Anthony Marinello brings over 35 years of distinguished service and leadership in law enforcement, aviation operations, public safety, and security. With a career rooted in excellence, he has amassed more than 14,000 flight hours and held a wide range of high-responsibility roles across government, corporate, and private sectors.

Currently, Marinello is president and owner of Tropic Air Charters Inc., a 30-year U.S. air carrier providing passenger and cargo services between Florida and The Bahamas. He is also the founder and CEO of Tropic Air Rescue, the only fully certified helicopter rescue membership program in the Bahamas. As part of this effort, he conducted multiple high-risk U.S. citizen extractions in Haiti and led humanitarian missions in North Carolina following Hurricane Helene.

You’ve spent over 35 years in law enforcement and aviation operations. What inspired your interest in this area, and how has the field evolved over time?

I wanted to be a policeman since I was 5. It was something inside that I knew would be my calling. I can’t explain it. At 17, I joined the township first aid squad. At 18, I passed the all the tests for a township police officer, number 1 on the written and physical. They told me I was too young. You might say that lit a fire under me to prove them wrong. One short year later, at just 19 years old, I graduated from the NJ State Police Academy as a State Tropper. When I became a State Trooper, I loved the job but wanted more. At 22, I delivered a baby in a toll booth on the New Jersey Turnpike. At 25 I decided to become a helicopter pilot. I was transferred into the aviation bureau three months later and never looked back. The Division started a new medevac unit, and I did the first medevac of the new program on July 1, 1988. 21 years later and close to 5,000 completed rescues later I retired.

In 2006, three days after retirement from the State Police, I was hired as the first chief pilot of the City of Newark Police Department in New Jersey and started the first full time city police department aviation unit in the state.

When I first became a trooper, I met very senior Troopers who joined the force in the 1950s. They said “kid you missed it. This job has changed. Don’t know why anyone would take this job now.” 28 years later I found myself saying the same thing to new troopers! It’s funny how time has a way of changing your perspective. In my tenure there was a profound change. As I look back on when I joined in the late 1970s, being a police officer was not always looked at as a noble profession. By the time I retired in the early 2000s it seemed better. I was there when the world changed on Sept 11, 2001. It’s burned in my brain. I know many who never made it home that day. Today the atmosphere in law enforcement is very similar to the 1970s. I hope it will change back but it’s still a very dangerous profession. You definitely have to want to serve, or you will not last.

What motivated you to transition into the private sector after such a long career in law enforcement?

Time. Time is the most valuable thing we have. Every second is irreplaceable. It was time to move forward. All things come to an end. I wanted to leave on my terms, not when I would become a burned-out man. I once asked an older trooper, “how do you know when it’s time to retire?” and he said, “you’ll know,” and that was true. I knew one day. After 28 years of service, it was time to move to the next adventure. I felt I had done all I could in my position, but I also felt I needed to do more. More of what was the question. I started my own private detective agency and became the executive VP of the state association. I also worked for other helicopter companies. Then I ran for public office becoming a town councilman, then deputy mayor and finally the mayor of my town. But there is always more to do.

What inspired you to launch Tropic Air Rescue, and how does it fill a critical gap in aviation rescue services in The Bahamas?

I decided I wanted to run my own aviation company. I purchased Tropic Air Charters, an airplane charter company that flew passengers and cargo to the Bahamas. The business has been going for 30 years so it was well established. Within a few months of the purchase, I expanded the fleet by 50%. Things were going great. One day one of my pilots called me from the Bahamas and told me he was with a person having a stroke. He was worried that if he put them into the airplane they would die before he reached the United States. I told him I would get him an air ambulance. I called 10 to 15 air ambulance companies, but none would respond. I finally found a private plane to rush him into the United States. The next day I began researching the closest helicopter air ambulance in the Bahamas. I found out there has never been one and the service did not exist. The next day I announced to my executive staff we were going to add helicopter air ambulance services to our company. My previous 35 years of experience with helicopters made the decision easy. Now came the hard part. Creating a viable rescue service where none existed prior. It took two years to complete the process, purchase the aircraft, hire and train all the pilots and medical staff and obtain all the necessary licenses and certificates from both the FAA and the Bahamian CAA and then get it up and running. It was an eye-opening and very fulfilling experience to know that we did something that’s never been done before and it’s 2024!

Can you share more about the membership for Tropic Air Rescue and how it works, and what it gets those who join?

Tropic Air Rescue memberships are available in many levels. Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly individual and family memberships as well as a marine vessel membership program (boats and yachts). We are a private organization and are not subsidized by any government funds and as such must rely on our membership to sustain our programs readiness, which is 24/7, 365 days. Once a membership is obtained, the member has access to our emergency rescue helicopter services. If a rescue is needed the member calls into the rescue center and the helicopter is dispatched. We pick up the injured member and transport them to a south Florida hospital specialty center (trauma, burn, stroke, hyperbaric center, etc.). Once the rescue is complete, we bill the patients’ health insurance provider for the cost of the rescue. No further money is required from the member. We accept the insurance payment as full payment.

You’ve handled VIP transport, emergency evacuations, and tactical surveillance. How do you prepare for such high-stakes missions?

