Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Certified Edition A5
Certified Edition A5
In order to become facilitate international sales and meet the needs of deposit holders and sales partners outside the U.S., ICON decided to initiate the FAA Type Certification process for the A5. While it is true that some countries recognize the Light Sport category, others do not. In addition, the A5’s weight is slightly more than the limit for amphibious LSA aircraft. In the U.S., ICON pursued and obtained a waiver from the FAA for the weight of the A5. Given that each country would require this same waiver process, we felt that it would be more efficient to pursue FAA Type Certification as a smoother path to validation in these countries since the Type Certified A5 does not require a weight exemption.
It means that our Type Certified ICON A5’s are manufactured under our Production Type Certificate in line with the FAA’s stringent compliance requirements. In other words, the Type Certified A5 is certified to different and more rigorous standards than the LSA model. Primary Category aircraft are intended to be simpler and recreational in nature, have up to 4 seats, and have a higher weight limit than LSA. However, the Primary Category does not allow for high-performance engines, carrying more than 4 people, or flying for commercial use.
Both aircraft have the same performance specifications. The main difference is that the Type Certified A5 is produced under a Production Type Certification under a higher level of scrutiny and documentation by the FAA. Both aircraft offer the same safety features and are built to the highest standards, however the Certified Edition has gone through a few additional certification steps as required by the FAA.
The Type Certified A5 has higher costs in several areas: initial development costs for FAA Type Certification; continued costs to maintain and support the Production Type Certificate relating to additional required documentation; and given that Type Certified A5 is especially intended for the international market, there are additional costs for ICON develop and maintain the infrastructure to support sales, service, and flight training partners outside the U.S.
Before the emergence of LSA’s, General Aviation (GA) aircraft were generally either Type Certified or Experimental. ASTM is an industry standard that has been adopted by a number of countries (including the U.S.) and that has allowed the development of LSA, which has become an important part of GA. In contrast, Type Certified aircraft are Type Certified by the FAA under a Production Type Certification, rather than an industry standard.
The main benefit would be for international travel, for example flying your ICON A5 to islands in the Caribbean, or to fly your A5 if you keep your plane on a yacht when you are in another country. LSA’s don’t have a Type Certificate, and so typically a special permission is required before you can fly in another country, just like if you are flying an Experimental aircraft (there are exceptions, notably the Bahamas, which does allow U.S. LSA’s).
In terms of flight training outside the U.S., A5 owners can get local flight training in their own Type Certified ICON A5 with a local ICON-trained instructor. ICON designated maintenance facilities will provide warranty support, and for non-warranty work, ICON owners can use any appropriately qualified aircraft maintenance facility. In the U.S., owners of the Type Certified A5 can use our already comprehensive network of ICON Authorized Flight Instructors to get a seaplane rating in their own Type Certified ICON A5, and they can also use our network of ICON Service Partners for maintenance.
The agreements for the Type Certified A5 are based on the LSA agreements.
Company
Company
ICON Aircraft’s headquarters are in Vacaville, CA, 50 miles North of San Francisco.
The A5 is completed and certified for flight at ICON’s Aircraft Completion Center in Vacaville, CA. ICON manufactures the composite components and assembles the A5 at its Mexico facility in Baja California.
Yes. Contact a Product Specialist to schedule a tour if you are in the area.
A5 General FAQs
A5 General FAQs
The airframe is lightweight, high-strength composite material comprised of carbon fiber that is corrosion-resistant, which is preferred for amphibious planes and seaplanes.
Yes. The A5 is amphibious, so it can land and takeoff from either water or land due to the boat hull design and retractable landing gear.
According to FAA rules, an LSA is limited to the pilot and one passenger.
The A5 Limited Edition has a useful load (people + luggage + fuel) of approximately 430 pounds.
An angle of attack indicator provides the pilot with a direct indication of the wing’s performance, as measured by the angle between the aircraft’s longitudinal axis relative wind. Since a wing stalls at the same angle of attack regardless of airspeed or weight, the pilot is able to rapidly assess wing performance during any phase of flight simply by referencing the AoA indicator. This capability is particularly useful during landing and maneuvering.
No. Per FAA accepted ASTM consensus standard F2245-13b, S-LSAs are limited to VFR flight.
