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My First Electric Flight

Does the Pipistrel Velis Electro have a place in flight training right now?

The Pipistrel Velis Electro takes on a charge between flights. That can last from 60 minutes to two hours depending on the outlet and charging unit used. [Photo: Julie Boatman]
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Key Takeaways:

  • The Pipistrel Velis Electro offers a unique electric flight experience, requiring active power management akin to glider flying to maximize flight endurance.
  • It shows significant potential as an economical and sustainable primary flight trainer, particularly for pre-solo lessons, due to its docile handling characteristics.
  • Current limitations include a short range and a 1-2 hour battery recharge time between flights, making it less ideal for cross-country training or high-volume flight school operations.
  • Despite existing challenges, the Velis Electro is considered an important intermediate step in the progress toward more sustainable and zero-emission aviation training.
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“We can just pull the power to off while we finish getting ready.”

It took me a second to register what Andy Chan of Right Rudder Aviation meant as we completed steps in the before takeoff checklist. For a number of reasons—the electric motor doesn’t need to “warm up,” and we want to preserve every bit of battery juice for the flight ahead—it makes sense to “throttle back” to zero once we’d checked the battery status and a few other items.

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