Today News Journal
    What's Hot

    DOJ sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment in Ohio

    March 31, 2023

    Social Security funding crisis will arrive in 2033, U.S. projects

    March 31, 2023

    Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit to lay off 85 percent of staff

    March 31, 2023
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Facebook Twitter Instagram
    Today News Journal
    Contact Us
    • Home
    • Trending
    • Business
    • Health
    • Technology
      • Automobile
      • Gadgets
      • Mobiles
      • Robotics
    • Lifestyle
      • Culture
    • Sports
    • Travel
    • Editorials
    • News
      • Politics
    Today News Journal
    Home » Technology » Flying a sports car with wings
    Technology

    Flying a sports car with wings

    James MartinBy James MartinFebruary 27, 2022No Comments7 Mins Read
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp VKontakte Email
    Share
    Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Email



    Tampa, Florida (CNN) — When it comes to piloting a plane, I have zero experience.

    In fact, I’ve never even considered attempting it.

    Nevertheless, as we swoop over Florida’s Tampa Bay on a gorgeous November morning, I enthusiastically take over the controls of the ICON A5, a two-seater amphibious plane that looks like a sports car, maneuvers like a jet ski and is so intuitive, the company says that even a novice can learn to fly it in less than 30 hours.

    At 23 feet long and weighing in a 1,510 pounds, it’s known as a sea light-sport aircraft.

    Designed to help you focus on the freedom of flying without worrying if the plane will react unpredictably, there’s nothing else quite like it on the market.

    Now that I’m in control, my whole body tenses for a good five minutes. Am I really ready to pilot this shiny new machine all by myself? I’m not entirely sure.

    However, I take comfort in the fact that the A5 was built specifically for people like me, and it was designed to drive like a car.

    Plus, the fact that Icon’s CEO and founder, Kirk Hawkins, is next to me in the cockpit doesn’t hurt either. He can take over the controls at any time.

    So far, so good.

    We glide smoothly through the air at about 1,000 feet, and I’m comfortable enough to take in the sights. Lovely Fort De Soto Park doesn’t disappoint.

    Squiggles of dreamy white dunes are surrounded by water that looks like it should be in the Caribbean.

    The Sunshine Skyway Bridge, with its series of long-spanning cables, is equally impressive.

    The adrenaline is still racing. And as most surreal experiences go, it just keeps getting better.

    For starters, there’s another ICON A5 to my left, which is thrilling in itself. We are flying in formation, and my job is to mimic its movements. You’d think this would be intimidating, but it’s not.

    It’s just plain fun.

    That’s music to Hawkins’ ears. He’s the brains behind this newfangled plane, an idea 10 years in the making.

    As a former Air Force F-16 pilot and a Stanford Business School grad, he has focused most of his adult life on making sport flying available to the masses.

    “The idea for us was to create an airplane where the average human being can go out and experience the world without having the burden of becoming a professional pilot,” he says.

    So it makes sense that the dashboard looks like what you see in your car. There are only a few gauges that I don’t recognize.

    “It’s the Apple approach to things,” he says. “You humanize it, and make it intuitive and easy and cool.”

    He’s so confident people will want to fly (and buy) his planes that he just opened a flight-training facility at Peter O. Knight Airport.

    Located on Davis Island, five minutes from downtown Tampa, it’s a place where both beauty and sailboats abound.

    The company’s other training center is in Vacaville, California, where ICON is headquartered.

    Wide eyes and open windows

    By 9 a.m., it’s time for a brief water-landing pitstop.

    Hawkins takes over the controls. I’ve been too busy learning to fly in formation (not something non-pilots get to try very often) and interviewing Hawkins to even think about learning to do a water landing myself. It’s something Hawkins tells me most people can master in about 30 minutes.

    A few negative-Gs and 360-degree turns later and it becomes a fun roller-coaster ride in the sky. Plus, it’s an open-air flight, so I occasionally flop my arms out. Just because I can.

    At a few hundred feet above the water, it’s easy to spot a boater waving at us, a flock of pelicans and even stingrays.

    “We’re gonna pull over here and stop and get out for a second,” he says.

    Surely he’s kidding, right? But after landing the plane on the water, he takes off his seatbelt, and I realize he’s not.

    Seconds later, he pops the roof and we climb onto the wings, which could easily double as diving boards. Suddenly, this feels less like a plane outing and more like I’m on a boat sunbathing.

    Everything is drenched in a mesmerizing golden hue. I can imagine picnicking on the beach nearby. Or taking the plane somewhere for a remote weekend camping trip.

    Because the plane has a range of about 430 miles on a full tank, it’s made for short getaways.

    “This entire thing is about inspiring people,” he explains. “Once you learn to fly, you will never be the same. You will look at the sky different, you will look at the planet different.”

    Designed to make flying simple

    “The primary motor skills for operating a plane are pretty easy,” Hawkins tells me. “We have people landing by themselves with an instructor on their very first day, within 30 minutes.”

    That said, they’ve painstakingly taken the time to design it for safety. The goal of the spin-resistant airframe feature is that if the pilot makes mistakes, the airplane doesn’t lose control.

    As a backup, there’s a complete airplane parachute.

    “The spin resistance feature is a big deal as it’s the first airplane that the FAA has deemed spin-resistant,” says Chris Dupin, a flight instructor and US Air Force officer. “A significant number of general aviation fatalities are from loss of control accidents that involve an unrecovered spin on the base to final turn.”

