Icon A5

The Cirrus Vision Jet wasn’t alone in making a media splash this year. The Icon A5 sport plane was also in the news, as deliveries of the exciting two-seater began in earnest this summer.

The $257,000 plane is designed to be pure fun. Flying it only requires a Sport Pilot license, which is easier to attain than the traditional private pilot certificate. The plane—which can reach 109 mph and travel for up to 491 miles—can land on a runway or in the water, and its wings fold so it can be kept on a trailer. The cockpit is designed to feel like a high-end sports car, and you can even fly with the windows removed at any speed.

Icon has come back from some major challenges over the last year. Two employees were killed when an A5 crashed near Icon’s California headquarters in May.

The company also had supply-chain issues, and customers initially rebelled at its restrictive purchase agreement for the A5, which has now been revised. CEO Kirk Hawkins says up to 200 airplanes will be delivered to owners by 2018.

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A Sport Pilot license is all that is required to fly this Icon A5

Photo: Courtesy