FAA regulations do allow for a Private Pilot to fly an LSA at night, if properly equipped. With the night lighting package, the A5 is legal for night VFR flight operations.
Yes, the side windows are removable. The windows should not be removed while airborne for safety reasons.
The demonstrated limit of the A5 is 12 knots.
The rudder pedals adjust fore and aft to accommodate various pilot height dimensions. The A5 was designed to accommodate pilots from the 50th percentile female to the 95th percentile male. This translates into a 42.6-inch head clearance (distance from the compressed seat cushion to the headliner). People as tall as 6′5″ (196cm) can fit comfortably in the A5, but it will depend on the build and torso length of the individual.
Yes. There is a baggage stowage area directly behind the pilot and passenger seats of the A5. The space is rated to carry up to 60lbs of baggage not to interfere with the pilot’s visibility or flight controls.
The ICON A5 has a range of 427nm. The ICON A5 has a 20 gallon fuel tank and burns roughly 4 gallons/hour.
Land Operations
Land Operations
Yes. While the A5 is designed more for adventures away from airports, it can be flown into any airport or airfield from small strips to the largest international airports.
Yes. The A5 is a lightweight aircraft that requires very little runway surface to operate. The A5 can be flown from paved surfaces or relatively smooth grass, dirt, or gravel surfaces.
Land Operations
Land Operations
The FAA recommends that bodies of water designated as seaplane bases be at least 2,500 feet long by 200 feet wide, with a depth of three feet or more, and are free of floating debris or submerged obstacles. In addition, a 20:1 glide path to the landing lane is the recommended minimum for obstacle clearance.
The Seaplane Pilots Association (www.seaplanes.org) is a valuable resource for determining where seaplane operations are permitted. Now in its 10th edition, their Water Landing Directory (http://www.seaplanes.org/mambo/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=122&Itemid=235) provides a single reference tool for waterway-use regulations. You may also call the appropriate regulatory agency for the body of water being considered. In general, the USCG considers all waterways it controls open to seaplanes. Once on the water, a seaplane must obey the appropriate rules for a boat.
Seaplanes do not significantly impact the environment and compare favorably to conventional motorized boats in areas of air and water pollution, wakes, and disturbance of plants, wildlife, and sediments.
Yes. The A5 has demonstrated its ability to taxi out of the water and up a boat ramp, maintaining good directional control. The maximum recommended gradient for the ramp is 9.6% with the wings in the extended position.
The maximum recommended wave height for the A5 is 12 inches.
Yes.
Yes. There are no set limits on saltwater operation; however, ICON does recommend that following any operation in saltwater, the A5 exterior be given a freshwater rinse. In addition, the A5 should not be allowed to sit in saltwater for prolonged periods due to saltwater’s corrosive nature.
A5 Power Plant
A5 Power Plant
The ICON A5 is currently equipped with the Rotax 912 iS Sport engine. The 912 is the most common engine in the LSA category (more than 170,000 Rotax aircraft engines have been sold since 1973). The Rotax 912 iS Sport is a fuel-efficient, 4-cylinder, 4-stroke, 100 hp, liquid- and air-cooled powerplant (liquid-cooled heads, air-cooled cylinders).
For flexibility off airport, the Rotax 912 iS Sport burns either automotive (91 octane) or aviation gasoline (100LL avgas).
The A5 consumes 3.8 gallons per hour in cruise conditions.
The manual folding wing design is currently a standard feature in all A5 aircraft although it may become optional in the future.
The FAA requires a minimum of twenty hours to obtain a Sport Pilot License. Sport Pilots still get the required level of training needed for the conditions in which they’re allowed to fly: daytime, good weather, and in uncontrolled airspace. In fact, Sport Pilots receive training more specifically tailored for their recreational flying needs. Some would argue that the Sport Pilot training may actually be a safer, better-suited initial training program since it’s focused more on basic airmanship and good visual flying skills versus transportation-focused systems management.
The ICON Sport Pilot Course includes a minimum of 30 hours of flight training to complete the course. Keep in mind that some students may require additional training as students are trained to proficiency.
