AIRPORT:--- A unique amphibian aircraft, the Cessna Caravan EX Seaplane, arrived on the island on Monday at the commencement of the 2nd Annual Caribbean Aviation Meetup. The seaplane will be used for demonstration rides around St. Maarten, and to Anguilla and Nevis, with the conference providing an opportunity to explore the feasibility of setting up operations in the region.
"Just arrived in St. Maarten aboard a Tropic Ocean Airways Caravan on floats. A great flight that set the stage for what's shaping up to be a great Caribbean Aviation Meetup 2017," said Rob Mark, an award-winning journalist who together with Tropic Ocean Airways Chief Executive Office Robert Ceravolo will host a presentation on ‘Seaplanes in the Caribbean; potential for airlift and as a tourism product’.
Mark arrived with two pilots, who flew the aircraft in from Miami, Florida, via San Juan Puerto Rico for the two-day trip.
Not only can the seaplane be used for inter-island transportation, it can also be used for aerial sight-seeing tours, an attractive and unique tourism product. The aircraft can access destinations regardless of runway access and is also capable of landing right at the beach.
Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Tropic Ocean Airways already offers first-class, fun, and adventurous seaplane services throughout South Florida, the Bahamas, and New York. The airline also boasts experienced pilots used to tropical and sometimes harsh environments. CEO Ceravolo founded the company in 2009 and is himself a Navy Topgun fighter pilot.
The 2nd Annual Caribbean Aviation Meetup, hosted by Princess Juliana International Airport, differs from most other conferences because it puts the emphasis on experience exchange, interaction, and participation, rather than on listening to the achievements of speakers or companies.
It is the perfect opportunity for face-to-face business discussions and comprehensive group opinion exchanges on sector-specific topics.
The result is a proactive platform upon which successful networking can be built. It will provide impulses for new business developments and industry investments and will accommodate a new attitude towards positive development and impact of the airlift.
Some thirty speakers are contributing to the programme. Participants from 28 countries and territories will attend. The conference will be held June 13 through 15. For more information, visit www.caribavia.com.
Unique seaplane arrives for conference demonstrations.
