Aircraft
Hands On: Icon A5 a Surprisingly Satisfying Airplane
The amphibious light-sport A5 is finally entering production to satisfy orders for more than 1,500 copies of the aircraft.
The A5 looks like it wants to go–flying, camping on a beach, carving liquid donuts on the smooth lake’s surface. (Photo: Matt Thurber)
The A5 looks like it wants to go–flying, camping on a beach, carving liquid donuts on the smooth lake’s surface. (Photo: Matt Thurber)

Nine years after its founding, Icon Aircraft delivered its first A5 amphibious light sport aircraft (LSA) to the EAA Young Eagles this past summer. The type passed its FAA audit in June, and the A5 delivered to the Young Eagles was the first production model to receive its special-LSA airworthiness certificate. The audit approval opens the door for the next phase in Icon’s journey: building and delivering the more than 1,500 aircraft for which it holds deposits. Particularly noteworthy: 40 percent of these buyers are non-pilots. Clearly, this noteworthy entrant in the arena of fun flying has captured people’s imagination, and it’s an airplane that could appeal to professional pilots who yearn for a return to flying’s simple pleasures (and who have the disposable income to handle the $197,000 price tag, or $247,000 fully loaded).


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