OCEAN REEF AIRWAYS
Ocean Reef Airways was the southern division of Montauk Caribbean Airlines of New York. The airline operated flights from Miami to an airstrip at the exclusive Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo during the winter season. Passengers were required to be members or guests of the club, as the general public was not allowed access to the airstrip at the northern tip of Key Largo. The airline also offered charter flights to Walt Disney World, Key West, Palm Beach, and other points in the Bahamas, Caribbean, and Florida using Piper Navajos, a de Havilland Twin Otter, and Beech Baron twin props.
Ocean Reef's sole DHC-6 Twin Otter, N920R, pictured at the gate in Miami wearing the green, yellow, and white livery of Montauk Caribbean. This aircraft was also leased to Air Florida in 1979 and was flown between Miami and Marathon.
Below: Timetable showing scheduled service for Winter 1977 - 1978.
Ocean Reef Airways gave away these promotional buttons in the late 1970s.
Ocean Reef Airways route map showing the single 32-mile route between Miami and the Ocean Reef Club Airport (07FA). Created with Great Circle Mapper.
Bandeirante N102WJ flew with Ocean Reef for several months in 1980.
After twelve years of winter operations, Ocean Reef Airways was taken over by Provincetown-Boston Airline on November 1, 1982, as a way to gain additional arrival slots at Miami airport during the air traffic controller strike. PBA continued the service to Ocean Reef with as many as seven daily roundtrips until 1985, using Cessna 402s.
