No doubt you’ve heard by now that Icon Aircraft is asking the FAA for an exemption to LSA weight rules for the company’s sleek Icon A5 light sport amphibian. Specifically, the company is seeking a 250-pound max gross weight increase above the LSA limit of 1,430 pounds. Without the exemption, it’s unlikely the A5 can enter production in its current form, at least anytime soon.
Icon says the A5 requires a max takeoff weight of 1,680 pounds because of structural changes that will make the airplane spin resistant under Part 23 certification standards. LSAs aren’t certified to Part 23, of course, but rather to ASTM standards. Seeking a weight increase to meet Part 23 safety standards is an unusual request for an LSA maker. It’s so unusual, the FAA hasn’t been able to give an answer more than a year after Icon first asked for an exemption. The typical timeframe for the agency to do so is 120 days.