Training and mental preparedness are critical to a successful operation. It takes a very special individual to prepare and be ready to respond to any situation at any given moment. Our people are handpicked to be comparable with these goals. From pilots to medics to physicians we only ask that they be professional and dedicated to the mission. We have an amazing team.

What do you think the aviation industry gets right about safety and what still needs to change?

I know we all talk about safety in aviation, but it’s not just talk. It’s the most important thing. We practice safe principles every day. We are audited regularly by the FAA. We welcome the oversight since it only makes us safer. Independent observations let us get insight from other perspectives.

The biggest safety issues I see in this sector of aviation are personnel, training and equipment. Most operators use single pilot aircraft for operations. While it’s more cost effective to run single pilot operations, having two pilots lifts the safety margin higher. Two heads are better than one. It’s more helpful to have a second pilot in the cockpit as the flight progresses, especially when things begin to go wrong. Whether it’s weather issues or mechanical issues, it can be completely overwhelming when things go wrong. Two pilots bring the stress level down to a manageable level.

Twin engine aircraft. Again, most operations in the country, around 97%, are done with single engine aircraft. When that engine has a problem, you are going down. A second engine can allow you to continue to a safe landing area that may be out of reach in a single engine aircraft. Single engine aircraft are safe, however twin-engine aircraft provide a greater safety margin. Twin engine aircraft are usually larger, more expensive and require a significantly greater investment.

Training and pilot selection are critical. This can be a very large challenge since it takes 30 years to get 30 years of experience! Lower experienced pilots in high stress environments can be a significant factor in these high stress operations. While we all must start somewhere in this profession this is probably not the place to put inexperienced people. Hiring standards need to be consistent and demanded from the industry. It is a challenge to find and hire the right people but hiring the wrong people can have disastrous consequences. The crews must be allowed to exercise their discussion on stopping the mission anytime they feel the risk is too high and without any repercussions from that decision. They should not feel that stopping the mission will put them in greater danger (continued employment) than pushing forward into a worse condition or accident. Accidents by their nature can never be eliminated but the risk of an accident can be greatly mitigated by selecting the proper personnel, having a just safety culture and empowering the employees to make sound decisions without repercussions.

With over 14,000 flight hours, how has your flying philosophy evolved over time?

The old saying is “there are old pilots and there are bold pilots but there are no old bold pilots.” As you grow in this profession your experience level grows with you. You may look back at what you have done and say how did I ever get myself into that position. The experience you gather lets you look back and say that’s how I got out of that position. I try and share my experiences with other pilots all the time. Maybe they don’t have to go through what I did to learn from the situation. Maybe the experience you share can be a reference for them on what to do or another option at the time. Every situation is different, and every flight is different. There are no routine flights. The risks of flight can never be completely eliminated, just managed to be as safe as possible. As Clint Eastwood once said, “A man has to know his limitations.” Don’t fly beyond your capabilities or you will find out quickly where the lines are.

How do your public service values influence the way you run your businesses today?

We are here to serve others. What we do can affect the lives of not just that one person but many others in their life. But most importantly if we fail at any point the effect will be felt in many lives, including our own. We cannot unnecessarily risk the entire mission to complete the mission. You need to constantly re-evaluate the mission as it progresses. If it becomes obvious the mission cannot continue, it must be stopped. The crew must recognize this and be empowered to call it off when the risk becomes greater than the chance of a successful outcome. There can be no repercussions for stopping and returning to a safe position. The alternative is usually disastrous.

What’s the most difficult decision you’ve had to make in your career, and what did you learn from it?

The most difficult decision is to say “NO” to a mission. The result of saying no can be a very bad outcome for the person needing help. This has to be the hardest thing to do. I’ve done it hundreds of times, but the overall success and safety of the mission must be priority one. The results of a “NO GO” decision are unknown. We can only say that we are still here to respond another day. If you don’t think you can do it, then you should not do it. If you go you must constantly evaluate the mission while it’s in progress. If at any time you feel it cannot continue stop and land or return to a safe environment. There is more to do tomorrow but you must be alive to be there tomorrow. This is where experience and training play a large part in the success of any program.

What advice would you give to young professionals interested in combining aviation with public service?

I believe this is a great profession and a worthwhile and fulfilling avocation. Whether as a pilot, crew member, or mechanic the personal satisfaction of knowing your actions may result in saving a human life are profound. There is no greater gift to another than saving their life. The implications for that person and their families are long-lasting and unknown to the future of our world. It’s many times a thankless job. I can say with certainty that out of the close to 5,000 rescues I have completed, maybe a handful of people know my name. We came and went from their lives with almost total anonymity, but we changed their lives forever. To me it’s rewarding to just know we did it and we continue to do it every day. If you choose this path, others may live because of your choices.

The post Q&A with Anthony Marinello, President and Owner of Tropic Air Charters appeared first on citybiz.

This contant was orignally distributed by citybiz. Blockchain Registration, Verification & Enhancement provided by NewsRamp™. The source URL for this press release is Q&A with Anthony Marinello, President and Owner of Tropic Air Charters.