The US Federal Aviation Administration has granted Icon Aircraft’s A5 amphibious airframe type certification in the primary category, clearing the way for the aircraft type to be sold and registered outside of the USA
“With this designation, Icon Aircraft is now one of only a few light sport aircraft manufacturers in the world to meet the certification standards of the FAA, meaning that Icon can now take advantage of reciprocal agreements between the FAA and aviation governing bodies outside of the US – including those in Europe, Asia, Australia and South America – to certify the A5 to operate in these regions,” the company said on 26 December.
The California-based firm’s chief executive Jerry Meyer says that the achievement “allows us to expand our market potential around the world, and it underscores the commitment of Icon Aircraft to innovation and excellence in design”.
“The Icon A5 offers an unparalleled blend of performance, safety and versatility, and we are confident that it will captivate the imaginations of new customers and enthusiasts as we expand our sales and marketing presence outside of the US,” he adds.
At EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin in July, Meyer told FlightGlobal that once the airframe had received the certification, the company expected “25-30% of our sales volume will come from outside of the US”.
The A5, which has also been called a “sports car with wings”, was categorised in the USA as a light sport aircraft, but some countries – including Canada – do not have that category or designation.
The FAA defines a light sport as a single-engine aircraft with a maximum airspeed of 120kt (216km/h). It must have no more than two seats, and for aircraft intended for operation in water, a 650kg (1,430lb) maximum take-off weight (MTOW). The landing gear is fixed or retractable, or for an aircraft intended for operation on water, a hull.
The Icon A5 checks all those boxes except the weight restriction. The aircraft’s MTOW is 685kg, and the company had secured a weight waiver from the FAA. Other regulators do not offer such an option.
Having the A5 fully certified in the FAA’s primary category – an effort that took three years – will make certification in other jurisdictions easier, Icon adds.
“It’s all taken a little bit longer than I think we wanted it to, but the FAA is sort of backed up on its projects,” CEO Meyer said in July, adding that at that time the company already had a backlog of international orders for the A5.
Icon said earlier this month that it has sold 210 airframes, and over the past year it has developed distribution partnerships in 13 countries, including South Korea, Japan, the Dominican Republic and Montenegro.
