By Charlie Crespo
Photography by George Kamper
Rob Ceravolo decided early on what he wanted to be when he grew up. “When I was 6 or 7 years old, all I wanted to do was be a fighter pilot, ” Ceravolo says. “I spent all my time hanging out at airports when all my friends were at Little League. I had a long-term plan that I would be a fighter pilot and then own a seaplane.”
Ceravolo’s father was a private pilot, who loved all things flight. An Italian immigrant, Ceravolo’s father had seen his town liberated by the American military during World War II, which led to his fascination with military aircraft. When the pair weren’t at an airport, they were watching old World War II aviation movies, the son growing more captivated by the fighter jets with each scene he saw.
After graduating from the University of Florida and flying small commuter planes for a year and a half, Ceravolo put his childhood plan into action and joined the Navy. He trained for two years, working his way up from a single-engine training jet to the F-14, F-18 and F-5 fighter jets. The training sequence culminated with aircraft carrier landings, first during the day and then at night.
“You go out with no instructor in the back. I don’t think any instructor is crazy enough to sit in the back,” Ceravolo chuckles. “I remember being up there and…saying there’s no way I can do this, but I completely psyched myself into it. To this day, it is still mentally difficult. I land on the ship, taxi out, shut the engine off and my legs [are] still shaking.”
After flying 41 missions and earning two Air Medals in Operation Iraqi Freedom, Ceravolo took the next step to make the second half of his childhood plan come true. At a wedding, the Navy pilot discussed starting a seaplane company with another guest. Ceravolo still was considering the idea until reading “Screw It, Let’s Do It” by Richard Branson shortly after, which swayed him to sell his house and car and buy a seaplane in 2009.
Unfortunately for Ceravolo, it took another year and a half to get all the licensing for the company, Tropic Ocean Airways. During the process, he almost went bankrupt twice. But the company finally got off the ground in 2011, initially servicing the Florida Keys.
Flying Tropic Ocean Airways is unlike flying any other airline. There are no long waits at terminals and no taking off shoes at security lines. The pilots fly low and slow over the ocean so passengers can spot turtles and sharks. In addition to acting as a transportation service, customers also can book flights to land near reefs in the Florida Keys, where they can fish or snorkel.
Since its initial flight in 2011, the company has grown significantly. Tropic Ocean Airways offers service in almost all of Florida, including Naples, Tampa and Fort Myers, and is the only seaplane to offer scheduled service to Bimini. By June, Ceravolo’s company will increase its fleet to five planes. If Ceravolo has his way, this is just the beginning.
“I’d love to see this company grow to large, multi-engine airplanes and run service all over the Caribbean and Florida,” Ceravolo says. He thinks for a minute and adds with a laugh, “Hopefully the Navy hasn’t kicked me out, and I continue to fly for them as well.”
Originally appeared in the Spring 2014 issue.
