With its amphibious capabilities, the ICON A5 can take you on incredible journeys and transform the way you see the world. Lake Isabel in Washington, just outside of the Seattle area, is one of the most unique destinations for seaplane pilots and is seemingly contoured to awaken the soul. The lake is about 40 miles from Renton Airport, situated at the Western ridge of the Cascade Mountains. Tucked between a row of mountains rising several thousand feet above the lake’s surface and situated miles from the nearest road, Lake Isabel is a destination seemingly invented for the seaplane pilot. During a recent demo day in the Seattle area, one of our ICON Flight Instructors, Kaylee, flew out to the lake and experienced it for herself.
The A5 is a high-wing flying boat-type amphibiousmonoplane with a carbon fiber airframe and retractable undercarriage.[6] It seats two people in an enclosed 46-inch-wide (116.8 cm) cockpit and is powered by a single 100 hp (75 kW) Rotax 912 iS engine driving a three-bladed pusher propeller. Dornier-style sponsons provide hydrodynamic stability, housing the retracted main landing gear, and act as a step for crew and passenger. The wings can be folded aft for ground transport and storage.[7] The factory installed equipment includes an angle of attack indicator as a safety enhancement for stall awareness, a feature not usually found in general aviation aircraft. A whole-airframe Ballistic Recovery Systemsparachute is optional, except for in U.S.-registered A5s where it is mandatory, due to ICON’s exemption to the U.S. light-sport aircraft (LSA) weight limit.[8] The A5 uses many different design elements to provide a manageable stall recovery.[9][10][11][12] WIKI
