Epstein Island Visitors and Flight Logs: What the Records Actually Show

The Flight Logs: What They Actually Document

The flight logs associated with Jeffrey Epstein's private aircraft are among the most widely cited — and most widely misunderstood — pieces of evidence in the Epstein case. Public discussion frequently treats these logs as a definitive "guest list" for Little St. James island. In reality, the relationship between the flight logs and actual island visits is significantly more complicated. This analysis examines what the logs actually show, what they do not show, and what other evidence exists about visitors to the island.

Understanding the Flight Records

What the Logs Are

The flight logs that have been made public come primarily from two sources, according to court records in the Giuffre v. Maxwell civil case:

• Pilot logbooks maintained by Epstein's pilots, documenting passengers on Epstein's private aircraft (including a Boeing 727 and various smaller planes)
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) records related to Epstein's registered aircraft

These logs document the date of each flight, the departure and arrival airports, and the names of passengers on board. They were unsealed as part of civil litigation and have been analyzed extensively by media outlets including the Associated Press and the Miami Herald.

What the Logs Show

According to the unsealed records:

• The logs cover flights spanning from the mid-1990s through the late 2010s
• They document flights to destinations around the world, including New York, Palm Beach, New Mexico, Paris, and the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Hundreds of individuals appear in the logs as passengers over the course of more than two decades
• The logs show flights to and from Cyril E. King Airport in St. Thomas, USVI — the commercial airport nearest to Little St. James

The Critical Distinction: USVI Flights vs. Island Visits

This is the single most important point in understanding the flight logs, and it is widely misunderstood by the public:

Flying to St. Thomas Is Not the Same as Visiting the Island

According to the flight records and geography of the U.S. Virgin Islands:

• Epstein's larger aircraft, including the Boeing 727, could not land on Little St. James — the island has no runway capable of accommodating commercial-sized aircraft
• Flights to the USVI landed at Cyril E. King Airport on St. Thomas, which is a standard commercial airport also used by regular airline traffic
• St. Thomas is a major tourist and commercial hub in the USVI, and there are many legitimate reasons to fly there
• A flight log entry showing a passenger traveled to St. Thomas does not establish that the passenger subsequently traveled to Little St. James

The "Last Mile" Problem

Getting from St. Thomas to Little St. James required additional transportation, according to trial testimony and the USVI AG complaint:

• By boat: Epstein maintained vessels that made regular trips between St. Thomas and the island. The boat trip from the Red Hook harbor area of St. Thomas to Little St. James takes approximately 20-30 minutes
• By helicopter: Epstein also used helicopter transport between the St. Thomas airport or other locations and the island's helipad
• By seaplane: Some arrivals to the island may have used seaplane services, according to local transportation records

The flight logs for Epstein's main aircraft do not document these secondary transfers. A person could appear on a flight log to St. Thomas without ever having set foot on Little St. James — they may have stayed at a hotel on St. Thomas, visited for business, or traveled to any number of other USVI destinations.

Boat and Helicopter Records

What Additional Records Exist

According to court testimony during the Maxwell trial and the USVI AG complaint:

• Boat captains employed by Epstein maintained their own records of trips between St. Thomas and the island
• Some of these records were obtained by the FBI during its 2019 investigation, according to the Associated Press
• Helicopter flight records may exist separately from the main aircraft logs
• Staff testimony during the Maxwell trial provided additional documentation of who traveled to the island by boat

Gaps in the Record

According to legal analysts and reporting by the Miami Herald:

• Boat transfer records are significantly less complete than aircraft flight logs
• Not all trips between St. Thomas and the island were formally documented
• Some visitors may have arrived by their own boats or through private charter services
• The helicopter records that have been made public are incomplete

Known Visitors According to Court Testimony

While the flight logs are imprecise, other evidence has established that certain individuals did visit Little St. James. According to sworn testimony and court records:

