ICON A5 (amphibious LSA)

ICON Aircraft was founded in 2006 in Vacaville, California with the goal of building a Sport Pilot-eligible amphibious airplane that would attract non-traditional pilots to general aviation. The A5 design emerged over almost a decade of development and refinement, with first deliveries beginning in late 2015. Production scaled slowly, with deliveries through the 2010s running well behind original projections.

The A5 secured an FAA weight exemption that allows the airplane to operate as an LSA at 1,510 pounds versus the standard 1,320-pound limit. The exemption applied to the A5 specifically because of the safety equipment package (whole-airframe parachute, spin-resistant airframe design, water-landing capability) that ICON argued required additional weight. The exemption created a small category of LSA airplanes that operate at higher weight than the base LSA rules allow.

ICON went through multiple financial restructurings during the 2010s and into the 2020s. As of mid-2026, ICON Aircraft continues to produce A5 airplanes but at low annual volume. The used market is the dominant source of inventory, with most A5 examples from the 2016 to 2022 production years. Used pricing varies widely based on time, water-use history, and how strictly the factory service requirements have been followed.

The A5 cruises at 85 to 95 KTAS at 65% power, burning 3.8 to 4.5 gph. Maximum cruise is around 100 KTAS at 75% power and 4.5 to 5 gph. The Rotax 912 iS Sport runs on 91 octane auto fuel or 100LL, which keeps fuel costs manageable. Climb at sea level is 800 to 950 fpm at gross weight. The amphibious capability is the airplane's defining feature: takeoff from glassy water is around 1,000 to 1,200 feet at sea level, and water landings require similar distance.

Useful load is constrained by the LSA exemption. The A5 has 430 to 460 pounds of useful load with full fuel (20 gallons, 120 pounds). That works for two adults but doesn't leave much for bags or recreation gear. The airplane is designed for short local flights between water and land, not for serious cross-country travel.

The airframe is designed around the water-operations mission. Wing root sponsons add lateral stability on water. The hull shape supports floatplane operations without separate floats. Retractable gear lets the A5 operate from improved runways without water-landing penalties. The combination delivers genuinely useful amphibious capability that no other LSA offers.

The Rotax 912 iS Sport (100 hp, four-cylinder horizontally-opposed, electronic fuel injection) is the only engine in the A5. Rotax's published TBO is 2,000 hours with a 15-year calendar limit. The 912 iS Sport is a refined variant of the 912 family with electronic engine management, which improves fuel efficiency at the cost of additional electronics that need specialized service.

Field overhaul of a 912 iS Sport runs $12,000 to $18,000 in 2026 at a Rotax-authorized service center. Most A5 owners use ICON or ICON-authorized facilities. Rotax service is well-established in Europe but the North American Rotax service network is more concentrated in specific regions. Owners outside major centers may face travel or shipping to access qualified service.

Propeller is a Sensenich composite three-blade ground-adjustable. Composite props have on-condition overhaul intervals rather than calendar limits in most LSA installations. Overhaul on condition runs $500 to $1,500 in 2026. The composite construction handles water spray exposure better than aluminum would.

The A5 is moderately expensive to operate per hour, driven primarily by hull and water-operations maintenance rather than engine or fuel cost.

Fuel runs $21 to $32 per hour at $5.50 to $7 per gallon and 3.8 to 4.5 gph. Engine reserve is $6 to $9 per hour. Prop reserve is under $1 per hour. Airframe maintenance reserve is $25 to $45 per hour, the highest in the LSA category because of hull corrosion concerns, water-use stress, and factory service requirements. All-in at 100 hours a year runs $90 to $130 per hour, plus $5,000 to $9,000 in annual fixed costs.

The factory service requirement is the biggest cost variable. ICON requires factory or factory-authorized service for many routine maintenance items that other LSAs allow owner-maintenance on. The Light Sport Repairman certificate that helps other LSA owners control costs has limited application on the A5. Owners who try to do their own maintenance can void warranty coverage and complicate insurance. Budget $3,000 to $6,000 per year in factory or authorized maintenance services on top of routine annual condition inspection costs.

Acquisition cost in mid-2026 runs $160,000 to $235,000 for used A5 airplanes depending on time, equipment, and water-use history. Factory new pricing lists $389,000 with current options. The A5 has had a thinner resale market than ICON marketing originally projected. Buyers should expect to negotiate carefully and budget for any deferred factory maintenance that comes with a used airplane.