Tradewind Aviation

Big-picture snapshot

Tradewind Aviation is a Part 135 scheduled commuter airline and on-demand charter operator headquartered at Waterbury-Oxford Airport (OXC) in Oxford, Connecticut. The company operates a fleet of 30+ Pilatus PC-12 aircraft — making it the second-largest PC-12 operator in the United States and the largest in scheduled service — with 125 active pilots and zero furloughed. Tradewind's ATC callsign is "Goodspeed" (ICAO: GPD).

Founded in 2001 by brothers Eric Zipkin (President) and David Zipkin (VP/CMO) with a single pilot and one Cessna Caravan, Tradewind has grown into the dominant scheduled turboprop carrier connecting the Northeast corridor with the Caribbean and Bahamas. The company is non-union and has an AirlinePilotCentral listing. Tradewind added 20 new PC-12 aircraft in 2024 alone and has airline partnerships with both JetBlue (Gateways program) and United (Aviate program).

For interview purposes, Tradewind is best described as a high-volume single-engine turboprop operator that offers a unique combination of scheduled and charter flying in desirable destinations — Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, St. Barths, and the Bahamas — with airline-style partnerships and a structured career path. Starting FO pay is $50,000/year with Captain starting at $70,000/year, and pilots receive 13 guaranteed days off per month. The company is actively hiring with 27 open positions.

Company history

• 2001: Founded by Eric Zipkin and David Zipkin with one pilot and a single Cessna Caravan in Oxford, Connecticut
• 2002: Commenced scheduled operations between Northeast destinations
• ~2010s: Transitioned from Cessna Caravans to an all-Pilatus PC-12 fleet, becoming the largest PC-12 operator in scheduled service in the United States
• ~2015-2020: Established airline partnerships with JetBlue (Gateways program) and United (Aviate program), creating structured pipelines from Tradewind to major airline careers
• 2024: Added 20 new Pilatus PC-12 aircraft — significant fleet expansion in a single year; fleet surpassed 30 aircraft
• December 2025: Launched Bahamas expansion with three new routes from Florida (Stuart and Fort Lauderdale to Nassau, North Eleuthera, and Marsh Harbour)
• 2025: Opened Stuart, Florida (SUA) as a new base
• March 2026: Added additional Fort Lauderdale-Bahamas frequencies

Business model

Tradewind Aviation operates a dual model:

• Scheduled commuter service (Part 135): Regularly scheduled flights connecting Northeast destinations (Nantucket, Martha's Vineyard, Stowe, White Plains, Teterboro) and Caribbean/Bahamas routes (San Juan to St. Barths year-round, Anguilla, Tortola, Virgin Gorda; Florida to Bahamas). This is the core of the operation and what distinguishes Tradewind from pure on-demand charter operators.
• On-demand charter: Point-to-point charter flights on the PC-12 fleet supplementing the scheduled service network.
• Airline partnerships: JetBlue Gateways and United Aviate partnerships create feeder pipelines, with JetBlue and United passengers connecting through Tradewind's scheduled service and Tradewind pilots gaining pathways to those carriers.

The single-type fleet strategy (all PC-12) simplifies training, maintenance, and crew scheduling. The PC-12 is particularly well-suited to Tradewind's mission profile — short-field-capable single-engine turboprop operating into small island and resort airports that larger aircraft cannot serve.

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