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| The Icon A5 (pictured) is part of a fresh generation of design-led light aircraft shaking up an industry with new concepts |
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| Launched last year, the Icon A5 is a two-seat, foldable seaplane. It's so compact it fits in most car garages and can be towed behind a vehicle for overland transport |
Nevertheless,
as we swoop over Florida's Tampa Bay on a gorgeous November morning, I enthusiastically take over the controls of the ICON A5, a two-seater
amphibious plane that looks like a sports car, maneuvers like a jet ski
and is so intuitive, the company says that even a novice can learn to
fly it in less than 30 hours.
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The Icon A5 is primarily a recreational aircraft. It can be flown by anyone with a sport pilot license.
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At 23 feet long and weighing in a 1,510 pounds, it's known as a sea light-sport aircraft. Designed
to help you focus on the freedom of flying without worrying if the
plane will react unpredictably, there's nothing else quite like it on
the market.
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Cobalt Valkyrie-X – Currently
available for pre-order, the Cobalt Valkyrie-X is a piston-engined
light aircraft designed by French-born California-based entrepreneur
David Loury.
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Now
that I'm in control, my whole body tenses for a good five minutes. Am I
really ready to pilot this shiny new machine all by myself? I'm not
entirely sure.
However, I take
comfort in the fact that the A5 was built specifically for people like
me, and it was designed to drive like a car. Plus,
the fact that Icon's CEO and founder, Kirk Hawkins, is next to me in
the cockpit doesn't hurt either. He can take over the controls at any
time.
So far, so good. We
glide smoothly through the air at about 1,000 feet, and I'm comfortable
enough to take in the sights. Lovely Fort De Soto Park doesn't
disappoint.