Though the dawn of electric aircraft rises in the east, we still rely upon piston-powered aircraft to form the backbone of the general aviation fleet. They serve as our primary trainers, recreational weekend flyers, and personal cross-country transport machines as they have since the Continental-powered Piper J3 Cub gained certification in 1938.
But as a sign of evolving times, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) aircraft shipment reports now collect electric aircraft under the single-engine piston heading. And in 2022, GAMA recorded a total of 1,366 singles delivered—piston and electric, with 17 of those the Pipistrel Velis Electro, under European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval as it awaits FAA validation. That’s better than last year’s 1,261 and 2020’s 1,164. Just 158 twins left the hangar in 2022—but that’s up from 148 in 2021 and even with the 157 delivered in 2020.
