Will the sport planes interfere with the commercial airliners and private jets?

No. First, the FAA requires Sport Pilots to be trained to understand, recognize and stay clear of congested airspace. Secondly, there are mechanisms and processes in place, particularly radar and air traffic control systems, which recognize any interference and allow commercial airlines and private jets time to respond accordingly.

Is 20 hours enough training to pilot a plane?

Absolutely. Sport Pilots are not getting any less training. In fact, Sport Pilots are receiving more specific training for their needs as a recreational pilot. The transportation-based flying tasks are not included in Sport Pilot training, so what the FAA did was pull out the time necessary to train pilots on the complexities of flying at night, in bad weather and in congested airspace. Now the training for Sport Pilots focuses on the basic fundamentals of flying safely, which ultimately is a safer approach to learning to fly.

Are seaplanes more difficult to fly?

Seaplanes can actually be easier to fly. One of the biggest challenges for landing planes on land is the necessity to do so on a designated landing strip that is only so many feet long and wide. When it comes to landing on water, it can be like landing on a dry lakebed. You can land in any direction and don’t have to worry about landing on an exact spot. A fly-by evaluation is always wise to spot floating debris or submerged obstacles that could threaten a landing. In addition, seaplane pilots can always use wind conditions to their advantage and land into the wind and not against a difficult cross wind.

How does the parachute work?

The Complete Airplane Parachute technology is fairly simple technology that has been in the market for over 20 years and has been credited with over 200 saves. The parachute is housed inside the frame of the aircraft and is rocket-deployed by simply pulling a lever in the cockpit during an unexpected loss of control, complete aircraft failure, or other in-flight emergencies. The parachute fully deploys in seconds and essentially stops the aircraft and lowers the light aircraft to the ground under canopy.

Isn't landing with a parachute dangerous?

Under certain circumstances it may be the least dangerous option. While the landing is relatively safe for the occupants, typically the aircraft sustains moderate structural damage upon impact. This phenomenal technology is a perfect match for Light Sport Aircraft since the ideal speed range to deploy the parachute is 80-120 mph, which is the same limited operating range for Light Sport Aircraft.

Is an airplane that has folding wings safe to fly?

Yes. U.S. Navy wing-fold technology has safely been around for years as a proven and reliable technology with an extremely low risk of failure. ICON has optimized basic wing-fold technology and carefully designed it so that it only operates on ground and water when not flying. Additionally, the wing-fold mechanism is designed so that the folding elements are separated from the structural elements for carrying flight loads.