Here’s the backdrop of today’s update on the LSA seaplane sector as summer approaches.
According to Law360, an online legal news source, “Light-Sport Aircraft manufacturer Icon Aircraft filed for Chapter 11 protection in Delaware bankruptcy court with more than $170 million in debt and plans for an asset sale and liquidation.” You may have read (here) that Icon got an initial offer of $13.5 million. As an industry contact told me for the earlier report, “That would hardly make a dent in their liabilities.” The person was right, it appears. A proposed new buyer referenced in the earlier article agreed to take on Icon’s debt but the sales must still go through an auction process, I was told.
OK, let’s come back to Earth… or water perhaps …or either. Aero Adventure continues to fly as it has for three decades (though management has changed at least three times over the period). For a tiny fraction of $13.5 million, much less $170 million, Aero Adventure has built a line of aircraft, including kit versions and an SLSA version. They’ve also offered the S-17 with (for that time) extraordinary horsepower.
Looking to the Global South
Recently editor Marc Cook offered news from Aero Adventure. His article spoke to new leadership but couldn’t go into much detail as little was provided. I reached out to Alex Rolinski to fill in some blanks. He was traveling but we spoke a few days later.
The Big News — Aero Adventure is moving all production of the Aventura line to Brazil. If that sounds like a rather big move somewhat out of the blue, it’s really not.
As part of Aero Affinity — a group including several different enterprises in light aviation — one of the founding partners was Montaer Aircraft USA representing the MC series from Brazil. Aero Adventure, now in the business several decades, has made contact with people in many countries and found fertile ground in Brazil.
Alex Rolinski has been the leader of Aero Adventure for more than a decade; photo taken in 2013.
The country has been deep in aviation for many decades so it has a supply of experienced workers, engineers, and aviation-grade suppliers who work for less dollars than their counterparts in America. The so-called “global south” is rising in most standards but wages and salaries lag behind Europe or the USA. Aero Adventure is merely taking advantage of this asymmetry.
Alex Rolinski (L) partnered with Bristell importer Lou Mancuso when Lou wanted to add a seaplane. Photo taken in spring 2020 right before Covid hit.
Aero Adventure was able to snare several light-aircraft technicians due to the financial woes at Seamax (whose problems are covered in this article). A number of workers freshly employed are no doubt pleased.
They’ll be lead in Brazil by American Wesley Queiroz aided by sales manager Shawn Morgan, Alex informed me. They will manage a facility and personnel aiming for 12 kits a month in 2024, stepping up to 18 kits a year in 2025. These numbers sound very realistic and achievable yet insure a supply of much more affordable LSA seaplanes than anyone else. More on affordability below.
“We will also have a new operations person, however, we will be releasing the name at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh,” Alex finished.
The U.S. operation of Aero Affinity ranges widely through the light aircraft space and has entered somewhat larger aviation, no doubt a good direction to be going as we contemplate Mosaic LSA that require new expertise for equipment like retractable gear, adjustable props, alternate propulsion systems, and more. Last year Alex took factory training by Continental to perform service work on the Alabama company’s diesels as part of an agreement to assist Tecnam Aircraft with service for their broad lineup. The Italian company offers an aircraft with a diesel powerplant.
Meanwhile Aero Affinity also includes partner Doma Andreka of Magnus Aircraft. His Hungarian supplier this week announced a new deal to build aircraft in China though for what market these aircraft will be was not specified.
As to affordability, a regular focus of this website, Alex noted that a new Aventura fully-built SLSA model remains about $150,000, significantly modest at a time when almost everything else you buy has gone higher. As we can all see at our grocery store or a gas pump, inflation has driven everything considerably higher in the 2020s. Honestly, though may not fit your budget, $150,000 qualifies as a bargain. Seriously, go price any other seaplane anywhere. You probably know an Icon A5 lists for more than $400,000. Then we have Mosaic LSA coming, but that’s another story…
Affordability in this age of inflation is a challenge not only for the consumer but for the producer. Their material costs have gone up. The challenge of finding labor is surprisingly difficult for many American businesses. This predicament is partly why Aero Adventure made the decision they did.
To hold prices from soaring even higher, this move by Aero Adventure makes economic sense. I’d bet they can also add new sales from South America.
Regardless of price questions, Aero Adventure appears to be one of the steadiest producers in the LSA seaplane sector along with Scoda Aeronautica and their Super Petrel XP.
Perhaps we’ll learn even more about this company on the move at AirVenture in just seven weeks!
Hello Dan,
I recently purchased a Aventura II i had talked to Alex once when he was a Oshkosh talked to him about installing an electric landing gear system that came with it but had no instructions, Alex said that there are 3 types he said he had the instructions I needed .Never got back to me left about 5 messages on phone and countless emails . Where does one get info and parts to complete this project! How does one operate a business if he never retunes any calls !
Discouraged!!
Hello Daniel:
I got the following reply from a former associate of Aero Adventure:
“Please direct the customer to Wesley (Wesley@sea-plane.com) he will be the one who can help.
He has a much older Aventura, so it might take a little longer to fulfill his request.”
Good luck!