The Allplane Podcast #18 - Rob Ceravolo, from Top Gun pilot to seaplane entrepreneur
Once upon a time, seaplanes had a key role in the commercial aviation industry. Those were the early heroic years of airline pioneers such as PanAm’s Juan Trippe, who established some of the first regular, reliable trans-oceanic connections with a fleet of seaplane Clippers.
Fast forward to the 21st Century and here comes Rob Ceravolo, the former US Navy top gun fighter pilot that is making seaplanes cool again.
Rob left the Navy and invested every single cent he had in order to set up a seaplane airline in South Florida. This eventually grew into Tropic Ocean Airways, which currently links several destinations in the Caribbean and New York state with a fleet of 13 amphibious aircraft.
If you think about it, seaplanes have multiple advantages in certain niche markets…and they have some disadvantages as well, for example, they require heavy maintenance and an inordinate amount of skill. Both issues that Tropic Ocean Airways has found ways to address…
In this episode we talk with Rob about his aviation and entrepreneurial journey and about seaplanes, about their pros and cons, their operational requirements and why, after several decades of neglect, it’s time for these amazing airplanes to play a larger role in the commercial aviation industry.
Ready to take a dip into the water? Check out today’s episode about the fascinating world of seaplanes!
Download this episode from:
Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher
Things we talk about in this episode:
Rob’s story: from fighter pilot to seaplane entrepreneur
Why seaplanes are amazing
What’s the difference between a seaplane and an amphibious plane
The story of Tropic Ocean Airways: founding a seaplane-only airline in the Caribbean
Pros and cons of seaplane operations
Why seaplane pilot training is key
The future of the seaplane industry
Resources
My piece on The Points Guy “Seaplanes are making a comeback”
The Caribavia conference where we met with Rob
An article I published about seaplanes featuring Tropic Ocean Airways and my demonstration flight between the Caribbean islands of Sint Maarten (SXM) and Sint Eustatius (EUX) in one of their Cessna Caravan amphibians (with pics of the aircraft)
The first electrically-powered commercial flight on a seaplane
The biography of Juan Trippe that I mention (Trippe built PanAm into one of the most iconic airline brands ever, basically on the back of long range seaplane services)
One of Tropic Ocean Airways amphibious Cessnas
Podcast Music: Five Armies by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3762-five-armies
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Interview Transcript (coming soon!)
(please note that, although we strive to make it as close as possible to the original recording, the transcript may not be 100% accurate)