Trip to the Aventura Factory - February 2008

I have been doing more research on light Aircraft and I have convinced myself that I could spend the next few years looking and not find a plane that is going to be a better fit for me than the Aventura. In fact, we met several people at the Air Show that had looked at planes for more than two years before committing to one that was right for them.

I decided that I needed to know more about the Aventura before committing. I called the manufacturer and arranged to visit his factory in Rockledge, Florida to see the planes being built. I also wanted to fly in the Aventura with two sets of golf clubs on board. Once again I can piggy back on one of my husband’s business trips and avoid additional hotel and rental car bills.

Rockledge, Florida is approximately a 45 minute drive from Orlando. I had arranged to meet Bob, the owner of Aero Adventure at his factory at 8:30 a.m. – no time for the Starbucks drive through, it is a hotel coffee in a take out cup in the virtual office with GPS.

We arrived at the factory and there is a grass landing strip next to the building. True to his word, Bob had an Aventura warming up next to the strip and it had two sets of golf clubs on board. Bob and I exchanged some pleasantries and than took off in the air. The flight was exhilarating. I was surprised that it was a little quieter than other small aircraft that I had flown in. It also seemed to be a smooth flight.

The only part that wigged me out was landing on water. The Aventura is considered an Amphibian plane which means it has a set of retractable wheels, which enables it to take off and land on both land and water. It is different than a seaplane, which has pontoons but no wheels and is limited to water takeoffs and landings.

In the amphib, landing on the water entails skimming the surface of the water on the hull of the plane before floating and water taxiing. Unlike the seaplane which lands on pontoons attached to the hull, there isn’t a barrier between the water and the hull. You can stick your arm out the window of the Aventura and touch the water – just watch out for the gaters. It is best to land in very calm water because waves can make landing a bit rough.

Back to the factory where we had a tour and then a break for lunch.