About Us
Back in 1977 a family business got started and little did they know that this was the beginning of an amazing history in aviation.
Wayne Richter and his son, Kerry, became involved in an industry that would be later identified as the ultralight movement, and the first aircraft they introduced to the ultralight community was the Hi-Nuski. In 1979 the family formed Advanced Aviation and continued designing and manufacturing a series of aircraft.
The Cobra series of ultralight aircraft, which included both single and two place models, was the first to follow after the Hi-Nuski. Following were the Buccaneer XA, the Buccaneer II and later the Buccaneer SX. The Carrera line and the Explorer succeeded these.
This family business proved to be very successful with the production of the various models of aircraft. The Buccaneer amphibian series was especially outstanding in sales and performance. Always having a new creation in mind, in 1991 Kerry Richter and his business partners, Wayne Richter and Paige Lynette, took the opportunity to create a new amphibian aircraft design and eventually named it the SeaRey. Thus, the SeaRey took form and began flying in November 1992 and the following month Progressive Aerodyne was incorporated.
The SeaRey Classic was then introduced to the general public at Sun 'n Fun next spring and the demand was so great that according to Wayne "it took us nearly two years to fill the orders taken at the show.” Since then it has enjoyed a dominant position in the amphibious experimental aircraft market.
In January 2010 an improved model – the SeaRey LSX - was introduced to the Aviation community. This model has been a hit and has continued to gain international momentum. To date, close to 600 SeaRey kits have
been delivered to customers and over 400 are flying worldwide. On May 1, 2010 the company moved to a new location from Orlando to Tavares, Florida to facilitate its growth.
May 9, 2011, a major announcement was made regarding an increase in ownership when Adam Yang, a SeaRey pilot, owner and builder, joined Progressive Aerodyne as CEO and Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The Company’s Mission Statement
Striving to be a strong service provider of sport amphibian aircraft to create value and an enjoyable experience for customers and stakeholders.