I was going through some old files yesterday and noticed that I had nearly completed a trip report about a flight I took in November 2014 on ExecAir. Since I don't have any travel to report on these days, I put the finishing touches on it and hope you enjoy.
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On my way to see some friends in Daytona Beach in November 2014, I decided to detour via southern Florida to take a flight that had caught my interest when I discovered it a couple years prior.

While browsing the Miami International Airport Wikipedia page, I noticed an airline called ExecAir flying to Naples, FL in the Airlines and Destinations table. At that point, I became interested as it seemed like an odd route and an operator which I had never heard of. Researching the company’s website, the Official Airline Guide, and online booking engines, I found they operate four weekly roundtrips (avoiding the additional certification requirements for Part 135 operators conducting more than weekly flights) between Naples and Miami on a Cessna 182 built in 1956. Even more interestingly, they operate from Concourse J at MIA alongside many international carriers, so there would certainly be quite the contrast between the aircraft types at the gates that evening.

I flew BOS-ATL-FLL on AirTran in the morning, which would be my last flight on the airline before its integration into WN. I took the long shuttle bus ride to the TriRail station and then caught a train south to Miami. I headed into downtown for lunch and had a burger at the restaurant in the Four Seasons hotel, then explored their property a little bit before taking the light rail to MIA. After the train ride and a long walk to Concourse J, I began searching for the ExecAir check-in counter. Unable to find the counter anywhere in the length of the concourse, I checked the departures board for the flight to see if it listed the check in area. The flight and gate number were indeed listed, however, the board made no mention of check-in areas for any flights.



As luck would have it, another traveler on the ExecAir flight was at the departures board requesting assistance from some airport staff. None of the staff had heard of the flight or the airline and insisted that our flight was probably on AA. I tried to explain the nature of the flight to the others, but to no avail. One CBP officer began to escort us out of Concourse J to an info desk somewhere else in the airport. At this point, I dialed the number on the ExecAir website which connected me to our pilot’s cell phone. He said that he had just fueled the aircraft in Naples and was about to depart for Miami. He said that the check-in desk was in the Baggage Claim area of Concourse J, on the ground floor. I told the CBP officer and fellow passenger that I had just spoken with the pilot (resulting in surprised expressions from both) and informed them of the check-in location. The CBP officer then left us and we proceeded to the bag claim area. The other passenger had just arrived from Sweden with a big suitcase full of camera gear and had booked his ticket all the way to Naples through a travel agent. I told him about the aircraft type we would be flying on and he was quite amused.



We arrived at the check in area and found it unstaffed so took some seats and found we had plenty to talk about, both residing in Boston at the time. No other passengers came and about twenty minutes prior to departure time two ground staff members approached us and asked us if we were going to Naples. We responded in the affirmative and the employees led us outside to a waiting bus. In the bus the staff, checked our passports and provided our boarding passes. We had a quick ride through a gate onto the ramp and to where the Cessna and pilot were waiting for us.




We were parked next to a LAN 787 and several other widebodies at the gate. My fellow passenger was a bit excited upon seeing the aircraft and said he felt like this was “out of Indiana Jones”. He took pictures of the aircraft and sent them to his wife, who he said would worry for his safety now. I asked the pilot a little about the aircraft and he confirmed it was a 1956-build, the first year the 182 was produced. He remarked that he had had offers from aircraft collectors, but that he would not sell it for less than $700,000 since it was so valuable to his business. All this left the other passenger slightly aghast.





I took the co-pilot’s seat and the other pax took one of the back seats. The pilot had a hard time fitting the other pax’s big suitcase into the hold as it barely fit through the opening. Soon the engine was started and the ground staff that had met us in the airport sent us on our way. Without any headset it was nearly impossible to hear anyone in the aircraft. We taxied for several minutes and held short of the runway for a couple of 737s to take off ahead of us.





The pilot then lined up on Runway 12 and after a short roll we were airborne. There was a good night view of the terminals and cargo ramp as we climbed over midfield. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft turned west and after a few more minutes of flying the streetlights of the South Florida suburbs abruptly stopped and we were flying over pitch dark gator country.



Eventually, the lights of Gulf coast communities became visible. We descended as the outline of Naples’ runway became visible. A smooth landing and short taxi later, we were at the small Naples Municipal Airport passenger terminal and the pilot was unloading our baggage. I thanked the pilot and headed out of the terminal.




I had arranged for a car to drive me to Ft. Myers where I would spend the night before taking my first flight on Silver Airways to MCO the next morning. Not seeing the driver or car anywhere, I called the driver and found out he had gone to the FBO thinking I was arriving on a private flight and not knowing that any passenger flights operated out of the terminal (this being the days before Elite attempted Naples service). It didn’t take long for the car to make its way to the proper place and then I was on my way to the Best Western after a long day.

There are plenty of reports and information out there about Silver Airways, so I won't go into any detail. The next morning, I caught my first Silver Airways flight from RSW-MCO on a Saab 340B. There wasn't anything too remarkable about the short flight, but I always found the fuel burn comparison between the Saab and a 70-seat jet that is printed on Silver's engine nacelles to be a bit strange considering the types really aren't comparable at all.






After arriving in MCO, I met my friends and we drove north, finally arriving in Daytona Beach.
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Thanks for reading, hope you have enjoyed this blast from the past. Happy New Year!

Wow, that is a blast from the past. Thanks for posting. A 182 at MIA, who would have thought. And the panel...vintage but with the updated radios. But $700,000, even for the "historic" plane????

Cool report to wrap up a year that didn't offer too many opportunities to travel and post reports on it!

cschleic wrote:

Wow, that is a blast from the past. Thanks for posting. A 182 at MIA, who would have thought. And the panel...vintage but with the updated radios. But $700,000, even for the "historic" plane????

Sounds like what my old boss called a "f*** off price" - he doesn't want to sell at all, but if you really absolutely must have that exact service or product, that's how much it will take to buy it, otherwise "f*** off".

Nicve TR, well done! Is the airline and the '56 vintage aircraft still around and up?!

debonair wrote:

Nicve TR, well done! Is the airline and the '56 vintage aircraft still around and up?!

Thanks! I do remember seeing that they eventually got scheduled Part 135 certification and were able to operate additional routes and more frequencies, however I was reading the Cranky Flier's annual "Airlines we Lost" post today and noticed ExecAir of Naples listed in the "Tomb of the Unknown Airline" section, so it seems to have bit the dust after a surprisingly long run. As for N6298A, FlightAware has it operating as of early December, so looks like it's doing alright.

classicjets wrote:

debonair wrote:

Nicve TR, well done! Is the airline and the '56 vintage aircraft still around and up?!

Thanks! I do remember seeing that they eventually got scheduled Part 135 certification and were able to operate additional routes and more frequencies, however I was reading the Cranky Flier's annual "Airlines we Lost" post today and noticed ExecAir of Naples listed in the "Tomb of the Unknown Airline" section, so it seems to have bit the dust after a surprisingly long run. As for N6298A, FlightAware has it operating as of early December, so looks like it's doing alright.

Thank you - so John has no work anymore? Never seen a one man callcenter before...

Our reservation system is currently undergoing maintenance.
Please call John at: (239) 290-5668 to schedule and book your flight. Sorry for the inconvenience.
https://execairline.com/

Thanks for the TR. I don't believe I've ever seen a C182 use the commercial gates at any airport in the US. Though I'm surprised to see that this airline (ExecAir) still exists and operates intra-Florida flights on a part 135 certificate.

Thank you a LOT for the TR!!! ExecAir website seems to be alive, so now it`s a must for me next time at Florida. Where else could I fly a scheduled Cessna 182?