Amphibious airplane takes its first passengers

Spring was action-packed for LISA Airplanes. The founders, the first clients and LISA’s team boarded the AKOYA for a flight from Lake Bourget. All the passengers and pilots agree: flying in this amphibious airplane is an incomparable pleasure.

Since early May, the AKOYA has never ended flying. With an average of four days of flights per week, LISA Airplanes’ team could once more enjoy, and for the first time share, the AKOYA’s remarkable performance.

LISA Airplanes’ founders, Erick HERZBERGER and Luc BERNOLE were the first two passengers of the AKOYA. “To me, this first flight is both a professional and personal achievement. Our airplane’s performance goes beyond our expectations. I’ve flown many light aircraft in my life, so I can tell the AKOYA is incomparable. She behaves exceptionally well on water in terms of speed and easiness to take-off just as much as in terms of comfort brought by the airplane’s stability. All the work done on the Seafoils turns to be a real success. After my first flight, I proudly announced to the team that the AKOYA is perfect.” tells Erick HERZBERGER, LISA Airplanes’ CEO and AKOYA’s first passenger.

During this series of test runs with passengers, and after years of research, studies, design and tests, LISA Airplanes’ team had the great pleasure to enjoy the advantages of its innovations. One after the other, team members got in the cockpit to live this priceless moment: a flight in the AKOYA. In various weather conditions, smooth lake or rough lake with 16 inches waves (40 cm) and 18 knots of wind, take-offs and landings were all made softly and on short distances. The sensations of flying in the AKOYA will remain unforgettable for all.

With this symbolic event, LISA Airplanes has gone through a major step towards AKOYA’s deliveries: the clients’ discovery of this seaplane.

Some of AKOYA’s future clients have been invited to go on board for a demonstration flight departing from Lake Bourget, at the side of the test pilot Gerald DUCOIN. AKOYA’s new pilots unanimously sung the comfort of the high-end finished cockpit and the in-flight qualities of the airplane. Benoit SENELLART, LISA Airplanes’ VP of Development, attests this enthusiasm: “I‘ve been involved in every step of AKOYA’s development and the first delivery will be the most memorable. Therefore, it’s with great pleasure that I watched our clients’ first flight. Their feedbacks are all positive on the easiness to pilot as well as on the sensations in flight. They really appreciated the visibility, the comfort and the safe atmosphere of the cockpit. This flight definitely won them and I am delighted with that.”

The next demonstrations in-flight will occur from September on since the AKOYA is on its way for the United States where it will be exhibited for the first time at the EAA AirVenture Oshkosh in Wisconsin from July, 23-29 2012.