Who were Jeffrey Epstein’s pilots and what did they see?
Jeffrey Epstein maintained a fleet of private aircraft and employed a team of professional pilots over the course of his decades-long operation. These pilots became important witnesses, and the flight logs they maintained became some of the most scrutinized documents in the Epstein investigation.
Larry Visoski Sr. — Chief Pilot
Larry Visoski was Epstein’s longest-serving and most prominent pilot. He worked for Epstein for approximately 25 years, flying him on the Boeing 727 that became known colloquially in press reporting as the “Lolita Express.” Visoski was subpoenaed during the 2021 trial of Ghislaine Maxwell and testified in federal court.
During his testimony, Visoski acknowledged seeing underage-appearing passengers on Epstein’s flights but stated he had not witnessed sexual abuse and was unaware of criminal activity. He identified several prominent individuals from pilot logs as having flown on Epstein’s planes, though he maintained he was essentially a professional aviator focused on safe flight operations.
His testimony was carefully managed by Maxwell’s defense and the prosecution alike, given his decades of proximity to Epstein and his potential knowledge of passenger manifests.
Flight Logs as Evidence
The flight logs maintained by Epstein’s pilots became central evidence documents in both criminal proceedings and civil cases. These logs recorded dates, departure and arrival locations, and passenger names — creating an invaluable record of who traveled to which of Epstein’s properties on which dates.
The logs were initially obtained through civil litigation brought by Virginia Giuffre and reviewed by the Palm Beach Post, which published notable names from them in 2015. The logs showed flights to the U.S. Virgin Islands, New Mexico, Florida, New York, and international destinations including destinations in Europe and Asia.
What the Pilots Knew
A persistent question throughout the investigation concerned the extent of pilot knowledge about illegal activity occurring on the aircraft. Multiple civil plaintiffs claimed abuse occurred in flight, while Visoski and other crew testified to limited direct knowledge.
Former pilots stated in various proceedings that young women were frequently aboard, that Epstein traveled with irregular companions for a man of his claimed business focus, and that the operation of the aircraft was suffused with secrecy and strict rules about passenger information.
Significance as Witnesses
Pilots occupy a legally significant evidentiary position: as licensed professionals subject to regulatory oversight, they are required to maintain accurate records, and those records carry documentary weight. The combination of personal witness knowledge and mandatory documentation made pilots among the most important non-victim witnesses in the case, a fact recognized by attorneys on all sides.
The flight logs continue to be central to civil proceedings involving passengers who appeared in them.