Let's be honest. We're into flying because we enjoy the experience, right? Flying light, sporting aircraft is not about flying to work or transporting goods or people. And if enjoyment is the main flying goal, then seaplanes are a big part of that pleasure. Of the LSA-qualified seaplanes covered this year (FPNA Cape Town A- 22 and Airmax SeaMax), the SeaRey is more familiar to readers of Light Sport and Ultralight Flying magazine and more affordable. The SeaRey is familiar because of its past in this community. It's built and it flies as you'd expect, more so than some $135,000 carbon fiber speedster. It also costs a great deal less and it's available as a kit to save even more dough. Make no mistake. The SeaRey LSX (the Experimental-LSA kit version) and the SeaRey Sport (the fully-built version in latter stages of certification) are advanced light planes, by which I mean SeaRey has developed significantly from its simpler 2- stroke-powered early models. The new LSX model gained 78 new improvements as it went through the process of earning SLSA airworthiness. Getting back to the fun part, many pilots who have flown in water-borne aircraft believe this is the finest and most enjoyable flying one can do. If that sentiment holds water (pardon my pun), then the handsome SeaRey amphibian from Florida-based Progressive Aerodyne deserves closer inspection. Evolving SeaRey Kerry Richter, the main designer at Progressive Aerodyne, said that new engineering strengthened the SeaRey's airframe, which increased gross weight to 1,430 pounds, up from 1,370 pounds. This was not some back-of-the-envelope analysis. Progressive Aerodyne went through an exhaustive study to prove the higher gross limit. The 78 changes the company made cover all parts of the design. Assisting Kerry and the Progressive Aerodyne team was German engineer, Damir Blazevic, who worked for Airbus for many years and most recently on the A-380 Airbus. Kerry indicated that Blazevic gave a lot of help to Progressive Aerodyne as they worked through the ASTM standards. Boosting the gross weight was part of the overall rework effort. Some well-equipped LSA seaplanes are struggling to stay within LSA weight limits (though not SeaMax, which fits easily). Yet the SeaRey provides 550 pounds of useful load or 442 pounds of payload with full fuel in standard 18-gal- Light Sport and Ultralight Flying Pilot's Report lon tanks. Of SeaRey's load utility, Progressive Aerodyne says, "In other words [you can carry] two average people, a full tank of gas and about 30 pounds of baggage." If you want extra fuel - 26 gallons are available - you might choose an optional carbon fiber hull to reduce the empty weight by a further 30 pounds. More than 15 years of Progressive Aerodyne history cannot tell the whole story behind the SeaRey. A father-and-son ownership team from the beginning, Wayne and Kerry Richter have long experience in this business and over the years have produced hundreds of amphibious aircraft. Back in the late '80s and early '90s, the Richters were principals in a company called Advanced Aviation that was best known for its amphib seaplane called the Buccaneer. After another Florida designer, Bruce Pemberton, made the first single- place Buccaneer, and Kerry Richter cemented his reputation with a 2-place model, the Buccaneer II. He also updated the original single-place called the XA into the more sophisticated SX version. In addition, Kerry designed other models based on a similar theme. In the early '90s, after a dispute with a man who ended up owning a large piece of Advanced Aviation, the Richters parted company and set about building a new company. By the end of the '90s, their new Progressive Aerodyne company had delivered more than 100 of their then-new SeaRey plus a few of their Sting Ray single-seaters. The single-seat model quietly left the scene and the SeaRey has not only done well - selling more than 500 aircraft - but the Richters have built one of the most intensely loyal followings I've seen in aviation. For more than a decade and a half, Progressive Aerodyne has been shipping airplanes and satisfying customers. And through all these years, Kerry Richter's designs have been continually refined. All the knowledge he acquired with the earlier designs has been bundled into the SeaRey. SeaRey's Comfy Cabin A modern SeaRey has the look of a well-developed model that has seen many refinements over time. Some of these were inspired by their legion of kitbuilders, and some ideas came from factory personnel. Early on, the SeaRey moved to the 80-hp Rotax 912 4- stroke that is today the accepted engine of most light-sport aircraft. The first SeaReys used the Rotax 582 2-stroke, but half of the single-place Sting Rays built and virtually all of the 2-place SeaRey models use the popular 80-hp engine. Since pilots seem to value more power than less, many now elect the 100-hp Rotax 912S and you can also choose the much more expensive and somewhat more powerful 115-hp Rotax 914 turbo. With both halves of the sliding canopies slid far aft, entry to the SeaRey is quite negotiable. Some landplanes are even easier as they can have low door openings and a seaplane cannot afford that feature. Kerry and I are both roughly average in size and once seated, we had room to spare. The thickly padded seats and fully finished interior were pleasant and comfortable. We left the canopies open in Florida's May heat and we could have elected to leave them open during any part of the flight. Except for some windblast and increased noise - especially at higher power settings and faster speeds - I think I'd regularly fly around with the canopy open. You can have each canopy half open to any degree and they don't have to be open symmetrically. Kerry said you could take off and fly with the