March 30, 2020

The PRIVATEER™ amphibian was designed by Boeing engineer Bill Husa and marine engineer Robert Gornstein (Both deceased).

Bill worked on the US Space Shuttle landing gear, among other high-level projects. Robert worked to develop the first high-speed ferry used in Hawaii and designed the hulls for the PRIVATEER™.

PRIVATEER™ was built by Bill Husa at Snohomish, WA, using top engineering firms in the Seattle area, as follows:

• David Lednicer – Structural Analysis
• Breedt Production Tooling & Design (Andries Breedt) – Structural & Landing Gear
• AVL Machine Works – Structural
• Janicki Corp. – Carbon Fiber Moulds & Forms
• Park Corp. – Autoclave
• Stoddard – Canopy
• Walter – 601 Turbine Engine

Before completion by Breedt Production Tooling & Design, Bill died. The amphibian was then rail shipped to Space Coast Regional Airport, Titusville, FL (TIX). Engineering firms used prior to first flight were:

• MT Propellers – Propeller
• Diemech – Propeller Install & Adjust
• Turbine Power Technologies – Install Walter 601 FCU (Fuel Control Unit)
• Sebastian Communications – Electronics & Control Panel

Prior to first flight, work was completed by Top Flight Services, LLC, using “Accepted Methods & Practices” manual in accordance with advisory circular AC 43-13.

The first flight of the PRIVATEER™ amphibian aircraft, Registration Number 327JM occurred on August 6, 2018, at Titusville Regional Airport (TIX). The First Takeoff video is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ctVGvqTFF7w.

Special thanks to Michael Powell and his staff for integrating our initial flight programs into TIX flight operations during this critical period.

Test pilot Harvey Cleveland reported better flight characteristics than expected during initial testing at Titusville.
PRIVATEER™ was flown to Melbourne International (MLB) where final “wheels down” testing was completed after 27.5 hours of flight time.

The same day (March 6, 2019) that both “wheels up” and water landings were to have started at Leesburg International (LEE), 327JM experienced a “hard landing”. We were the second aircraft to lose its undercarriage due to a 15 -25 knot cross wind that day.

While the first aircraft, a Twin Piper, suffered severe damage and may have been totaled, we were quickly restored to flight readiness (minus landing gear) after six weeks of repairs to compensate for “runway road rash”.

Andries Breedt, owner and lead engineer for Breedt Production Tooling & Design, personally oversaw manufacture of new landing gear for us and we were again ready for flight testing.

Please note that, while we lost about six months of flight testing, we proved that PRIVATEER™ can land on snow or grass in a “wheels up” configuration, making us the safest amphibian yet.

Our Designated Airworthiness Representative, Jim Janicki, was removed by Orlando FAA and we began a search for his replacement.

The Orlando MIDO indicated that we never should have been allowed to fly because of registration problems and other, unspecified, considerations.

After a request from the FAA folks at Oklahoma, we sent them a picture of the registration plate on the PRIVATEER™ aircraft and they quickly sent us a new registration certificate for 327JM, Serial Number 1111, solving that problem.

FAA Orlando has decided to function independent of a DAR and control further testing of our aircraft “in house”.

At their request, we submitted a maintenance manual for PRIVATEER™ on November 14, 2019 by UPS, and again on February 26, 2020, by hand delivery.

Other than a disclaimer by FAA Orlando (see attached), we have received no response from FAA Orlando to date.

Stay tuned,
John