The Video Pilot Report below may be one of the most anticipated VPRs my video partner Dave and I have produced. I did the flying at AirVenture Oshkosh 2015 on Lake Winnebago in late July, but because Icon preferred to provide the video footage, it has taken some weeks to put it all together. Production of one of these VPRs is a two-part effort. First, I invested some time to get to where Icon did their demo flying (away from all the other flying locations associated with Oshkosh). Weather and the company’s desire to take aloft a reported 150 of their waiting owners forced a couple schedule changes. Since returning home, we worked with several helpful folks at Icon to assemble all the right video pieces. Finally, Dave invested many hours editing what you see below (or here). Our video should show you most of what you want to see about this impressive LSA including water takeoffs and landings, in-flight maneuvering, stalls (such as they are), low flying over the water, and the interior of the airplane including Icon’s highly emphasized Angle of Attack indicator.
Video Pilot Report: Icon Aircraft A5 LSA Seaplane
Icon has come a long way since it was first announced but the finished product is a roaring success at design, brilliantly aimed at its target market of new or returning pilots.
Call it the Quintuple Crown of aviation marketing, capturing five magazine covers in the same month. Think about what that took to achieve.
A5's interior looks like a luxury car, by very explicit design. Remember, they hope to appeal to non-pilots thus a more familiar (and handsome) interior was needed.
In addition to their engineering staff, Icon retained Adam Morrison of Streamline Design to consult on meeting ASTM standards, about which Morrison is an international expert. A tribute to their engineering staff and Streamline, Icon easily passed FAA audit in June 2015.
Come on along for our Video Pilot Report on A5, appearing just below. Before the engine even started I was already smiling. So might you.