Go to the regionals instead - Pilot Tradewind Aviation Employee Review

2.0
Aug 12, 2021
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

1) Good IFR 135, SOP-integrated flying experience; lots of time to be built 2) Well maintained aircraft 3) High compensation working hard days (when available)

Cons

1) Training contract. One-sided and amortized for maximum punishment if you want to escape. 100% is owed through month 7 of flying as a PIC, 75% owed through month 12. Any company that cannot maintain enough pilots without the threat of a $17,500+ lawsuit should not be a consideration for any aviator. Theres a reason they have to sue you to get you to stay... 2) Abusive work schedule. 3) Forced relocation to Caribbean is for ALL employees. Living with co-workers 24/7. Work-life balance anyone? 4) Poor financial managment. The company pocketed millions in payroll grants in April of 2020, but furloughed 85% of their pilots anyways. The president bought 1/2 an airport in August of 2020... 5) Will not honor prior arrangements, such as bonus, schedule, or pay raises. The only financial guarantee with this job is they will sue you if you don't upgrade to PIC and work for a year as captain. 6) No "real" CJ3 Pathway, or respect for seniority 7) Strained safety culture at best 8) Lack of marketable flight time. It's single engine time, regardless of what spins that propeller.

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Tradewind Aviation Response
4y
Thank you for your feedback. Tradewind Aviation is proud to be a top notch 135 operator with some of the best employees and aircraft in the industry. As was noted in your review, we have well-maintained aircraft, strong SOPs and excellent pay, including a newly released 10-year pay scale for pilots. I’m sorry we weren’t right fit for you. Tradewind Aviation does expect a commitment for all pilots which is carefully explained prior to hire to ensure that all parties are agreeable. This commitment is necessary to help amortize the cost of the extensive training we provide. The vast majority of pilots honor that commitment and beyond. Most pilots that stay on for 2 years upgrade into the CJ3. I’m sorry this path didn’t work for you. We appreciate your feedback and will continue to learn and improve as we have for the last 19 years.

Explore other reviews about Tradewind Aviation

5.0
Aug 13, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Tradewind is a great employer that offers tons of benefits and monthly lunch for all employees. All the people are super friendly and easy to get along with. Great work/life balance.

Cons

None so far as I have only been employed a few months. Feels like a startup culture which is great but growing very fast.

1.0
Jun 10, 2025
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business Outlook

Pros

Unfortunately, I struggled to find any meaningful positives during my time with the company. While every workplace has its challenges, this environment made it difficult to identify any truly beneficial aspects worth highlighting.

Cons

There was a lack of consistency in communication—expectations and directives changed daily. The company often made promises during recruitment that didn’t reflect the reality of the job. There is a noticeable culture of favoritism and nepotism, where advancement seems to be based more on personal connections than on merit or performance. Concessions and preferential treatment are routinely made for certain individuals. Ethical standards are questionable at best, and several practices could raise serious concerns if ever reviewed by agencies like the Department of Labor or the EEOC. Unfortunately, while this should be motivation to implement necessary changes, there seems to be little interest in genuine accountability.

1
avatar
Tradewind Aviation Response
1y
Thank you for your feedback; we value all team member input. Your note is very important to us, and we wish you the best in your career.
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