ICON Sport plane

ICON Aircraft announced that Henio Arcangeli, Jr., joined its board of advisors. Arcangeli, the former President of Yamaha’s Motorsports Group Company, comes onboard as ICON’s A5 Light Sport Aircraft moves toward FAA approval and serial production. He joins board members and advisors including former Boeing Chairman and CEO Phil Condit, former Mastercraft CEO John Dorton, and motorcycle industry entrepreneur Troy Lee.

“We’re excited to have Henio on our team, ” says ICON CEO and Founder Kirk Hawkins. “Henio brings a wealth of experience that supports ICON’s mission to democratize aviation, and his inside knowledge of the powersports industry will help introduce the A5 to a new generation of enthusiasts.”

During his tenure as President of Yamaha’s Motorsports Group Company, Arcangeli was recognized as one of the top executives in the powersports industry. Under his leadership, Yamaha was viewed as one of the most progressive companies for industry-leading products, innovative dealer-partner programs, and outstanding customer support. Prior to Yamaha, Arcangeli held senior leadership positions with world-class technology and consumer products companies including Pioneer Electronics, General Electric, and General Motors. He holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering from Kettering University (formerly General Motors Institute), an ME in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

“I’m thrilled to be working with ICON, ” says Arcangeli. “The ICON A5 is a game-changer because it combines elements of personal watercraft and powersports vehicles, making it unlike any other product on the market.”

The A5 is a Light Sport Aircraft that combines contemporary design with innovative engineering. Focused on recreational flight, the A5 incorporates industry-first safety features, retractable landing gear that enables takeoffs and landings from water or land, and an intuitive, automotive-style cockpit. Featuring a spin-resistant airframe, a proven Rotax 912 iS powerplant, and wingfold functionality for trailering and easy storage, the A5 is engineered to bring the freedom, fun, and adventure of flying to all who have dreamed of flight.

About ICON Aircraft:
ICON Aircraft is a consumer sport plane manufacturer founded in response to the sport flying category created by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2004. ICON’s first plane is the A5, an amphibious sport aircraft that fuses outstanding aeronautical engineering with world-class product design. It has won some of the world’s most prestigious design awards and has inspired a global following. The company has received more than 1, 800 order deposits and delivered the first production aircraft in July 2015. ICON Aircraft’s facilities are in Vacaville, CA, 50 miles from San Francisco.

About FAA Light Sport Aircraft & Sport Pilot Classifications
In 2004, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) created a new classification of easy-to-fly and affordable two-person airplanes called Light Sport Aircraft. These airplanes enable a new classification of Sport Pilots to fly in lower-altitude, uncongested airspace, during the daytime, and in good weather. The Sport Pilot License focuses on the fundamentals of flying and requires a minimum of 20 hours of in-flight training, undercutting the time and cost of a traditional Private Pilot License by about 50%. The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) has described these new rules as “the biggest change in aviation in 50 years.”