Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey
 Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey. Photo: Ahunt, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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| Make | Progressive Aerodyne |
|---|---|
| Model | Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey |
| Type | Kit aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 13 November 1992 |
| Built | 1992–2023 |
| Status | In service |
| Number built | 480 (2011) |
| Registered in the US | 375 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, one passenger and 550 lb (249 kg) useful load |
| Engine | Rotax 912, 80 hp |
| Cruise speed | 85 mph (2006 model SeaRey with Rotax 912) |
| Service ceiling | 12,500 ft (2006 model SeaRey with Rotax 912) |
| Max weight | 1,370 lb (2006 model SeaRey with Rotax 912)
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The Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey is a two-seat amphibious flying boat from Florida, sold as a kit for home building and as a ready-to-fly light-sport aircraft.[1] It first flew on November 13, 1992, and has a boat hull, a high wing and an engine mounted above the wing that pushes from behind.[1] In the U.S. there are 375 with a valid registration.[2]
History
The SeaRey's roots go back to the Richter family's company Advanced Aviation, which built ultralights and the Buccaneer flying boats in the 1970s and 1980s.[1] After that company was sold in 1992, Wayne and Kerry Richter and Paige Lynette founded Progressive Aerodyne in June 1992 and designed the first SeaRey. On its first flight the prototype reached up to 105 mph, beating its design goals.[1] More than 400 kits had gone to customers by 2006, and a light-sport version followed in 2010.[1] The company started in Orlando and is now in Tavares, Florida.[1]
Design
The fabric-covered wing spans nearly 31 feet and is braced with struts. The hull is built like a boat's, in fiberglass, with a carbon-fiber hull available that saves about 70 pounds.[1] Small floats under the wings keep it level on the water, and the side canopies slide and can be opened in flight.[1] Engines range from the 64 hp Rotax 582 to the turbocharged 115 hp Rotax 914.[1] In the U.S. it can be registered as a light-sport aircraft or as an amateur-built experimental.[1]
Around the world
In 2015 pilot Michael Smith spent seven months flying a SeaRey around the world. He was the first person to fly solo around the globe in a single-engine flying boat and wrote about it in the book Voyage of the Southern Sun.[1] Author Richard Bach flew his SeaRey, "Puff", from Florida to his home near Seattle in 2012 and wrote Travels With Puff about the trip.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 375 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| SEAREY | 158 |
| SEAREY LSA | 101 |
| SEAREY LSX | 61 |
| SEA REY | 37 |
| SEA REY LSX | 2 |
| SEAREY LSX 914 | 1 |
| PROGSV ARODYN SEAREY | 1 |
| GILBERT SEAREY | 1 |
| 1998 SEAREY | 1 |
| WOLFPAK SEAREY | 1 |
| M R LYON SEAREY LSX | 1 |
| PRGRSV ARDYN SEAREY | 1 |
| PROG AERODN SEAREY | 1 |
| PROG AERODYNE SEAREY | 1 |
| PRICE SEAREY | 1 |
| SEA REY AMPHIBIAN | 1 |
| SEAREY ELITE | 1 |
| SEAREY C | 1 |
| WARREN SEAREY | 1 |
| PROG AERO SEAREY LSX | 1 |
| 1 other model names | 1 |
Specifications (2006 model SeaRey with Rotax 912)
| Item | 2006 model SeaRey with Rotax 912 |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | one passenger and 550 lb (249 kg) useful load |
| Length | 22 ft 5 in |
| Wingspan | 30 ft 10 in |
| Height | 6 ft 5 in |
| Wing area | 157 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 820 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 1,370 lb |
| Engine | Rotax 912, 80 hp (four cylinder horizontally opposed piston aircraft engine) |
| Propeller | Warp Drive Inc or Ivoprop |
| Maximum speed | 120 mph |
| Cruise speed | 85 mph |
| Stall speed | 42 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 120 mph |
| Service ceiling | 12,500 ft |
| Rate of climb | 600 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey light amphibian aircraft at Sun n' Fun, Lakeland, Florida. Photo: RuthAS, CC BY 3.0 -
Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey. Photo: Bill Larkins, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Searey Landing. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 4.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey
Sources
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 Wikipedia, "Progressive Aerodyne SeaRey", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.