Safety
Safety
Our engineers designed the ICON A5 to be predictable and easy to fly with safety features such as a Spin-Resistant Airframe (SRA), patent-pending Seawings™ Platforms, planing wingtips, and quick-deploying Complete Aircraft Parachute, allowing pilots to fly with peace of mind.
The Complete Aircraft Parachute technology is a technology that has been on the market for more than 20 years and has been credited with nearly 300 lives saved. The parachute is housed inside the wing of the aircraft and is rocket-deployed. The pilot initiates the parachute deployment by simply pulling the clearly marked handle on the overhead console. The parachute fully deploys in seconds and lowers the airplane to the ground under the canopy.
Spin resistance is a design feature of an airframe that reduces the aircraft’s tendency to spin when it encounters the conditions that would typically cause a light aircraft to enter a spin (a simultaneous combination of yaw and stall). It is a dramatic safety advancement that can significantly reduce accidents from stall/spins, which are the leading cause of pilot-related fatal accidents in general aviation (the cause of 41% of pilot-related fatal accidents according to the AOPA Air Safety Institute’s 2010 Nall Report).
A spin is a dangerous combination of a stall and yaw that results in a very high descent rate. Unintentional spin entries are especially unforgiving at low altitude where sport flying tends to occur, so ICON chose to make the A5 spin-resistant rather than spin-recoverable. Spin resistance has been an elusive goal for aircraft manufacturers for decades. When the A5 entered production, it became the first conventional production aircraft that is spin-resistant as measured by the standards defined by the FAA. To learn more about spins and spin resistance, visit this link: About Spins and Spin Resistance
To learn more about ICON’s spin-resistance program, visit this link: Behind the Scenes of ICON’s Spin- Resistance Program
FAA Approval
FAA Approval
Light Sport Aircraft are not certified by way of FAR Part 23 certification measures but rather audited to meet the ASTM standards set forth for FAA Light Sport Aircraft. ICON Aircraft and the A5 successfully completed the FAA audit for S-LSA production on June 15th 2015.
ICON petitioned the FAA for an exemption to the FAA’s gross weight limit of 1430 pounds. The exemption request was in order to create a spin-resistant aircraft while providing additional safety features. Spin resistance addresses stall/spin loss-of-control accidents, which are the cause of 41% of all pilot-related fatal accidents.
To learn more about spins and spin resistance, visit this link: About Spins and Spin Resistance
To learn more about ICON’s spin-resistance program, visit this link: Behind the Scenes of ICON’s Spin-Resistance Program
The exemption allows for an increased gross weight for ICON’s A5 amphibious Light Sport Aircraft (LSA). The exemption accommodates, among other safety features, a Spin-Resistant Airframe, which enables the A5 to better avoid loss-of-control scenarios due to stall/spins. FAA stated, “The FAA determined that granting relief from the MTOW (Maximum Takeoff Weight) for LSA for this specific safety enhancement is in the public interest and is also consistent with the FAA’s goals of increasing safety for small planes.”
Purchase Process
Purchase Process
Please contact ICON Sales to discuss expected delivery dates.
Current performance specifications are available online. Performance specifications will be updated in the Aircraft Purchase Agreement if they change, so you will have the opportunity to review them before committing to your aircraft and making your deposit.
Available configurations, aircraft options, and appearance schemes will be reviewed with you prior to receiving your Aircraft Purchase Agreement.
At this time, all aircraft purchase orders are placed directly with ICON. Contact ICON Sales at 707-564-4000 or sales@iconaircraft.com.
ICON offers several options for delivery, including our factory delivery experience. You can also elect to have your A5 ferried to you for an additional fee. Delivery options are reviewed with you by our team during the purchase process.
Yes.
Yes. Typically, lenders require a 20-25% down payment with the remainder financed at closing. Rates are approximately 5% and terms of 10-15 years are available. Contact sales for more information or to be connected to one of our preferred partners.
Annual premiums for liability insurance for GA aircraft vary depending on the type of aircraft insured and the pilot’s experience. ICON has relationships with several insurance providers. It is critical that you connect with ICON Sales for a referral before contacting a broker on your own for the best possible rates.
A5 Service and Support
A5 Service and Support
The ICON A5 carries a Limited Warranty that covers, subject to its limitations, exclusions and conditions, the aircraft for one year and certain components for longer.
