SeaRey

Overview

The SeaRey is a two-seat amphibious flying boat that treats runways and water as the same problem, built around a composite boat hull with a parasol wing perched above it and a Rotax pusher engine mounted at the back. Retractable tricycle gear tucks away for a water landing and drops for pavement, so one afternoon can begin on a grass strip and end on a lake. Progressive Aerodyne of Tavares, Florida offered it in two forms: a factory Special Light-Sport Aircraft and an amateur-built experimental kit. The kit came first, flying in November 1992, and the factory LSA followed. In its Adventure trim, the SeaRey runs the 100-hp Rotax 912; a pricier Elite trim swaps in the turbocharged 115-hp Rotax 914 for stronger climb and altitude.

Cruise runs about 78 KTAS, the clean stall of 41 knots keeps the airplane inside the sport-pilot envelope even under the 2025 MOSAIC rule, and useful load lands near 490 pounds once two people and fuel are aboard. This is unhurried, low-and-slow flying built for scenery and shoreline, and a direct operating cost of roughly $45 an hour keeps it in reach. The catch is the company itself: Progressive Aerodyne closed its Tavares factory in 2024 and is seeking a buyer, so the SeaRey is now a used-market airplane backed by third-party specialists. For a sport pilot who wants genuine water access on a Rotax-mogas budget and is comfortable owning an out-of-production type, the SeaRey stands as one of the most widely built light amphibians flying; a buyer who needs an active factory and a warranty should keep looking.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Runway or water, one airframe. Retractable amphibious tricycle gear over a composite boat hull lets the same airplane operate from paved strips, grass, and open water. That flexibility is the SeaRey’s core appeal.
• Rotax 912 on mogas. The 100-hp Rotax 912-series engine turns a three-blade Warp Drive composite pusher and carries a 2,000-hour TBO, so it runs on automotive fuel at about 5.3 gph and stays in the cheap-to-feed LSA class.
• Inside the sport-pilot envelope. A 41-knot clean stall keeps the SeaRey eligible for sport-pilot operation, including under the 2025 MOSAIC rule, so a light-sport certificate is enough to fly it.
• Kit or factory build. The type sells as a factory S-LSA certified to ASTM consensus standards and as an amateur-built experimental kit, giving a buyer a choice between turnkey delivery and hands-on construction.
• Short-field footprint. Takeoff over a 50-foot obstacle runs about 1,400 feet on land, and the landing roll comes in near 325 feet, which suits the small strips and tight water this airplane is meant for.

Trade-offs

• Out of production. With the Tavares factory closed since around April 2024 and the company seeking a buyer, ownership means shopping the used market and relying on aftermarket specialists rather than factory backing. Plan parts and support around that reality.
• Two seats, day-VFR. This is a recreational two-seater flown by day under visual rules, with baggage capped near 50 pounds. It is a weekend flying boat, not a travelling machine.
• Modest cruise and load. Cruise near 78 KTAS and a useful load around 490 pounds mean two adults and light gear, not four people or long legs. Range works out to roughly 315 nm on 23 gallons with reserve.
• Adventure or Elite. The naturally aspirated 912 climbs about 650 fpm to a 13,000-foot ceiling; the turbocharged 914 in the Elite trim climbs closer to 1,100 fpm and reaches 18,000 feet, at higher purchase and running cost. The engine choice should track the flying planned – climb and altitude margin for one profile, lower cost for the other.

See Also

• ICON A5 – the pricier, factory-new American two-seat amphibious LSA. Compare
• Super Petrel LS – the other budget amphibious LSA rival, a Brazilian biplane flying boat. Compare
• Lake LA-4-200 Buccaneer – the certified four-seat amphibian step-up, more seats and speed at higher cost. Compare