    Plus, there’s the angle of attack indicator, something you don’t typically see in a light aircraft. It shows you where the wing is happy (in the green) or where it could stall (in the red).

    The pilot’s job is to keep the wing within the green or yellow section of the gauge. This is part of what makes water takeoffs and landings so easy to learn.

    Becoming a barnstormer

    “Kirk Hawkins has an extremely creative and innovative idea for pilot training that is more intuitive; teaching the feel of flight first and the principals and structure later, not unlike how people learn to drive,” says Christine Negroni, veteran aviation journalist and author of “The Crash Detectives.”

    “The world is facing a pilot shortage, so the idea of teaching differently, so that different learning styles can be accommodated could very well expand the pool of pilot candidates.”

    On that note, about 40% of the folks who’ve put down deposits for the ICON A5 are not pilots, which means this plane is drawing aviation newbies.

    After an hour and a half of flying time, Hawkins lands us on the airport runway, a maneuver that you can tackle after you’ve mastered several water landings. It’s a bit trickier since it requires more precision and knowledge about crosswinds.

    At this point, if I owned this plane, I’d hook it up to a trailer, fold the wings up, drive it home, and park it in the garage.

    Get some air time

    If you want your own ICON A5, get in line. More than 1,800 customers have put deposits down.

    For those who aren’t ready to shell out $207,000 to buy one, there’s the option of stopping by ICON’s training facility in Tampa, or the facility in Vacaville, California, to fly for the day.

    The Sport Flying Introduction class is 1.5 hours for $595. To snag your Sport Pilot License, you will need to spend 20-plus hours and pricing varies.

    Sarah Sekula is an Orlando-based travel writer and video host. Follow her adventures @wordzilla and @wordzillapics.



    Source link

    Related posts:

    1. Advanced Instruments to Acquire Solentim
    2. Compliance Solutions Strategies Named to AIFinTech 100
    3. Martin Bruncko Joins Binance As Executive Vice President For Europe
    4. How to outsmart fake news in your Facebook feed
    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Tumblr WhatsApp Email
    Previous ArticleBig tech is betting that offices are still the future.
    Next Article Winners of the ‘Oscars of watches’ on show at Dubai
    James Martin
    • Website

    Related Posts

    NVIDIA’s GeForce RTX 4070 will reportedly cost $599

    March 30, 2023

    Paramount+ orders new Star Trek series set at Starfleet Academy

    March 30, 2023

    Audible is now testing ads in your audiobooks for some reason

    March 30, 2023

    Waymo’s driverless taxi fleet will soon be completely electric

    March 30, 2023

    Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

    Search
    Categories
    • Automobile
    • Business
    • Coronavirus
    • Culture
    • Editorials
    • Finance
    • Gadgets
    • Health
    • Lifestyle
    • Mobiles
    • Money
    • News
    • Politics
    • Sports
    • Technology
    • Travel
    • Trending
    • World
    Latest Posts

    DOJ sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment in Ohio

    March 31, 2023

    Social Security funding crisis will arrive in 2033, U.S. projects

    March 31, 2023

    Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit to lay off 85 percent of staff

    March 31, 2023

    Yorkshire racism allegations: Vaughan cleared, three charges against Hoggard considered proven – live | Yorkshire

    March 31, 2023
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    Don't Miss
    News

    DOJ sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment in Ohio

    By James MartinMarch 31, 20230

    Comment on this storyCommentThe Justice Department filed a major civil suit Friday against Norfolk Southern…

    Social Security funding crisis will arrive in 2033, U.S. projects

    March 31, 2023

    Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit to lay off 85 percent of staff

    March 31, 2023

    Yorkshire racism allegations: Vaughan cleared, three charges against Hoggard considered proven – live | Yorkshire

    March 31, 2023
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    About Us

    Hello friends, I am James Martin. Welcome to my blog todaynewsjournal.com. We are a team of experienced journalists who are passionate about delivering the latest news and current events to our readers. Our editorial team is dedicated to providing the most accurate and up-to-date information possible. We aim to be your go-to source for news and current events. Here on this site, You will get up to date information regarding all important categories like business ideas, health tips,... (Read More)

    Latest News

    DOJ sues Norfolk Southern over toxic train derailment in Ohio

    March 31, 2023

    Social Security funding crisis will arrive in 2033, U.S. projects

    March 31, 2023

    Richard Branson’s Virgin Orbit to lay off 85 percent of staff

    March 31, 2023
    SIGN UP NEWSLETTER

    Join The Conversation sign up to receive emails for The Daily special tips general info.

      Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest
      • Home
      • Editorials
      • Get In Touch

      Copyright © 2021-2023 · Today News Journal Privacy Policy

      Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

      We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. By clicking “Accept All”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent.
      Cookie SettingsAccept All
      Manage consent

      Privacy Overview

      This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
      Necessary
      Always Enabled
      Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously.
      CookieDurationDescription
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-analytics11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics".
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-functional11 monthsThe cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional".
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-necessary11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary".
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-others11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other.
      cookielawinfo-checkbox-performance11 monthsThis cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance".
      viewed_cookie_policy11 monthsThe cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. It does not store any personal data.
      Functional
      Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features.
      Performance
      Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors.
      Analytics
      Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc.
      Advertisement
      Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads.
      Others
      Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet.
      SAVE & ACCEPT

      Sign In or Register

      Welcome Back!

      Login to your account below.

      Lost password?