Why drive when you can fly and float right to the water’s edge on your property? The Sportsman 2+2 from Glasair Aviation lets you do exactly that, as well as participate in its build. Thanks to the standard 180-horsepower Lycoming engine, the Sportsman can reach nearly 160 mph while burning just nine gph. If you opt for the 210-horsepower engine, speeds of 172 mph are possible. Better yet, the Sportsman is capable of this performance while carrying you, a friend, your golf clubs, fishing rods and reels, scuba gear—you name it. It can tote more than 300 pounds of gear, even with two pilots and full fuel.

If you’re accustomed to conventional tail-wheeled planes, note that the Sportsman is tough yet easy: it can take off and land with good forward visibility in the three-point attitude. Thanks to 26-inch tundra tires, it has about 21 inches of prop clearance, so rugged landing strips shouldn’t be a concern. Water landings and takeoffs are also smooth. The Sportsman is a kit plane, offered through the company’s “Two Weeks to Taxi” program, which lets you work alongside factory craftsmen to build your Sportsman at the company’s headquarters in Arlington, Washington. There, you’ll also learn more about your plane’s components and operation and get the chance to take it for its first test taxi. Pricing from $162,902, depending on options. glasairaviation.com. —Diane M. Byrne