An article at BusinessNC.com mentions Jimmy Buffett has interest in the new Goose Seaplane that will be built by Antilles Seaplanes.
To expedite production, the first planes will hew to the original design, though later models might incorporate carbon fiber and other advanced materials. Buyers can customize cockpits and instruments, sticking with the original layouts or opting for such high-tech gear as global positioning systems and radar. Their choices might hold some surprises. When Jimmy Buffett visited the plant, Manuel assumed he would order one with turbines. The original engines were known for being smoky, cranky — though reliable — and loud, with an unmistakable guttural roar. “Jimmy shook his head,” Manuel says. “He said, ‘Naw, man. I want to hear that thing go grrrrrrrrrrrr.’”
More from Antillesseaplanes.com: With the purchase of the McKinnon lot, Antilles now essentially had FAA approval for all its Goose designs -a major score, given that cost of FAA type certificates for new planes cost from $20 million to $320 million. (He has reserved the possibility ofbuilding special-order Gooses for those customers, such as Jimmy Buffett, who have insisted on a radial.)