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Meet the aircraft
ICON designed the A5 for recreational flying from water and runways. The two-seat amphibian has a compact boat hull, retractable landing gear and a high-mounted engine driving a pusher propeller behind the cockpit. A broad canopy provides visibility around the cabin.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗Wet feet are part of the introduction
Hirschman reached the A5 with wet feet, already placing the flight in a different setting from an ordinary airport demonstration. Inside, the handle and controls fell naturally to hand, while open side windows brought air into the cockpit. Flying with Kirk Hawkins over Lake Berryessa gave him an introduction shaped by sunshine, water and the company founder’s enthusiasm.
AOPA · August 2015. Manufacturer-hosted A5 demonstration at Lake Berryessa with founder Kirk Hawkins, in calm water and fine weather.
AOPA · Read more ↗Released product and variants
VSKYLABS offers its ICON A5 amphibian as separate native X-Plane 11 and 12 products. The project is an independent simulation with its own documentation and operating scope.
ICON A5 · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube ICON Aircraft · 6 min ·
What an ICON A5 demo flight looks like
ICON introduces the A5 through a customer demonstration flight.
Real aircraft · ICON A5
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet ICON A5
ICON designed the A5 for recreational flying from water and runways. The two-seat amphibian has a compact boat hull, retractable landing gear and a high-mounted engine driving a pusher propeller behind the cockpit. A broad canopy provides visibility around the cabin.
ICON A5
Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
Folding wings extend the design beyond the flight itself
During his 2021 checkout, Twombly folded the A5’s wings under Stamps’s supervision and found the task straightforward. His report also describes a transport trailer still at prototype stage, showing how storage and ground transport formed part of the aircraft’s development.
Water Flying · Breaking ground in the ICON A5 ↗First-hand wing-folding experience; trailer production was a future plan in this report
Pilot accounts
Wet feet are part of the introduction
Hirschman reached the A5 with wet feet, already placing the flight in a different setting from an ordinary airport demonstration. Inside, the handle and controls fell naturally to hand, while open side windows brought air into the cockpit. Flying with Kirk Hawkins over Lake Berryessa gave him an introduction shaped by sunshine, water and the company founder’s enthusiasm.
Water landings added to the enjoyment, and the aircraft’s trip up the ramp attracted applause from nearby boaters. Those moments explain the appeal he felt beyond the instrument panel or performance figures: the aeroplane connected flying with the activity already taking place around the lake. The report describes a particularly inviting demonstration in favourable conditions, rather than establishing how every A5 outing will feel.
AOPA · August 2015. Manufacturer-hosted A5 demonstration at Lake Berryessa with founder Kirk Hawkins, in calm water and fine weather.
Read the full account · AOPA ↗A wave supplies an unplanned part of the flight report
Weather and a busy demonstration schedule complicated Johnson’s chance to fly the A5 at AirVenture. When the flight with Craig Bowers finally happened, learning to include the angle-of-attack display in his scan became part of getting comfortable with the aircraft. He enjoyed the experience while also identifying cockpit details he would have liked arranged differently.
The lake supplied a more memorable interruption: a wave came through the open window and soaked him. His phone survived the splash, leaving the incident as an amusing addition to the evaluation. Afterward he spent an hour at a restaurant recording notes on his iPad.
Plane & Pilot · September 2015. Written account of a July AirVenture flight on Lake Winnebago with Craig Bowers; embedded video has not been used as evidence.
Read the full account · Plane & Pilot ↗Three training flights end with homework and a certificate
Poor weather kept Twombly in ground school with Genesah Duffy on his first visit. He returned in better conditions to fly with Sean Stamps, beginning with a thorough inspection before heading out over Tampa Bay. Learning to give the angle-of-attack display a central place in his approach scan became the main adjustment during the water-landing practice.
The course also exposed the ordinary maintenance behind a polished aircraft. Before a later flight, Twombly noticed a loose fairing; a mechanic repaired its damaged mounting hardware. After completing three flights, there was still a written examination to send back. The electronic certificate arrived afterward, marking the end of a learning process that included preparation, flying and follow-up work rather than simply a demonstration ride.
Water Flying · March–April 2021. Seaplane transition training at ICON’s Tampa centre with Genesah Duffy and Sean Stamps; historical course experience.
Read the full account · Water Flying ↗In your simulator
Systems, equipment and documentation for each developer’s aircraft.
Compare simulator versions →MSFS 2024ICON A5
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
ICON A5
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
MSFS 2020ICON A5
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
ICON A5
Microsoft Flight Simulator · Released
X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12ICON A5
VSKYLABS · Released
ICON A5
VSKYLABS · Released
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Simulator documentation
Released product and variantsICON A5 · VSKYLABS · X-Plane 11 · X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS offers its ICON A5 amphibian as separate native X-Plane 11 and 12 products. The project is an independent simulation with its own documentation and operating scope.
Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14
VSKYLABS · Read the source ↗Pilot account
Wet feet are part of the introductionAOPA · August 2015. Manufacturer-hosted A5 demonstration at Lake Berryessa with founder Kirk Hawkins, in calm water and fine weather.
Hirschman reached the A5 with wet feet, already placing the flight in a different setting from an ordinary airport demonstration. Inside, the handle and controls fell naturally to hand, while open side windows brought air into the cockpit. Flying with Kirk Hawkins over Lake Berryessa gave him an introduction shaped by sunshine, water and the company founder’s enthusiasm. Water landings added to the enjoyment, and the aircraft’s trip up the ramp attracted applause from nearby boaters.
Dave Hirschman
AOPA · Read the source ↗A wave supplies an unplanned part of the flight reportPlane & Pilot · September 2015. Written account of a July AirVenture flight on Lake Winnebago with Craig Bowers; embedded video has not been used as evidence.
Weather and a busy demonstration schedule complicated Johnson’s chance to fly the A5 at AirVenture. When the flight with Craig Bowers finally happened, learning to include the angle-of-attack display in his scan became part of getting comfortable with the aircraft. He enjoyed the experience while also identifying cockpit details he would have liked arranged differently. The lake supplied a more memorable interruption: a wave came through the open window and soaked him.
Dan Johnson
Plane & Pilot · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Manual
Microsoft Flight Simulator aircraft manualsMicrosoft / aircraft developersAircraft background
Icon A5Wikipedia contributors · Research background · Wikipedia revision 1361743313 · retrieved 2026-09-12Resource
MSFS 2024 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoft MSFS 2020 FAQ and edition aircraft inventoryMicrosoftDeveloper documentation
VSKYLABS ICON-A5. Advanced add-on for X-Plane Flight Simulator.VSKYLABS · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14 VSKYLABS Aerospace Simulations Aircraft Center: VSKYLABS ICON-A5VSKYLABS · Official developer / designated-store reference · checked 2026-09-14Type designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 2 profile choices
VSKYLABS ICON A5
VSKYLABS · Free and Pro · Revision 3 · Inherited starting point
X-Plane 12
VSKYLABS ICON A5: Direct mechanical controls motivate aerodynamic feedback in the profile.
ICON A5
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
MSFS 2024 · MSFS 2020 · X-Plane 12 · X-Plane 11
ICON A5: Direct mechanical controls motivate aerodynamic feedback in the profile.
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