Confirmed Through Sworn Testimony

• Ghislaine Maxwell — convicted of federal crimes, her presence on the island was extensively documented during her trial, according to DOJ court records
• Victims who testified — multiple women provided sworn testimony about being brought to the island, as documented in the Maxwell trial record and civil depositions
• Les Wexner — confirmed visiting the island during his February 2026 congressional deposition, as reported by Reuters. Wexner characterized his visits as social in nature and denied witnessing criminal activity
• Staff members — numerous employees confirmed their own presence on the island through testimony

Named in Court Documents but Not Confirmed as Island Visitors

Many individuals appear in flight logs or other Epstein-related documents. According to media analysis of the unsealed records:

• Appearing on a flight log to St. Thomas establishes only that a person flew on Epstein's aircraft to the USVI
• Some individuals named in documents have publicly confirmed visiting the island while others have denied it
• Court records name some visitors in the context of specific testimony, but many names remain unconfirmed

Critical disclaimer: Being named in flight logs, court documents, or other records associated with Jeffrey Epstein does not imply wrongdoing, knowledge of criminal activity, or even that an individual visited Little St. James island. Many of the individuals named in these documents had professional, social, or philanthropic relationships with Epstein that were lawful.

The Wexner Deposition and Visitor Questions

Les Wexner's February 2026 congressional deposition provided new information about island visitors, according to media reporting:

• Wexner confirmed under oath that he visited Little St. James, which had been previously reported but not sworn to
• He described the visits as occurring in a social context
• Wexner testified that he was not aware of criminal activity during his visits
• His testimony provided context about the types of social gatherings that occurred on the island
• The deposition touched on other visitors Wexner recalled seeing, though specific names from this portion of the testimony have been partially redacted in public releases

Why the Flight Logs Are Incomplete Evidence

Based on the analysis above, the flight logs as a standalone document are incomplete evidence of island visits for several reasons:

1. Geographic limitation: Flights terminated at St. Thomas, not on the island itself
2. Missing transfers: Secondary transportation records are incomplete
3. Alternative arrivals: Visitors could reach the island by means other than Epstein's aircraft
4. Time gaps: The logs do not cover all time periods uniformly
5. Purpose ambiguity: A flight to St. Thomas could have had any number of purposes unrelated to the island
6. Incomplete passenger records: Not every flight log entry includes complete passenger manifests

What the DOJ Epstein Library May Add

The January 2026 release of approximately 3.5 million pages through the DOJ Epstein Library is expected to include additional transportation and visitor records, according to media reporting. Analysts and researchers are currently reviewing these documents for:

• Additional boat and helicopter transfer records
• Staff communications about visitor arrivals
• Security logs from the island compound
• Communications scheduling visits

As this review continues, the public understanding of who visited Little St. James and when may become more complete.

What We Know and What We Don't

Established through official records:

• Flight logs document hundreds of passengers on Epstein's aircraft over two decades
• Flights to the USVI landed at St. Thomas, not on Little St. James itself
• Secondary transportation was required to reach the island
• Some individuals have confirmed visiting the island under oath
• The flight logs alone do not establish that any specific person visited the island

What remains unknown:

• The complete list of individuals who visited Little St. James
• The full set of boat and helicopter transfer records
• Whether the DOJ Epstein Library contains comprehensive visitor records
• The total number of visits to the island over the course of Epstein's ownership

Primary Sources

1. Unsealed flight logs, Giuffre v. Maxwell — courtlistener.com
2. United States v. Maxwell, trial testimony — justice.gov
3. Les Wexner deposition — congress.gov
4. Associated Press, flight log analysis — apnews.com
5. Reuters, Maxwell trial transportation testimony — reuters.com
6. Miami Herald, flight log investigation — miamiherald.com
7. DOJ Epstein Library — justice.gov/epstein

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Learn about the buildings and structures on the island or the staff who worked there. For a guide to names in the Epstein files, see our complete guide to names. Browse the full case timeline or the document library.