[caption id="attachment_92350" align="alignnone" width="500"] Architectural rendering of the planned ICON Aircraft factory in Vacaville that would employ hundreds of workers starting in early 2015. (credit: ICON Aircraft)[/caption]
More on the planned factory
Read updated information on the planned plant in Fairfield.
VACAVILLE -- ICON Aircraft founder and CEO Kirk Hawkins on Wednesday said this manufacturer of a new generation of amphibious light sport aircraft will be moving all company functions from Los Angeles to a 140,000-square-foot facility near the Vacaville airport in coming months.
This facility, at 2141 Beechcraft Rd., will consolidate all company functions, including aircraft design, manufacturing, sales, training, service, as well as the firm's corporate headquarters.
[caption id="attachment_92353" align="alignleft" width="300"] ICON Aircraft's new A5 model[/caption]
Mr. Hawkins said ICON already has 1,000 orders for the twin-seat aircraft that can land on runways or in the water. The first customer aircraft, called the A5, is scheduled to be completed and delivered by 2015. Initially this production center will employ 150 workers rising to 500 or more as output increases.
The price tag on the A5 is $189,000. Only two weeks of training at this center adjacent to the Vacaville airport runway is required to qualify for a daylight/good weather/low altitude Light Sport Aircraft license, including 20 hours of flight time. Training cost is extra and the fee has yet to be determined.
The annual economic impact on Vacaville and Solano County is estimated to exceed $350 million through wages paid, local purchases made by ICON, and increases in employee and visitor spending, as well as sales and property tax revenues to the city and county once the company is at full production rates.Correction: An earlier version of this article included an outdated price for the A5 aircraft. The article now reflects updated information.
