AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020 - 55

SPEC SHEET
Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey
Base Price

Adventure: $124,000; Elite: $169,000

SPECIFICATIONS

Powerplant | Adventure: Rotax 912iS (100 hp)
| Elite: Rotax 914ULS (115 hp)
Propeller | Warp Drive 68-inch composite
Length | 22 ft 5 in
Height | 6 ft 5 in
Wingspan | 30 ft 10 in
Empty weight | Elite: 990 lb
Maximum gross weight | Elite: 1,430 lb
Useful load | Elite: 440 lb
Payload w/full fuel | Elite: 440 lb
Fuel capacity, std | 23 gal/138 lb
PERFORMANCE

Takeoff distance, ground roll | Adventure: 350 ft
| Elite: 268 ft
Takeoff distance, water run | Adventure: 472 ft
| Elite: 350 ft
Takeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle (land) | Adventure: 1,400 ft
| Elite: 1,100 ft
Takeoff distance over 50-ft obstacle (water) | Adventure: 1,525 ft
| Elite: 1,250 ft
Rate of climb, sea level | Adventure: 650 fpm
| Elite: 1,100 fpm
Landing distance, ground roll | 325 ft
Landing distance, water | 350 ft

is the base model, and the Elite, which has
some fancier features.
N836SR has the Adventure's fiberglass
hull for ease of repair and a three-pack of
steam gauges, chosen because Hinote does
not want club members flying head down,
"playing with the box when they should be
paying attention to where they are going on
the water." It does have a
panel-mounted Garmin
The factory-built SeaRey Advenaera 796 GPS for pilots'
ture has a base price of $124,000,
peace of mind, he said.
which includes analog instruments, manual flaps, and ADS-B
This airplane has the
Out. Base price of the Elite is
stock 100-horsepower
$169,000, which includes a G3X
Rotax 912 engine, but
10-inch primary flight display and
all subsequent airplanes
7-inch multifunction display, ADSwill get a Rotax 914 (115
B In and Out, and electric flaps.
Both models can be fitted with
horsepower with turbo).
folding wings for an additional
From the Elite, N836SR
cost. The airplane also can be
has electric flaps, plus
built from a kit.
a heater "because it
searey.com
gets chilly in Missouri,"
Hinote said.
SeaRey built N836SR to spec for the
flying club, and the company will build all
the club's airplanes to the same specifications. That's part of the strategy for a club
with multiple locations: Offer a fleet that
is identical, to mitigate the human factors
that can come into play with fleet differences, Hinote said.

LIMITING AND RECOMMENDED AIRSPEEDS

READY TO PLAY

Max cruise speed | Adventure: 95 mph
| Elite: 113 mph
VS1 (stall, clean) | 47 mph
VSO (stall, in landing configuration) | 38 mph
All specifications are based on manufacturer's calculations. All
performance figures are based on standard day, standard
atmosphere, maximum weight conditions unless otherwise noted.

club members to be competent but also safe
and confident in their abilities in the airplane.
"We make sure everybody feels good
about it, and safe first and foremost, and
we haven't had any issues," he said.
DRESS THE PART

At Lakeland Linder International Airport
in Florida, shorts and flip-flops are common-even in March. When you're flying
a SeaRey, swap flip-flops for water shoes
and you're ready for anything.

The Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey,
manufactured in nearby Tavares, Florida,
is a compact amphibious aircraft with
retractable landing gear, a hull where an
engine would be on a landplane, and a
Rotax engine mounted pusher-style in the
rear, behind the cockpit.
Hinote pulled a SeaRey out of its hangar to explain why this special light sport
aircraft is the chariot of choice for Flying
Fish club members. This airplane, N836SR,
is a hybrid of SeaRey's Adventure, which

Climbing into the SeaRey is easy: Step
on the tire with your left foot, place your
right foot on the seat, then lower yourself
as gracefully as you can manage. Don a life
vest before you climb into the airplane, to
save some time.
I immediately took to the SeaRey's big,
track-mounted canopy. The airplane can
be flown with the canopy open or closed.
It is split down the center and the sides
can be raised or lowered independently. (I
lowered my side; what's the point of seaplane flying if you don't get at least a little
bit wet?)
Speaking of wet, that's why shorts are
preferred. Try rolling blue jeans up to
your knees to keep them dry if you should
land the SeaRey on a lake and want to
pull it up on the shoreline. Oh, and you
don't wear flip-flops-they can come off
in the water.
The starter sequence is simple: set
the brake, adjust the choke, and turn the
key, keeping one hand on the throttle. The
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AOPA Pilot Magazine - February 2020

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