravan EX aircraft, always operated by two highly experienced pilots, is scheduled to depart Sheltair Terminal in Fort Lauderdale at 1:00PM and arrive in Great Harbour at 1:50PM. The return flight segments will depart from Great Harbour at 2:30PM and return to FLL the same day at 3:20PM.

“We [Tropic Ocean Airways] are very proud to introduce scheduled service on the new wheeled Cessna Caravans to Great Harbour Cay, enabling direct access to the island for home owners and visitors alike.” said Tropic Ocean Airways CEO Rob Ceravolo. “We are delighted to service this route and provide a private charter experience at a per seat rate.”

From the Sheltair base in Fort Lauderdale International Airport, guests to and from Great Harbour Cay will benefit from Tropic Ocean Airways’ twice-weekly flights with the Caravan EX, particularly given the simplified travel out of the private terminal which saves time and stress typically associated with commercial flying. Guests can arrive just 20 minutes prior to the scheduled departure and will be checked in by one of Tropic’s customer service experts. The airline exceeds recommended industry safety standards, and offers a first-class customer service experience. The luxury planes seat nine (9) guests with controlled air conditioning, generous legroom, and spectacular views from every seat flying over the crystal blue Bahamian waters.

Scheduled Routes:

Twice Weekly Schedules from 13th March 2015 on Fridays and Sundays:

Departure in FLL at 1:00 PM, arriving in Great Harbour at 1:50 PM
Departure from Great Harbour at 2:30 PM, arriving in FLL at 3:20 PM

Notes to Editors:

About Tropic Ocean Airways:

Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways LLC is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. Tropic Ocean Airways fleet of late-model Cessna Caravan Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors providing service to private travelers as well as companies and organizations within the yachting and boating industry.

For further information contact: Tropic Ocean Airways mail: [email protected]

Tropic Ocean Airways is showcasing their new direct runway to runway private first-class aviation experience and brand new 2014 Cessna Grand Caravan EX aircraft in the Caribbean and intrastate Florida market.

Tropic Ocean Airways, a local Fort Lauderdale based airline, flew their maiden voyage with nine (9) guests on their new wheeled 2014 Cessna Grand Caravan EX to Cat Cay, Bahamas. The company has announced they are expanding their existing seaplane operation and will begin offering regular land-based services in January 2015. The airline fully provides “door to door” and “door to dock” services to the Florida-Caribbean market.

Ryan Custureri, General Manager, Tropic Ocean Airways says: “There have been an increasing number of requests for more direct aviation services due to the long delays and hassles when flying commercially. We are very excited to respond our guest’s demands and offer an unparalleled service with the same high quality safety standards and procedures in place.”

The maiden voyage marks a milestone for Tropic Ocean Airways as they are now capable of reaching the majority of public and private destinations in the Bahamas and Florida with their wheeled and amphibious aircraft. The airline has a first-class reputation flying private seaplane charters, and will continue adding more aircraft to service popular routes connecting major cities in Florida in addition to the Bahamas service. According to Tropic, they are redefining private aviation with their first-class experience.

In December 2014, Tropic purchased two (2) brand-new 2014 Cessna 208 Grand Caravan EX’s direct from Cessna; an amphibian (land and water based) and their new flagship wheeled Caravan EX (runway to runway). The Cessna aircraft offer luxurious interiors comparable to most private jets and can seat up to eight (8) guests on the seaplanes, and up to nine (9) guests in the wheeled aircraft.

Many travelers and private aviation enthusiasts are familiar with the Cessna Caravan; however, the 2014 Cessna Caravan EX’s are a more powerful, faster, and luxurious aircraft than existing caravans flying in the Florida and Caribbean market. As a guest of Tropic exclaimed, “these planes still have their new car [aircraft] smell to them.” Backed by Tropic’s in house maintenance staff, safety is the company’s number one priority.

Tropic’s fleet provides the perfect alternative for discerning travelers, resorts, and the travel industry. “These planes are the first of many to come as we [Tropic] continue to expand our operations, routes, and fleet to meet our guest’s demands providing consistent first-class air transportation,” said Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways CEO.

Tropic Ocean Airways consistently exhibits the highest levels of customer service and commitment to safety. Founded in 2009 by US Navy TOPGUN Graduate Rob Ceravolo, Tropic Ocean Airways Inc is an FAA-certified air carrier specializing in private terminal service throughout Florida and the Caribbean. The fleet of late-model Cessna Amphibians are handled by highly experienced military aviators and seaplane instructors to provide world-class services to private travelers in the aviation and yachting industry. For more information please visit our website at https://flytropic.com.