William Strawter
Special to the Sun

Sometimes it takes a team to bring an idea to fruition and if, in building a team, the sum of the group becomes greater than any individual, then the team of aeronautical rock stars, which includes Jon Karkow and Matthew Gianta, is destined for great things. Chief Engineer and test pilot Jon Karkow, who built his first plane while still attending high school, was the Chief Project Engineer and test pilot for the Virgin Atlantic Global Flyer. Matthew Gianta, ICON’s Vice President of Engineering, was the Chief Engineer on the SpaceShipOne project that ultimately won the $10 million X-Prize. Together, they are an aeronautical dream team for designing, engineering and bringing experimental aircraft like the A5 into existence.

It may not be the flying car we’ve all been promised, but on July 9, a small group gathered in Kissack Cove to watch the first test flight of the ICON A5, an amphibious aircraft so compact and sporty it resembles a flying Sea-Doo™ with a race car interior.

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The mixed group of engineers, family, friends and on-lookers were not disappointed and let out a loud cheer, as the single engine prop quietly propelled the aircraft over the calm waters and into the morning air.

Standing on the shore line, clearly satisfied with the performance of the A5 in its inaugural flight, ICON founder Kirk Hawkins exclaimed, “We can draw pictures all day, but today was about proof of concept, to prove that we could design a plane that would fly and meet the goals set for this aircraft.”

In 2004 the FAA created the light sport weight class for airplanes. This new weight class spans the gap between ultra lights and general aviation aircraft. Aircraft in this new sport category are limited to two occupants, a maximum speed of 120 knots (about 138 mph) and a ceiling altitude of 10,000 feet.

Shortly after examining the FAA’s regulations for the new sport class, inspiration came to Hawkins on a commercial flight from Los Angeles to Miami. Buried in the regulations, he saw a way to bring together his love for flying and his passion for the outdoors. At that moment, he was convinced that an amphibious aircraft, was the ideal candidate to dominate this new weight class in aviation. So he grabbed the first piece of classic invention paper he could find (also known as a napkin) and literally sketched the basic configuration of the A5 on the back of an in-flight service tray.

Kirk Hawkins describes his childhood growing up in South Carolina as one filled with activity. Experiences that ranged from the excitement of motocross to the peacefulness of spending time in the outdoors hunting, fishing and camping with family and friends. He later went on to fly F-16s in the U.S. Air Force, pilot 767s for a commercial airline and fly bush planes in Alaska. Rounding off his life experiences, Hawkins also earned a degree in Mechanical Engineering from Clemson University and a Masters in Engineering from Stanford University. In 2005 he went on to graduate from Stanford’s business school.

The ICON team realizes that the A5 will have an initial appeal to existing pilots, like local classic car enthusiast and pilot Jerry England, who quickly realized how well the compact amphibious plane could fit into his lifestyle. However, one of ICON’s ultimate goals is to be instrumental in creating new pilots within the outdoor enthusiast community and the general public.

As the events of the morning wound down, Hawkins said, “This plane represents a lot of what Lake Isabella is all about. Bringing the elements together - the earth, the water and the air. Just enjoying life’s simple pleasures like back packing, fishing and just hanging out at the lake with your friends.”

It sounds like Hawkins not only knows how to bring the sport of flying to the public, he knows what makes this valley special to the people who live here and the many outdoor enthusiasts that visit the valley every day.