Imagine a two-seater amphibious plane with a design so innovative that it allows you to fly whenever the mood takes you and can even adapt to fit into your garage. The Icon A5 has wings that can be folded quickly and easily without the need for tools by just one person in under five minutes. Driven by safety, this patent-pending wingfold design locks them in flight and removes all loads from the hinge mechanism. What’s more, an automatic option allows the wings to be folded from the cockpit while on water or land.
Icon was founded in 2005 by Kirk Hawkins, an accomplished engineer, a former US Air Force F-16 pilot and long-time motorsport enthusiast. Therefore, Icon’s sport aircraft are not only designed to deliver an amazing and safe flying experience, but also to inspire in the way great sports cars do.
Since the Federal Aviation Administration’s (FAA’s) dramatic regulation changes in 2004 created the new
Light Sport Aircraft category, Icon Aircraft’s sole purpose has been to bring the freedom, fun, and adventure of flying to all who have dreamed of flight. With its world-class team of engineers, designers, advisors, and investors, Icon is located in Southern California – home of the world’s largest concentration of both aerospace and automobile design resources.
This new classification of easy-to-fly and affordable two-person planes called Light Sport Aircraft enables a new classification of sport pilots to fly in uncontrolled airspace during the daytime and in good weather. The Sport Pilot License focuses on the fundamentals of flying and requires a minimum of 20 hours of in-flight training, which is half the time and cost of a traditional Private Pilot License. With over 500 delivery positions already assigned, the estimated delivery date of the next available Standard A5 is 2015 but our guess is that it will be well worth the wait!
Estimated price from £85,000 / €96,200 / $139,000 – www.iconaircraft.com
