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About a year after it's introduction, the building rights to the
Buccaneer XA were transferred to Advanced Aviation, owned by the Richter
family, who were producing the Cobra Series of single and two place
ultralights and ultralight trainers.
In the mid 1980's John Gruenner, one of the original
Highcraft Aeromarine owners, working closely with Bob Bailey, while
working out of the Advanced Aviation facilities began development of a
new aircraft, the Buccaneer II. This craft was a side by side seating
two place, center hull, amphibian, in a pusher configuration.
The Buc II went under a number of hull redesigns
before it was finally introduced to the market at Sun N Fun in 1986.
Sales at Sun N Fun overwhelmed the factory, and a number of new
employees had to be hired to try to keep up with the orders. One of the
people hired was an recent immigrant to the U.S. Carlos Pereyra.
Carlos had been involved in aviation in his native
country and with his brother and had designed and built several
ultralight and what are now called light sport aircraft. A
number of years later the Richter family sold Advanced Aviation.
Carlos had moved through the ranks of employees at
Advanced Aviation to become production manager. He continued on in this
position with the new company and was responsible for production of the
Buccaneer II, Buccaneer SX single place, and a strut braced clone of the
Drifter called the Explorer.
While the production end of the new company went well,
the sales and management faltered resulting in the closing of factory.
In 1994 Carlos teamed with Greg Arnett to form Arnet
Pereyra Inc. and began manufacturing the Aventura line of single hull
amphibious ultralight and light sport aircraft. Winning the E.A.A
Amphibian design of the year in 1995. Arnet
Pereyra also
produced the Toucan, a strut braced Drifter style aircraft.
In 2003 Arnet Pereyra was taken over by Aero Adventure
Inc. Aero Adventure now produces the full line of Arnet Pereyra aircraft
and supplies parts and accessories for the Buccaneer single and two
place ultralight and light sport aircraft. |
