Skyborne Airline Academy has signed a letter of intent (LOI) for an additional 30 all-electric eFlyer training aircraft from Bye Aerospace.
The agreement brings the school’s total commitment to 40 eFlyers. According to Bye Aerospace, it has received orders for 889 eFlyer 2 and eFlyer 4 aircraft, valued at $570 million, both of which are still in development. The company values its current total order book at over $1.4 billion.
“Skyborne is an internationally respected flight school, and this additional order is another tremendous endorsement of our product,” said Bye Aerospace president Rod Zastrow. “It builds on the excellent momentum we’ve gained in 2023. We are thrilled to kick off 2024 alongside the aviation training leader Skyborne.”
The two-seat eFlyer 2 flew for the first time in April 2018. Powered by the Safran ENGINeUS 100 electric motor, it will be equipped with the Garmin G500 TXi and come with a whole-airframe parachute system. A battery supplier for the production version has not yet been announced. The eFlyer 2 is expected to have a top speed of 135 knots, endurance of three hours, and be capable of carrying a crew with a combined weight of 450 pounds.
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The company says the four-seat version, the eFlyer 4, will offer a top speed of 200 knots, 320 nm single-pilot range, and payload of 860 pounds. Bye is also working on an eight- to 12-seat model to be called the eFlyer 800, which it announced in 2021. The company is aiming to certify its aircraft under Part 23.
“By investing in Bye’s eFlyer aircraft, we will reduce our impact on the environment and support our airline partners with their sustainability goals,” said Skyborne Airline Academy CEO Lee Woodward. “We’re proud to expand our order arrangement and look forward to seeing the eFlyer at Skyborne.”
Skyborne has locations in Vero Beach, Florida (KVRB), and Gloucestershire Airport (EGBJ) in the United Kingdom. Its U.S. fleet includes over 50 Piper Warriors, Arrows, and Seminoles while it flies Diamond DA42s and the Slingsby T67 in the U.K. The school has pilot pathway partnerships with the British Airways’ Speedbird Pilot Academy, Delta Propel Career Path Program, IndiGo Cadet Pilot Program, and SkyWest Professional Pilot Pathway.