canopies open anywhere in their movement range or the speed range of SeaRey. The split, sliding canopy is also a safety feature in the event of water upset. Getting out of a flipforward or flip-aft canopy after upset could introduce escape challenges. Progressive Aerodyne says, "Instead, our sliding canopy system would safely slice the water and also would not require clearance from ground to open." As we taxied out at Spruce Creek Fly-In near Daytona Beach, Florida, I found ground handling was very good thanks to a responsive tailwheel. But, as with any amphib, I found myself reviewing the right techniques to assure I had the repositionable gear where it ought to be. Too often, seaplanes or amphib floatplanes have been landed on water with the gear down -- a very bad idea - or landed on land with the gear up. The latter presents much less of a problem, and may even be advisable on some emergency landings. To help you make the right decision about gear position, Progressive Aerodyne has worked with Dynon Avionics to better advise pilots. The resulting setup boasts two buttons above the screen with placards reading "Water" and "Runway." After you select the one you will use, the system provides an audio warning before landing. It can prevent landing with the gear in the wrong position, a more common error than you might think. The gear-position audio warning is triggered by either speed or flap position. When you have the gear down, you hear a voice cautioning you for a runway landing. When you have the gear up, the caution is to prepare for a water landing. The trigger points for the warnings are any measure of flaps, or speeds below 70 mph, Kerry says. Some may regard the warning system as the airplane equivalent of automobile "idiot lights," but I found it helpful. On the other hand, it seemed Kerry was always reaching to shut the warning off as we practiced a few landings. This particular SeaRey (N11015) was also equipped with the new Garmin 696, which made a handsome combination with the Dynon Flight Dek D-180. Flanked by an analog airspeed indicator and circular card compass, it was all the instrumentation a seaplane pilot needs. Flaps are mechanical on the SeaRey with a control lever over the shoulder between the two occupants (either pilot can work the flaps). Positions available are 12, 24, 35 degrees, however, Kerry indicated they were considering dropping the higher setting as it is only used in more extreme situations. Hydraulic brakes are also part of SeaRey's standard equipment list. The control panel has adequate room for additional instruments, if desired. The SeaRey's wider panel has different shapes; the panel in our test plane impressed me because it made the Garmin 696 so readable. Off and Flying We left from the hard runway at Spruce Creek and flew to a nearby body of water. It looked small to me, but Kerry shrugged and said it had plenty of room. I had to trust the expert and it turned out he was exactly right. From the cement runway, rotation came in the mid-40s and we left the ground at about 50 mph (43 knots). A similar number is used on water and the run on water or land is the same, a fact that surprised me as amphibs often exhibit longer runs on water. While I did landings on terra firma, Kerry handled the water landings on the small body of water we used. It was obvious he is intimately at home with this airplane. Entry to the water was astonishingly smooth, showing the effectiveness of not only a V-shaped hull but the sweep of that V-hull. The swept V-hull comes to a point in the center and appears to account for the smooth entry. I felt none of the "chatter" experienced on many seaplanes when landing on a rippled surface. Kerry said older SeaRey models didn't act the same as this newer hull. Once in the water and motionless, the SeaRey hull drafts about 10 inches. Moving around on the water, especially in Kerry's very capable hands, the SeaRey LSX handled much like a speedboat, exhibiting a great combination of response and stability. Despite its good water manners, most land-based pilots find one control technique counterintuitive. You use opposite aileron in turns to keep from planting a sponson while zipping about on the water. Kerry demonstrated a simulated porpoising (nosing up and down in the water) exaggerated enough that I wondered if an upset might result, but the SeaRey resisted this abuse very well, speaking volumes of learning how to take off and land the airplane on water. The SeaRey's hull design strongly resists nose plowing; it simply won't do so without a protest. While some combination of power and pitch motion might cause problems, pilots need not be overly concerned about this. On normal water landings the advice is to touch down slightly nose-high as you want to meet the water on the hull step. Should you put the tail down early, a light push forward will return you to the step before you slow to a stop. On whole, the SeaRey was a most impressive boat on the water, acting very much like that's where she belonged. For example, a beaching demonstration proved enlightening. Kerry took the controls and aimed us at the far side of a lake that had no beach, instead having a marshy look with tall grasses. In spite of this slippery surface, I was pleased at the ease with which the SeaRey negotiated the grassy lake edge. Kerry demonstrated a roll up from the water with the extended wheels cooperating nicely. We swung around in a 180 on the lake's edge and headed back out for another takeoff as though it were no challenge to SeaRey. Gear extension made the beaching easy, but one must remember that submerging larger tires can overwork the system somewhat so you'll want to be at idle thrust. On our several water landings, the SeaRey showed excellent slipping ability and a pilot of