For Those Who Are Tired of Long Drives to the Lake

[Mateo_Vargas]

 

http://iconaircraft.com

[mmosley899]

That's an awesome plane! I've been wanting one ever since they first made the concept public. Light Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot License...

[Horton]

The smaller the plane the easier it is to clean up the wreckage (private plane scare the piss out of me)

[Bill22]

Can you get one with ZO?

[Wish]

actually had that happen at a tournament... lake clears, ultralight lands, guy skis, lake clears, guy gets back in plane, goes home. I would get one to do just that.. to cool.

[oldjeep]

Looks like a perfect runway. Been in a lot of small planes and helicopters but never had the opportunity to try a float plane.

[rodltg2]

you think new boats cost a lot! my 1973 cessna drove me to the poor house. was glad to sell that money pit. im in the wrong income bracket for aircraft ownership!

[Ed_Obermeier]

If I could afford the plane I'd probably put the money into my own private lake instead...

[Commuterfisher]

Maybe Gordon Rathbun would have gotten his 50 ski runs at 50 lakes in a day with this.

[rab]

One of the Michigan lakes has a landing strip running along it. Kinda funny to have to be told to look out for planes while walking from the parking lot to the lake.

[Edbrazil]

I was at a McCormicks tournament a few years ago when Franz Oberleitner dropped in with

his Ultralight. Was a fancy one: 2 seater. In the Back When, Warren Witherell occasionally

flew in to sites in his float plane.

[rodltg2]

there is a dirt runway at our club that also is the short cut to the lake. have to watch out for them in the spring.

[MISkier]

@rab, that lake in Michigan with the landing strip is Jepawhit. The local Nautique dealer owns it and is a pilot as well.

[dchristman]

@Edbrazil I remember Warren flying in to Reading sometime in the early 80s... I seem to recall you were there, too.

[eleeski]

@Commuterfisher We flew Gordon from one site of mine to another in a floatplane. So he did have the benefit of landing on the water to ski. Flip side was that he hit rollers from the plane and didn't run one of the passes. The floatplane was from a flight school that parked their plane on my lake. Ski lakes are great floatplane runways.

 

@Horton carries lots of unreasonable fear fetishes. Commercial flying is 10 times safer than driving. Driving is 10 times safer than private flying. Private flying is 10 times safer than riding a motorcycle. Riding a motorcycle is 10 times safer than bicycling. Manage risks but get out on that bicycle to avoid dying of obesity.

 

@rodltg2 My old 182 cost 13,000, burned cargas and got better mileage than my truck. I was pretty poor when I got that plane but it certainly did not bleed me. On the contrary, it opened up lots of opportunities. My current 210 is a bit more expensive - but still lots cheaper than what I spend on waterskiing.

 

@Bill22 My 210 autopilot is so good that I shouldn't be able to log the hours from some flights.

 

@oldjeep Float flying is pure fun. Try it when you get a chance. I picked up a bit of dual in Tavares FL. Great fun.

 

@"Mateo Vargas" Thanks for the awesome pictures. Fly up to Stan's and take us for a ride! My plane will be parked on his levee so you'll have to splash in.

 

Eric

[Mateo_Vargas]

@eleeski I don't own one so if you want me to ski with you up at Stan's you'll have to fly down to Livermore and pick me up.

[Creeker]

Interesting concept.

 

Couple of questions.

 

How big of a wake does it make

Is there a place to tie the rope to the back

Can the judges look out the back to see if you made all 6?

 

[mmosley899]

@Creeker you have to reach around 55knots to get it off the water...then no wake!

[rodltg2]

@eleeski My 172 cost 43k. That was not the big expense. It was the annuals that never were under $1000 like estimated more like $3000-$4000. The audio panel

That failed. The radios that failed both at separate times , The gyro that failed. The hit and run that some sleeze ball pilot nailed the tail of my plane. The winter storm with high winds that damaged the plane. The early TBO Had to replace engine. then I lease back to a flight school that lost my wheel pants and log books. Plus to keep that dam thing at the airport. No thanks I was done.

