Last year was a busy one for Trident Aircraft, a full service aviation business headquartered at Easton Airport in Maryland. It added aircraft to its fleet and fuel trucks to its ground equipment and is also in the throes of taking over a new facility in Baltimore. But it doesn't stop there, the company expects further fleet expansion over the course of the coming year.

“We more than doubled the size of our managed aircraft fleet last year and will be adding four super-mids to our 135 certificate and several turboprops this quarter too,” says president John Galdieri. “We also signed a 10 year lease on a 20,000 sq ft facility at Martin State airport in Baltimore, which is undergoing renovations.

“We purchased a Gulfstream 150 for use on our charter certificate, and we have a pair of brand new Peterbilt fuel trucks coming for our Easton, Maryland FBO.”

US Naval Academy graduate Galdieri set up Trident in 2006 with a view to making aircraft rental and instruction affordable both to midshipmen from the Naval Academy and to local pilots. He started the company with several students and a single aircraft, and as his student load expanded so he purchased additional aircraft and rented a closet-size office at Bay Bridge airport in Maryland's Stevensville. Over the years he has added to the services, staff and fleet of aircraft ranging from Cessna to Cirrus and even a T-34B Mentor, a former Navy training aircraft. Now based at Easton Airport, the company offers aircraft management, charter, maintenance and sales, flight training and FBO services.

Reflecting on the company’s position at the beginning of this year, Galdieri adds: “Nothing profound, other than a small business excelling, coming out of a very hard 2020. We are proud of what we have accomplished.”