Kerry's skills can hold this attitude until very near the water. No wonder the SeaRey doesn't really need the 35° of flaps. Kerry demonstrated a water takeoff where he put in full up trim, added power and shortly afterward released his grip on the stick.We lifted off at about 60 mph instead of the 45- to 50-mph where you would normally rotate, but the SeaRey flew itself off and maintained a reasonable climb. At a mid-range power setting of 4,500 rpm, at a few hundred feet after leaving water we were still climbing about 300 to 400 fpm without pushing the engine or airplane too hard. At cruising altitudes, you throttle back to cruise power when you'll observe about 90 mph (78 knots). Top speed is 113 mph (98 knots). Seaplanes generally aren't the fastest of airplanes but it's hard to beat their recreational appeal and their enormous versatility in landing areas. In my airborne trials, stall occurred at 45 mph (39 knots) with no flaps extended at idle thrust. Accelerated stalls reached full stick back at about 50 mph, but would not break over nor show any tendency to roll in or out, though the nose hunted a bit. Without the vortex generators, the SeaRey would show some nose break, Kerry recalled, but the vortex generators are standard and the SeaRey exhibits very low speed capability with them.With two notches of flaps, Kerry demonstrated a stall indicating 35 mph. In addition to vortex generators, this significant drop comes from new gap covers that Blazevic helped engineer. Back to hard-surface touch and goes, I found neither of my two SeaRey landings was particularly good.We approached at about 70 mph, which allows a significant reserve of speed. The objective is to fly low over the runway and hold off to touchdown. Perhaps it was the hull shape, but I kept starting my flare too high. Once down, you use the common taildragger technique of holding the tail down to settle fully. Kerry recommended I use two notches of flaps for both takeoff and landing. The added lift also helps pull the plane up on step and out of the water quicker. Even at gross weight, water or land runs are a mere 300 feet or so. This is admittedly hard to measure in the water so many seaplane pilots use time instead. The SeaRey gets on step in 4 seconds and becomes airborne in 6 to 8 additional seconds, says the factory. Of course, technique enters in significantly. Gear Up and Flying Gracefully For summer fun - when so much seaplane flying is done - buyers will appreciate canopies that slide back independently. You can move them to any position during flight, although Kerry indicated you should take care not to fly at maximum speeds with the canopy(ies) full aft. Wide-open canopies do begin to affect prop efficiency, a sensation you can both hear and feel. The SeaRey's noise level was a bit higher than I expected in such a deluxe aircraft, however, the noise reduction is significant upon closing the canopy. Headsets or helmets are recommended. At a safe altitude, the SeaRey can cruise at 100 mph, with full-power level flight producing close to 115 mph. Normal cruising is done about 90 mph. The plane will allow a plowing flight, but once you have a feel for it, nosing over slightly will put the SeaRey on an aerodynamic step that I was able to notice within a single hour of flight. The SeaRey's roll rate is quite good, typical of Kerry's designs (I've had the pleasure to fly several of his designs over the years). Response proved to be about 3 seconds in the 45-to-45 roll reversal test, and stick forces were low. Pitch was nicely dampened leaving its pilot with an I'm-in-charge feeling. In mid-2009, a basic SeaRey Experimental Amateur-Built kit costs $29,900. Equipped as the one seen in these photos with the Rotax 912 engine but with analog instruments and a finished interior, the cost will be about $65,000 to $70,000 in the air. As flown, this SeaRey in kit form would run about $85,000 and you'll invest 600 to 700 hours to build it. A first-time builder would probably take somewhat more, but Kerry explained the range is as low as 285 hours for experienced builders and as high as 1,000 hours. The entire interior is available in components for kit assembly. A ready-to-fly SeaRey will be about $95,000 once SLSA airworthiness is secured. Options will raise that total, but this still qualifies as one of the least expensive amphibious seaplanes you can buy. To spend any excess cash you have lying around, you can choose from a menu of options. Many pilots seem enamored by more power so if you want 100 horses instead of 80, add about $2,000. If you live in high-density altitude and carry a lot of weight, you might need the 115-hp Rotax 914. But it'll cost you a breathtaking $14,500 over the 80-hp Rotax. Of course, you can always select more avionics including the beautiful Garmin 696. Radios and EFIS are further choices. But to get a comprehensive price quote, you'll want to go directly to Progressive Aerodyne for the latest figures. The good news is that little of the SeaRey comes from outside the USA so their prices won't be subject to exchange rate fluctuations. Kerry and I discussed how high you might run up the final price and we didn't get much past $115,000 or so. Folks, among amphibious seaplanes in certified, readyto- fly form, the SeaRey constitutes quite a bargain. If you think these prices sound high, you haven't priced a seaplane or floatplane recently. Still, if your budget isn't that large, you always have the ELSA or EAB kit options that'll save quite a bit of money. To see a SeaRey up close, Progressive Aerodyne regularly displays at aviation events and regional shows around the country. For upcoming events, go to their Website: www.searay.com . With a SeaRey, you can expect some real fun on the water or on land. What pilot can't love that?