I had some time to kill between press conferences here at EAA AirVenture, so I stopped by the tent for the Icon A5 2-seat light sport aircraft. CEO Kirk Hawkins gave a talk updating the company's progress on bringing the A5 to market. The company recently got $25 million in financing that Hawkins says will take the manufacturer into the production phase for the A5.
Icon has also narrowed down the list for locating its headquarters to five states in the Sun Belt region. A5 production will be in the Mojave Desert, which has the climate that allows for year-round testing.
"We have one single mission -- to reinvent flying," says Hawkins, a former U.S. Air Force F-16 pilot. "Our design philosophy is not just about transportation, but the user experience," he observes. "From the time you get into it and look at all the details, you'll fall in love with it.’’
The flying experience in the A5 is really easy, says Hawkins. "It's safe, predictable, nimble and fun," he states. He compared its ease of use with the Apple experience.
Icon paid a lot of attention to the cockpit, says Hawkins, 'It feels like a jet fighter and the window makes it feel like the front row of an IMAX theater,' he says.
And you can take the aircraft anywhere, not just park it and leave it at the airport, says Hawkins. "You can fly it to a dry lake bed or land on a grass field. It's the ultimate recreational vehicle," he says. "And it's not just a great aircraft, but it's an awesome boat."
Icon worked with great marine architects, says Hawkins. And the result is the best-performing seaplane in history that handles waves extremely well," he says.
'We're working on our production design, and we just hired a new design team to tackle it,' says Hawkins. 'When you get the aircraft, it won't just change your life, but the flight training will be equally as good.'
You can check out my video of the wing folding demonstration here."
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