The AKOYA is an amphibian leasure aircraft, able to land on the ground, as well as on the snow and on the water. It has been developed by the French manufacturer LISA Airplanes. On August 22nd, 2007, from Aix-Chambéry airport, it succeeded its maiden flight. The test pilot,Gérald Ducoin, took over the controls.

This flight follows a two months of intensive tests campaign. This summer, a series of short flights at low altitude validated taxi, take-off, landing, roll out, engine air cooling and flight controls efficiency. This August 22nd, the test pilot considered that the AKOYA was ready to make a complete cycle: take-off, steady flight, landing. The flight lasted more than 15 minutes and the AKOYA flew a course between lake and mountains, closed to LISA Airplanes facilities.The prototype A of the AKOYA is fitted with computers recording almost 40 parameters in real time (speed, attitude, temperatures, control surfaces position…).  

Gerald Ducoin is part of the R&D team since the beginning of the AKOYA's design. Plane and helicopter pilot from the age of 18, flight and aerobatics instructor, he is qualified as test pilot for light aircraft by the EPNER (Flight Tests and Acceptance Pilots School). He logged more than 3500 flying hours on 50 aircraft types, from the ultralight to the Alpha Jet. "This maiden flight confirmed the very healthy general behaviour of the AKOYA. Of course, we must continue to open the flight envelope but these first results give me a great confidence on the expected performances of the AKOYA. I felt a great satisfaction to fly this very innovative aircraft" he declared.  

This maiden flight is the first significant milestone in the design process of the AKOYA which began in January 2006. This very short development period could be obtained thanks to the integrated team of 12 people, along with network of 50 French industrial partners. The previous period (2003-2005) was devoted to define the business plan, to build the team and get together the technical, industrial and financial partners.  

LISA Airplanes continue the development of the AKOYA. The next tests will evaluate the behaviour of the aircraft on water, snow and its various functions (skis, hydrofoils, flexible textile flap, swivelling wing, parachute, etc.) The first deliveries will take place within 16 months, following a very advanced industrialization period.  

"This technical success confirms the customers which had been appealed to the AKOYA during international air shows in spring 2007. We launched in July 2007 a first commercial program of 15 AKOYA turn out at the end of 2008 and a second program of 30 AKOYA in 2009. We voluntarily restricted the quantity of aircraft for these 2 programs in order to reach the high levels of quality and completion that we aim. Unfortunately we will not be able to satisfy all the enthusiastic demands we receive every day." declared Erick Herzberger, President of LISA Airplanes.  

LISA Airplanes were founded in 2002 by Erick Herzberger and Luc Bernole. Thanks to their first two-seater aircraft, AKOYA, they created a new market segment. Neither a tourism plane, nor a business jet, AKOYA will be a means of top-of-the-range escape, the must of technology and tendencies. The price, 300.000€ approximately, includes the ULM pilot license, the training on water and snow, a personalized painting, various accessories…

Only ground-water-snow amphibian airplane, AKOYA has a range of 1.500 Km (620 Nm) and a maximum speed of 300 Km/h (168 kts). The engine is a 100 hpRotax 912 S.   

The MultiAccess® concept gives to the AKOYA the same performance on water and snow. The patented Ri&Flex Wing® system allows short take-off and landings(100 m). The combination of two hydrofoils in the shape of an inverted V and retractable landing-gear allows maintaining high-performance on water. The AKOYA is fitted with a parachute and a swivelling wing for an easier storage.