Have not come across how the great Italian design house improved the SeaBee concept. Great looking aircraft and make a nice tourer for fly ins near lakes and quiet coves.
To save the photo of this Italian styling for ever:
Interestingly, that beauty was designed and produced by the Fratelli Nardi (Nardi Brothers) before they became a part of the SIAI Marchetti group in 1971. Nardi had a long prewar history of manufacture and the Riviera was the last design they made. Beautiful plane.
Although not a Nardi, I was obsessed with getting a seaplane – the Piaggio L136 Royal Gull – a couple of years ago. I took a test flight in one with one of the most prolific owners (a Delta captain named John Mohr, at controls in picture) and was very impressed. Couldn’t find one for sale at the time except for a project that was kinda overpriced and now I have other aircraft (and perhaps the moment is gone), but I certainly got a lot of respect for Italian construction by crawling all over that Gull. Beautiful plane with spectacular performance.
There’s one in a hangar near me at Hayward, California. I don’t see it out very often, but it did fly to Europe and back a few years ago.
Oh, Mark!
I spoke to the previous owner many times! It was based at LGB for a long time with it’s old owner Don Albin. He was retired and had had it for many years and wasn’t flying much. In the end he wanted a bit too much for it and I didn’t have the cash at the time, so nothing happened. I heard the new owner Chris is enjoying it and like your said, I think he took it to Italy and back.
Interestingly, I aslo called on another one based at Van Nuys airport with registration N160EG. The plane hadn’t flown for well over 10 years and the (very grumpy) owner of it just owned a lot of cars and planes that he rented as props to the film industry and he wanted some ungodly sum for it. But interestingly enough, that plane used to be owned by no other than Ernest Gann (the EG in the registration). For that alone, it would have been a curious buy. Last I heard, it’s getting restored and has a new owner.
If I lived somewhere where I could realise the utility of either of those planes I would be very tempted.
That is indeed quite a beautiful thing, Mark!
There’s one on my home field too, but unfortunately i never see it fly …y
Flyer59 – what’s the reg on the one on your field?
Hi Adam, will check when home again (in Greece now).
