Pull-starting the Icon A5

alfadog

alfadog

Final Approach
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May 3, 2010
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alfadog
Dead battery, figured if we pulled it down the runway fast enough, it would windmill?

Actually, right main brake locked up on landing and we had it on a dolly; the golf cart didn't have the ass to get it out of the dirt.

IMG_20190513_082706795.jpg IMG_20190513_083514862_HDR.jpg IMG_20190513_085629740_HDR.jpg
 
Cluemeister said:
Many deserved knocks on the A5. But it is a good looking airplane.
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I don't think there's hardly anyone who complained about the A5's appearance. It's a good-looking bird. It's all of the other questionable attributes/marketing that has soured its reputation.
 
It’s only worth about $50k (to me, anyhow... that’s all I’d be willing to pay).
 
I'm not even sure I'd be willing to pay that. I might bite at $20K.
 
Pretty much.... with lousy cruise speed, lousy payload and no IFR capability.
 
dans2992 said:
Pretty much.... with lousy cruise speed, lousy payload and no IFR capability.
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I’ll give it a pass on the lack of IFR, it wasn’t ever a design goal. But the lack of speed and useful load (even after the weight waiver) make it a non-starter for a lot of people. The price is not commensurate with the performance, IMHO.
 
Dav8or said:
Oh, that is SO different!! The Cub is SOooo awesome!! :rolleyes::D
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It is. Every time Shepherd posts about a flight in his Cub I wish I could have gone along. I seriously doubt any Icon trip description would ever elicit the same reaction.
 
Caption the first photo:

"What would MacGyver do?"
"She did say to get a boat..."
"Man, where would I put my BoostedBoard?"
 
I think it's cool and I'd love to own one.
To each his own, but I wonder about you guys that put down a fellow pilot's ride like that. No class!
 
SoonerAviator said:
I don't think there's hardly anyone who complained about the A5's appearance. It's a good-looking bird. It's all of the other questionable attributes/marketing that has soured its reputation.
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The marketing is brilliant. Look at a Cessna (or Honda motorcycle!) advert from four or five decades ago: they weren't aimed at current pilots or motorcyclists. The only attribute that the A5 has that I'm not thrilled with is the price.
 
GRG55 said:
It is. Every time Shepherd posts about a flight in his Cub I wish I could have gone along. I seriously doubt any Icon trip description would ever elicit the same reaction.
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Just because you enjoy feelings of nostalgia for the Cub doesn't mean the A5 isn't going to be essentially in the same bucket of performance. Albeit there are other amphibs that have similar operational specs for less cost (SeaRay), but the A5 wins the visual appeal contest there. I don't know why lazily following along the banks of a river in a Cub is different from in an A5 aside from the price of admission.
 
JOhnH said:
I think it's cool and I'd love to own one.
To each his own, but I wonder about you guys that put down a fellow pilot's ride like that. No class!
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It looks like an extremely fun plane, but as was mentioned, biggest issue is price/performance ratio.

It’s much easier to talk the wife into a $100k plane that the whole family can go places in than a small (albeit fun) $250k jet ski. :)
 
dans2992 said:
It looks like an extremely fun plane, but as was mentioned, biggest issue is price/performance ratio.

It’s much easier to talk the wife into a $100k plane that the whole family can go places in than a small (albeit fun) $250k jet ski. :)
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Think $350k. o_O
 
dans2992 said:
You’re right! The price went up again. This is insane!!
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That's what was paid for this one. It's brand new. It's a rich boys toy. And if you have the money to buy a toy like this purely to have a toy like this then more power to you.
 
No doubt. I don’t disagree, but I can think of quite a few more capable aviation toys for that price.

Maybe you already have them. Who knows.
 
dans2992 said:
No doubt. I don’t disagree, but I can think of quite a few more capable aviation toys for that price.

Maybe you already have them. Who knows.
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Not mine. Good friend of the fellow I'm working for right now. I understand he's quite wealthy (by my standards not by Warren Buffett's) and just bought this to have it as a toy. He might be the fellow that has 50 business jets under his management.
 
SoonerAviator said:
Just because you enjoy feelings of nostalgia for the Cub doesn't mean the A5 isn't going to be essentially in the same bucket of performance. Albeit there are other amphibs that have similar operational specs for less cost (SeaRay), but the A5 wins the visual appeal contest there. I don't know why lazily following along the banks of a river in a Cub is different from in an A5 aside from the price of admission.
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Think of it as similar to heading to the drive-in on Friday night in a '63 split window versus a new C7 ZR1. Not the same thing. At all. ;)
 
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Commercial: pilot lands in the water, drops the gear, drives it up his pebble beach in front of mansion, greeted by trophy wife, best day of his life.

Reality: lands at airport, wheel locks up, has to get towed, wife gives pilot an earful on wasting so much money, spends afternoon filling out FAA paperwork.
 
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