[Texas6]

Is 55knots 34.2mph?

[DanE]

More like 60 mph

[Ed_Johnson]

OMG, if you think Ski Boats are expensive, Planes have gone out of sight. Just the engine in my Jet cost 3 times what my SN 200 6L cost. Fuel burn of a gallon a minute. Plus it would only land on water ONE time. I would go with a nice Luxury Motor Home with a "STOCKED" fridge.

 

 

[Bill22]

@mmosley899 55knots / around 60mph is a little hot! Can somebody find a seaplane with wings 3X the size so it could be in the air at 34mph?

[Creeker]

Wonder if they put ZO on it, the tug could be used in tournaments?

Then we could bring up the whole 3 blade verses four blade prop discussion too

[OldGuysRule]

Three years ago at the Indiana State Championships hosted by the Angola Ski Club, Chuck Walker, landed his seaplane right in the middle of the tournament. Chuck is a club member and lake owner. It was only the "warm up!" Later in the day Chuck entertained the audience with acrobatics in his other stunt plane. It was a great "embellishment" to the tournament.

[AdamCord]

I've always thought skiing and float planes belong together, we've got all these great runways everywhere! This is one of the planes I designed specifically for that purpose (hobby, I am not an aeronautical engineer). @eleeski can I get you to build this for me? I don't have the time.

 

 

[eleeski]

@AdamCord Looks interesting. I'll jump right on it - as soon as I'm done with my twin engine high wing tractor mount. (Never got to the shaping foam stage but I spent a LOT of time dreaming about it.) Kudos to Icon for actually getting it done.

 

@rodltg2 Bummer about your bad luck. It's not always that tough. Expensive, maybe but worth it.

 

I bet a large percentage of those following this thread are pilots. Cool! For those who aren't, getting a pilot's license is a very fun and challenging activity. While not cheap, it is more affordable than you expect. Check out a discovery introduction flight lesson.

 

Eric

[rodltg2]

Yes very challenging especially when I am scared of heights ! Now only bothered by being high up on things attached to the ground . Waterskiing keeps me as close to earth. So no worries there. Snow skiing tho , still can't stand chairlifts. I'm pretty good snow skier but can't handle the chair. Avoid the long and high lifts.

 

If I ever hit the lotto I'll be buying another. But will hire a pilot to fly it. I'll just do the take off and landings. As long as they are VFR !

[UWSkier]

Those are awesome but I need one that can carry my slalom ski and gear!

[Mateo_Vargas]

Looks like Roy Halladay was flying one in his tragic crash.

[mwetskier]

many years ago i heard a paramedic from california refer to small airplanes as ' single engine doctor killers '. apparently at the time california was the private plane ownership capital of the country (and it might still be)

[wawaskr]

ICON has had two crashes and three deaths this year.

[ozski]

Drones will be carrying people soon enough, I can wait.

[mmosley899]

@"Mateo Vargas" yes it was an Icon A5 Halladay was flying. But evidently he liked to fly low and fast over the water, not always good choice.

[6balls]

@"Mateo Vargas" I agree with @mmosley899 . I'm a pilot, too. A few weeks ago someone flying low over the Mississippi thinking it was cool struck power lines that cross the river.

 

Almost ALWAYS it is pilot error in small planes...often multiple errors in a chain leading toward disaster. There are mechanical problems here and there for sure but that is the rarity.

 

I might be described as a risky guy in some areas of my life on the ground (automobiles) but I'm conservative as hell in the air--last I checked I'm not a professional pilot I have a different profession so I fly accordingly when the weather is nice, we can fly high, the plane is well maintained and the tanks are full.

 

My Dad was a pilot, too...much more experienced and better than I. He always said there were old pilots and bold pilots but no old bold pilots.

