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With so much waterfront property and islands, you might expect Southwest Florida's airspace to be a hotbed of seaplane activity.
But Jonathan Rector says his Naples-based company, Salt Island Seaplanes, is the only seaplane operator in the area after the retirement of Mark Futch of Boca Grande Seaplane.
Rector recently launched Salt Island Seaplane to connect passengers between Naples and Key West and provide on-demand service in the region. “We're the only ones in Southwest Florida,” he says.
A retired airline captain and Fort Myers native, Rector will fly up to four passengers in his Cessna 206 amphibious seaplane from the Naples Municipal Airport to a dock in Key West. A one-way ticket costs $210.
Turns out, the seaplane business is tough to start from scratch. “There are high hurdles to starting this business,” Rector says.
For starters, it takes about three years to obtain an operator's certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration when you're starting a business from scratch. Fortunately, Rector purchased the seaplane business from an existing operator in Minnesota, which includes the FAA certificate.
Already, Rector flies hikers to Isle Royale National Park in Lake Superior in Michigan during the summer months under contract with the National Park Service. The company has provided this service for 11 years.
Instead of parking the plane in a hangar all winter, Rector moved it to Southwest Florida so he can fly passengers to Key West during the winter months. “Our plan is two flights a day, six days a week,” Rector says, citing South Florida's favorable winter weather conditions for flying. “We would love to break even the first season.”
In addition to renting hangar and counter space at the Naples airport and a dock in Key West, Rector has budgeted more than $40,000 for marketing.
Rector says much of his marketing effort is geared to the website. But he's also had discussions with hotel operators who have lodgings in both Naples and Key West. “We have people talking to us about going with us one way and the ferry the other way,” he says.
Fact is, there's plenty of competition, including the Key West Express, which provides daily passenger ferry service from Fort Myers Beach to Key West by sea. Silver Airways also provides regular passenger service between Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers and Key West International Airport. Two charter carriers at the Naples airport provide air service to Key West, too.
The other challenge of operating a seaplane is the corrosive effect of salt water, which requires a thorough wash every day. “We have a full-time director of maintenance who works on the aircraft every single day,” Rector says. “That's one of the things that sets us apart.”
But Rector is counting on the allure and romance of the seaplane to carry his share of passengers. For example, he recently flew some passengers to Little Palm Island, an ultra-luxury resort between Marathon and Key West that is only accessible by water.
For some upscale remote areas, such as Boca Grande, convenience is a factor, too. It takes an hour and a half to drive from the Fort Myers airport to Boca Grande, but it's just a 15-minute flight. “We're picking them up at their dock in their back yard,” he says. “We have clients in Boca Grande and we really need a second airplane.”
Follow Jean Gruss on Twitter @JeanGruss
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