Back in the 80s, I use to ride my Wet Bike, and later a JetSki around the shoreline of Lake Fairveiw in Orlando, and look at the Lakefront Houses. I would dream about one day owning one.
There was one property on the lake that had parked in the back yard an Ultralight on floats. I was intrigued.
One day while working at a Disney World, servicing vending machines, I was loading a cart with sodas and candy at the Contemporary Hotel, I saw an Ultralight Seaplane fly low over the area. It was the first Ultralight aircraft I seen with a covered air-frame.
Back then, an ultralight was not much more than a lawn-chair under a fabric covered wing and engine.
I soon found out that Epcot was developing a show to take place on and over the World Showcase Lagoon called "Skyleidoscope". See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEAsi6iX-WE The show was using boats made up to look like Sea Dragons and these Ultralight seaplanes dressed with streamers. They would fly around the lake having a mock battle with the Sea Dragons. It was a spectacular site to see.
I had to have that plane and looked into buying it. I found out that it was a kit plane called the Buccaneer. Flying Ultralight aircraft did not require a Pilots Licences, but a two place version did.
I started taking flying lessons, but 10 hours in, air sickness and a mean instructor ran me off.
10 years later, after my wife left me, I decided to take up the flying lessons again and Soloed on May 9 1993 and got my licence on January 6 1994.
During this time the company that made the Buccaneer became Progressive Aerodyne and made the SeaRey kit plane and then the SeaRey LSX kit plane and the Searey Certified Light Sport Aircraft. see www.searey.com
In 1997 I met the women I wanted to be my next wife and we looked for some Lakefront property and purchased this 5 acre lot in Umatilla. Knowing that one day I wanted to build a SeaRey, I built this house with a garage large enough to house the plane and a couple of cars. It was completed in December 1999.
It took another 12 years before I felt I could buy the SeaRey LSX kit, and a year and a half to build it. see the build at www.seareylsx.com or my build Video "Part 1" at https://youtu.be/GQKH6fVSplI?si=MCRDlyYNEWNz9Zei
Now we have a Fly-In/Splash-In every year to celebrate the Inaugural Flight of the SeaRey aircraft.
Here is video of one https://youtu.be/P5yBEylaocc
There was one property on the lake that had parked in the back yard an Ultralight on floats. I was intrigued.
One day while working at a Disney World, servicing vending machines, I was loading a cart with sodas and candy at the Contemporary Hotel, I saw an Ultralight Seaplane fly low over the area. It was the first Ultralight aircraft I seen with a covered air-frame.
Back then, an ultralight was not much more than a lawn-chair under a fabric covered wing and engine.
I soon found out that Epcot was developing a show to take place on and over the World Showcase Lagoon called "Skyleidoscope". See it here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEAsi6iX-WE The show was using boats made up to look like Sea Dragons and these Ultralight seaplanes dressed with streamers. They would fly around the lake having a mock battle with the Sea Dragons. It was a spectacular site to see.
I had to have that plane and looked into buying it. I found out that it was a kit plane called the Buccaneer. Flying Ultralight aircraft did not require a Pilots Licences, but a two place version did.
I started taking flying lessons, but 10 hours in, air sickness and a mean instructor ran me off.
10 years later, after my wife left me, I decided to take up the flying lessons again and Soloed on May 9 1993 and got my licence on January 6 1994.
During this time the company that made the Buccaneer became Progressive Aerodyne and made the SeaRey kit plane and then the SeaRey LSX kit plane and the Searey Certified Light Sport Aircraft. see www.searey.com
In 1997 I met the women I wanted to be my next wife and we looked for some Lakefront property and purchased this 5 acre lot in Umatilla. Knowing that one day I wanted to build a SeaRey, I built this house with a garage large enough to house the plane and a couple of cars. It was completed in December 1999.
It took another 12 years before I felt I could buy the SeaRey LSX kit, and a year and a half to build it. see the build at www.seareylsx.com or my build Video "Part 1" at https://youtu.be/GQKH6fVSplI?si=MCRDlyYNEWNz9Zei
Now we have a Fly-In/Splash-In every year to celebrate the Inaugural Flight of the SeaRey aircraft.
Here is video of one https://youtu.be/P5yBEylaocc