[eleeski]

@6balls Pilot error, perhaps. Risky and reckless flying is less common (although over represented in the accident statistics). Sometimes sh!t happens.

 

I've had 4 engine failures. Did everything right each time after it went quiet. Did enough right before to leave me options. A couple of them had no pilot error factor at all - unless you count getting into an old 150 an error.

 

The Icon accident at Lake Berryessa was from the pilot (who was very familiar with the area) taking a wrong turn into a box canyon. Too easy a mistake to make - all those shorelines look the same. Always cross check to maintain your situational awareness. Pilot error for sure but not absurdly risky behavior.

 

Eric

[dvskier]

Low altitude = poor options.

[LoopSki]

I never had anything to terrible but did have complete radio failure twice. Somewhat uneasy coming in to land. After the second time I bought a handheld.

[Zman]

@eleeski I did not finish my flight school, maybe pick it up again after my upcoming retirement? I belonged to a club that owned two 1960 vintage Cessna 150s in West Virginia. But, my instructor let me take my first lesson in his 182 Skylane with variable pitch prop and retractable gear. Flew over the mountains of West Virginia, the New River Gorge and on to Myrtle Beach. Sweet. My next flight, in a 150 I experienced a radio issue like @rodltg2 and @LoopSki mentioned. Could receive, not transmit. But, no big deal, tower figured it out and instructed me in. Fun!

[Zman]

Oh, and the second flight in one of the old 150s the engine quit just as I touched down. Quick restart and we taxied on in. So, @eleeski guess you might be right, pilot error getting in those old 150s. :smile:

[C5Quest]

Been looking at the A5 for a while. Could use one. So how many pilots do we have on this site?

[eleeski]

@Zman Definitely finish your license. Even if you go in a 150. Visceral pleasure.

 

@C5Quest Flying shares many traits with water skiing. Both take focus and dedication. Both take money. Both are physically and mentally challenging. Both are fun. There are a lot of pilot waterskiers. Cool!

 

Get the Icon, fly to my lake, land on the water and take me for a ride. I'll give you a ski ride.

 

Eric

[LZywicki1]

@Wish Is this the plane? We seen him do the same thing at the Hall of Fame.

 

[Wish]

I want to say yes but it's been well over 10 yrs.

[C5Quest]

@eleeski. That’s why I asked. I’m a career military pilot and airline pilot. I’ve grown up around pilots and we all gravitate toward things like waterskiing, motorcycles, and guns. Not sure I can afford an A5 right now but looking at other options. Where’s Your Lake? I’ll still ski

 

[eleeski]

@C5Quest Near MOMAR intersection on the north east side of the Salton sea in southern California. Water's still 70f and I had a good ride today. I also bum rides in San Diego and might be able to hook you up there.

 

My 210 is in the radio shop so no flying until it's fixed. But that's the easy way to my lake!

 

Eric

[6balls]

VFR into IFR, get home-itis, fuel management, plane loaded over-weight or out of weight and balance, pressing on into deteriorating conditions, flight into known icing, low altitude maneuvering problems, attempting to land below weather minimums, crash during a go-around for failed approach in IMC...most of this stuff is pilot error.

 

These errors are far more common stuff in the accident statistics (particularly fatal accidents) than engine failure (for failures sake not running out of fuel--a pilot error), auto pilot failure, failure of primary flight controls.

 

If my engine quits at a reasonable altitude to give me some options, and I'm not over the mountains or endless water (two places I don't go)...most likely I'll be ok. For me fly high in good weather. I'd rather be down here wishing I was up there than up there wishing I was down here.

[C5Quest]

I’ve been out of general aviation for 20 years but as @6balls said the stories are all the same for GA accidents/incidents. Most all can be avoided with risk management and not having egos bigger than your flying skills. I guess on the water we can get away with it and live. Honestly after flying heavies for so long the GA thing makes me nervous but I’d love to get back into it again.