Hawkins' creativity soars

Creativity and ambition elevate innovation. Such is the inspiring case for 1985 Berkeley High School graduate Kirk Hawkins, who at age 40 is taking off as the ambitious creator of a timely innovation in aviation.

Consumers are demanding smaller, handier and more fuel-efficient cars. Mr. Hawkins, founder of Los Angeles-based ICON Aircraft, is in the process of producing a smaller, handier and more fuel-efficient "light sport aircraft." Orders are already coming in for his ICON A5, which has a base price of $139,000 and an anticipated delivery deadline of 2010, according to the company.

As recently reported by Bo Petersen in this newspaper, the two-seat, amphibious propeller plane with fold-up wings and a 100-horsepower engine can easily be transported on a relatively small trailer. It flies as slowly as 50 mph, as fast as 120 mph, and can land in a field β€” or on water.

Mr. Hawkins, a Clemson and Stanford graduate, who flew F-16s in Iraq as a fighter pilot for the U.S. Air Force, eagerly accepts the high-stakes risks of high-flying ideas. An avid skydiver, snowboarder, water skier and scuba diver, he told our reporter that "he never grew up," which helps explain his continued zest for motorized adventure on air, land and sea.

We wish Mr. Hawkins a soaring success in this bold venture. We also wish that other creative minds would come up with other amazing innovations β€” including new ways to produce and save energy.