What Aircraft Does Tradewind Aviation Fly?

Tradewind Aviation, founded in 2001, offers high-quality private and scheduled air travel services in North America and the Caribbean. It is based in Oxford, Connecticut, and has operational bases at Westchester County Airport in New York, Luis Muñoz Marin International Airport in Puerto Rico, and Witham Field Airport in Stuart, Florida.

Photo: Tradewind Aviation | flytradewind.com

Eric Zipkin is the airline’s founder and CEO, having over thirty years of experience as a pilot and previous experience as a charter sales representative in Westchester. David Zipkin, the Co-Founder and Chief Commercial Officer, is an instrument-rated pilot from an online marketing and brand marketing background. The team consists of more than 220 devoted members.

According to CNTraveler.com, Tradewind Aviation is 1 of the top 3 best US airlines for 2023. The air travel provider offers private or semi-private flights to elite destinations such as Nantucket and Newport from its base in the northeast and to St. Barts, Antigua, and Anguilla from San Juan Airport in Puerto Rico.

Forbes defines Tradewind Aviation as a fast-growing semi-private jet company that has expanded its fleet with ten new jets in the last two years. Tradewind’s fleet of propeller planes and jets operate from private airport terminals. Reviews of the company praise its “super helpful and generous staff” and stress-free airport operations, which feature lounges with pre-flight refreshments.

The Tradewind fleet

Tradewind operates the largest fleet of Pilatus PC-12
aircraft, with 33 in total. The operator plans to accept thirteen further deliveries of the PC-12 NGX, with three or four arriving each year, demonstrating its confidence in Pilatus Aircraft’s partnership.

The Pilatus PC-12 NGX offers a top speed of 290 knots and a maximum range of 1,765 nautical miles. It also offers in-flight WiFi, total recline seats, taller seat backs, and more headroom. Tradewind guests can be assured that the NGX flight is among the most sustainable in business aviation, emitting up to 74% less carbon than other leading business jets and turboprops.

The Tradewind Aviation fleet sets the highest standards for safety and comfort for short-range journeys and smaller airports. The FAA
certified Tradewind Aviation’s fleet among the part 135 operators, which includes 3 retired Cessna Citation CJ3 light corporate jets under the certificate designation TWYA. However, the company connects with trusted operators for medium and long-range aircraft.

The Swiss Manufacturer

Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, based in Stans, Switzerland, produces unique aircraft such as the PC 12, PC 7 MKX, PC 21 and PC 24
, with 4,400+ total aircraft deliveries. The Swiss manufacturer is a leading employer in Central Switzerland and has subsidiaries in the US and Australia.

The Pilatus Group includes two independent subsidiaries in the US: Broomfield, Colorado and Rock Hill, South Carolina. The Colorado-based Pilatus Business Aircraft Ltd, established in 1996, handles 70% of all PC-12s produced.

Photo: Pilatus Aircraft

Pilatus continues to expand in the US by acquiring Skytech Inc., an American sales and service center founded in 1976, with headquarters in Baltimore, Maryland and Rock Hill, South Carolina. The center will continue to operate as an independent company responsible for servicing and selling PC-24s and PC-12s on the US East Coast.

The World’s Greatest Single

Tradewind Aviation relies on Swiss-crafted aircraft. The aircraft is a turboprop masterpiece that provides an exceptional flying experience. It is a high-performance, luxurious, and spacious private aircraft. It is a single-pilot certified aircraft that can accommodate nine passengers. The Pilatus PC-12 includes seven variants, with the notable PC-12 NG and PC-12 NGX.

​​​​​​The PC 12 fleet grew to over 2,000 aircraft worldwide in 2023. The Pilatus PC-12 is a best-selling small-sized private aircraft with an inclining demand record among corporate travelers. The PC-12 has a better safety record than other aircraft of the same size, mainly due to its 65 % power setting and engine design.

The Pratt & Whitney
Canada PT6 turboprop engine is highly reliable, making it ideal for single-engine aircraft. Pilatus chose the PT6, which has proven to be a cost-effective and safe single-engine alternative. The Pilatus PC-12 NGX offers the advanced avionics of high-end business jets featuring an Advanced Cockpit Environment (ACE).

The workhorse aircraft can operate at small airports, with short runways of only 2,485 ft (758 m) long at its maximum weight. The spacious cabin has 330 ft³ (9.34 m³) of cabin volume, enough to easily load extra cargo with ample room on the flat floor. The PC-12 requires low fuel and maintenance hours.

Tradewind’s networks

Tradewind Aviation offers the latest light jets with a maximum range of 1875 miles (3017 km), ideal for US domestic coastal flights. Light jets can accommodate 4 to 7 passengers. These fleets include the Cessna
Citation CJ3, Nextant 400XTI, Citation Bravo, and Hawker 400.

Photo: Tradewind Aviation

The partners’ network provides a mid-size jet type, including the Dassault Falcon
, Challenger 350
, Hawker, and Citation Xs. Each operator is thoroughly screened to guarantee a good safety record and a high quality of service. The larger cabin jet’s flying range reaches 3500 miles (5633 km) with a cruise speed of 650 MPH (1046 km/h).

The company arranges long-haul trips for clients, like a round trip from Zurich to Miami on a large-cabin jet, the

Bombardier Global Express
. Tradewind does not own or operate any aircraft other than the PC-12 utilized for arranged trips.

Tradewind provides premium service at San Juan’s Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport. It offers a semi-private lounge area and a scheduled service to St. Barthelemy’s Gustaf III Airport. Customers can enjoy high-end Caribbean destinations. In June 2024, they announced scheduled service from Palm Beach to Abacos, Bahamas, starting in December 2024.