Flying democratization by ICON

Commercial or private flights has become a daily thing, available for anyone who needs it. However, it is not us who lead the trip; we are merely passengers taken from one point to another. That reality is about to change.

The US Company ICON has designed a private-use aircraft whose prototype was built in 2008. This is the ICON A-5 and is a high-wing monoplane-type seaplane with a carbon fiber fuselage and retractable undercarriage. It accommodates the pilot and a companion, powered by a single Rotax 912 ULS 100 HP (75 kW) engine driving a three-bladed propeller which allows it to take a top speed of 105 knots (192kmxh). It also has a flight range of 556km; it means you could fly quietly from Buenos Aires to Montevideo or from Qatar to Dubai.

This model is already in the third phase test and has been refined by exceeding each one of the phases; it is expected that by 2017 they will be in commercial operation. The company ICON has already set a price to their work of $189,000; a deposit of $2,000 must be paid to reserve the aircraft, and once this is done they estimate that in 6 months you will receive your luxurious jet. It is important to remark that to operate it you must have an exclusive license which should be of only 20 hours of practice, much less than required to be a pilot of private flights.

This company is determined to revolutionize the sky and how to fly, they want to prove that owning an aircraft in the future can be as healthy as owning a car today.

Max Brog
CEO, South American Jets