Ventura Air Services

Big-picture snapshot

Ventura Air Services is a Part 135 on-demand charter and Part 91 aircraft management company headquartered at Republic Airport (KFRG) in Farmingdale, New York. The company operates a fleet of approximately 17 aircraft — primarily Citation Excels and Challenger 604/605s — with plans to grow to 30 aircraft within two to three years. Ventura employs approximately 52 people (early 2025) with plans to hire 25 more, and is estimated to have 30-40 pilots on staff. The company is ranked as the 25th largest Part 135 operator in the United States by annual flight hours.

Ventura is non-union and has no AirlinePilotCentral listing. Sam Wolf serves as CEO (promoted from President in March 2025), and Nik Tarascio — who has led the company since 2010 — transitioned to Executive Chairman. The company was originally founded in 1955 as a boutique charter operator on Long Island, making it one of the longest-continuously-operating charter companies in the Northeast.

For interview purposes, Ventura is best described as a growing, mid-size Part 135 operator with Long Island roots, a mixed fleet of light and large-cabin jets, and an aggressive growth plan to nearly double its fleet. Captain compensation averages approximately $122,000 annually, and the schedule runs 15 days on / 13 days off. Ventura is actively hiring with three or more open positions.

Company history

• 1955: Founded as a boutique charter operation on Long Island, New York
• 2010: Nik Tarascio became CEO and began modernizing the operation — transitioning from a small legacy charter company to a professionally managed Part 135 operator
• 2024: Fleet expanded to approximately 13 aircraft; launched a jet card program on the Citation Excel fleet
• March 2025: Sam Wolf promoted from President to CEO; Nik Tarascio transitioned to Executive Chairman
• 2025: Fleet grew to approximately 17 aircraft; company announced goal of 30 aircraft within two to three years; approximately 52 employees with plans to hire 25 more

Business model

Ventura Air Services operates across three business lines:

• Part 135 on-demand charter: The core business — charter flights operated on Ventura's certificate using its own fleet of Citation Excels, Challenger 604/605s, and LearJets.
• Part 91 aircraft management: Ventura manages privately owned aircraft under its Charter Lease Program, handling maintenance, crew, insurance, and regulatory compliance. Managed aircraft generate charter revenue for owners when not in private use.
• Jet cards: Launched in April 2024 on the Citation Excel fleet, offering prepaid flight hour blocks to customers seeking on-demand access without fractional ownership.

The company targets 700-800 charter hours per aircraft per year. The fleet standardization strategy — moving toward approximately 15 Citation Excels and 15 Challenger 604/605s — is designed to simplify training, maintenance, and scheduling while covering both light-midsize and large-cabin market segments.

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