I had been flying my RANS S-4 Coyote for three years, and while I really enjoyed it, I wanted to try a seaplane. I had been thinking about buying a Buccaneer for a while, but the various companies which had owned the rights to the Buccaneer had always had financial troubles, and I wanted to buy from a company which looked like it would be around for a while.
Then I saw the Aventura II at the Arnet Pereyra display at Oshkosh '95 and I was hooked.
Mid-December 1995 Factory Visit and Purchase
February 14-16, 1996: Receiving the Boxes and Doing the Preliminary Stuff
February 17-March 8: Building the Internal Framework
March 9: Mating the Framework and Hull
March 10-27: Installing the Landing Gear, Rigging the Hull
March 27-April 7: Starting the Wings and Control Surfaces
April 8-May 27: Misc. Work, Rigging the Tailfeathers, Going to Sun 'N' Fun!
May 28-June 2: Test Fitting the Hardtop, Synchronizing the Gear Retract System
June 2-9: Mounting, Plumbing, and Wiring the Engine.
June 10-28: Cutting the Instrument Panel, Mounting and Wiring the Instruments and Radios
July 7: Clear-coating the Sails
July 12-19: Painting the Hull, Mounting the Hardtop
July 20-21: Mounting the Parachute, Installing the Windshield
July 21: Trailering to the Airport
July 22-25: Installing the Wings, Tuning the Engine and Prop
July 28, 1996: Taxi Tests, First Flight!
August 3-7, 1996: Oshkosh Trip
First Water Landings and Other Flying Pictures
