ELECTRIC AVIATION • FLIGHT TRAINING
ELECTRIC TRAINING
Simplicity is everything...
Electric flight training promises to slash the carbon footprint of conventional flight training. (But there are limits). Words: Yves Le Marquand
No fuel pump needed: It takes 1 hour 20 minutes to charge the electric battery.
ELECTRIC AVIATION
ELECTRIC TRAINING
Simplicity is everything...
Electric flight training promises to slash the carbon footprint of conventional flight training. (But there are limits). Words: Yves Le Marquand
FLIGHT TRAINING
No fuel pump needed: It takes 1 hour 20 minutes to charge the electric battery.
A FEW simple pre-flight checks followed by the flicking of four switches and the world’s first type certified electric aircraft is ready to deliver power. Taxi to the runway and sit in silence as you wait to take-off, there is no need to run the propellor if you’re not using it. Simplicity is everything.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro offers a window into an electric training future where those learning to fly can get to grips with flying first before delving into the complexities. It was a window through which I looked courtesy of Flexjet’s Adam Twidell who took me up in a Velis leased by 4AIR over the skies of Surrey, UK in March.
The joystick control felt intuitive and responsive – like flying an aircraft on a games console. It’s a reality that belies not only the aircraft’s weight (or lack of), but also the efficiency of Pipistrel’s mechanical flight control system. As an introduction to flying and as an example for what the future could hold, the Velis Electro ticks a lot of boxes. It is also helping pilots learn to fly more sustainably today.
From commercial airline captain to pleasure flyer, every pilot starts their training in a single-propellor, two-seater light aircraft. Now, electric training aircraft are beginning to cut the carbon bill arising from that flight training.
Using the most common and conventional Cessna 150 trainer – 75g of carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted for every flight hour. Each student creates 5.25t of CO2 during the completion of their private pilot’s licence (PPL) if they finish the course in the minimum 45 hours required by the UK CAA. (The FAA requires only 40 hours).
There are about 47,000 pilots in the UK flying this class of aircraft and they emit 45,000t of CO2 annually and spend £35.6m per year in aviation fuel. Flight schools account for 7-10% of these emissions on average.
Since Pipistrel’s Velis Electro achieved type certification in May 2020, flight schools across the globe are starting to use it to cut these emissions. The Slovenian aircraft maker, now a subsidiary of Textron eAviation, delivered its 100th all-electric aircraft last year. Developed over the course of 12 years, the Velis is also validated in more than 30 countries worldwide for pilot training and experience flights.
Stick time goes electric
Flick four switches, complete basic pre-flight checks and wait (in silence) for your turn to take off in Pipestrel’s Velis Electro training aircraft. The joystick control (pictured bottom centre) feels intuitive and responsive – almost like flying an aircraft on a games console.
“What sets Pipistrel's technology apart is our holistic approach to electric propulsion,” Gabriel Massey, president and MD at Pipistrel tells us. “The Velis Electro is powered by our in-house, type-certified electric engine, the E-811, which produces 57.6 kW from a 345 VDC electric system. Our dual battery system and liquid-cooled powertrain ensure safe, reliable and all-weather operations, with a lifespan that matches or exceeds conventional aircraft.”
Aside from reductions in emissions and operating costs, the Velis Electro is a simple aircraft to fly. Ready to taxi after pressing four switches, the aircraft enables new students to concentrate on the physics of flying rather than the many associated pre-flight tasks required before taking off in a conventional training aircraft.
“There is nothing like waiting to take off and the propellor stopping at the end of the runway because you don’t need to run it when you’re not using it,” Kennedy Ricci, president of 4AIR, which leases a Velis Electro from NEBOair, tells us. “You spend about 20 minutes pre-flight just running tests on the engine. In the electric aircraft you turn the switch and it's ready to deliver power.”
A commercial-rated general aviation pilot, Ricci adds: “I think in the training environment, that's where it’s really interesting because you can focus on the flying elements, less so on the engine management specifically.”
4AIR, a subsidiary of Directional Aviation, leased a Pipistrel Velis Electro as part of its wider sustainability programmes and placed it with Synergy Flight School at Fairoaks Airport, southwest of London, UK. The aim has been two-fold: to allow Synergy's student pilots to complete two thirds of their PPL on a zero emissions aircraft and to fly as many people as possible on their first electric flight.
Twidell, head, Future of Flight at Flexjet, a fellow subsidiary of Directional Aviation, has flown the Velis Electro stationed at Fairoaks over 50 times. “What the Pipistrel lacks in flight endurance, it certainly makes up for with its ease of operation,” he says. “In fact, what we have learnt is that when teaching a new student to fly, being able to remove the complexities of a combustion engine has been hugely beneficial to their learning curve. Flying with a motor instead of a traditional engine is night and day easier for new pilots.”
According to SaxonAir’s flight instructor and deputy head of Rotary Charter Sales and Operations Miles Riches, the simplicity is the big winner. “No matter which aircraft you get in, they're all the same because it's the first generation. If you've flown 20 hours in one Cessna 152 and then fly another one in another school, they're the same aircraft, but they can be really different. When you've got a bit of experience, it doesn't really matter. But as a new student, it's a big part of it.”
Carbon saver: The Pipistrel Velis Electro’s electric E-811 engine can significantly cut the carbon emissions and operating costs of learning to fly.
Carbon saver: The Pipistrel Velis Electro’s electric E-811 engine can significantly cut the carbon emissions and operating costs of learning to fly.
“...when teaching a new student, being able to remove the complexities of a combustion engine has been hugely beneficial to their learning curve.”
Adam Twidell, head, Future of Flight, Flexjet
Great potential, despite limitations
Battery life limitations are the main reason why electric aircraft are not suitable for most missions. The Velis Electro can fly for about 50 minutes depending on the weather conditions, which doesn’t cover the hour of flying time required on average for PPL lessons. But Wilmot points out that as pre-flight checks are less intensive than a conventional fossil fuel aircraft this recoups some time.
Also, between sorties, the aircraft can be charged whilst the instructor debriefs the student and prepares the next student for the flight. The flight school profits due to the low operating costs (of about £7/$10 electricity cost per hour at the time of writing) and low maintenance costs.
Battery development remains a cornerstone of Pipistrel’s strategy, says company president Massey. “We are committed to developing and releasing incremental upgrades to the existing technology. This will enable our customers to benefit from future advancements in battery technology and aircraft systems.”
SaxonAir’s Riches says there are always going to be “teething issues” with a new aircraft, but they aren’t massive. As electric vehicle drivers will know, winter impacts charge time and battery life significantly. “When it gets cold, they take a long time to charge,” explains Riches. “On a mild day you can go from 30% charge to 100% within an hour. In the winter we had a flight in the morning, put it on charge and at about three o'clock in the afternoon it was just about ready to go.”
Alex Durand, SaxonAir CEO, added: “We knew there would be early challenges with the Velis, it’s quietly revolutionary and leading a step change from an aviation infrastructure in the UK that dates back to World War II. Pipistrel is looking to the future, so using composite for the airframe is also relatively rare for a light aircraft, and again that’s meant the supply chain isn’t as robust as we’d ideally like as yet.
“However, to put this in perspective we’re used to dealing with AOG [aircraft on ground] issues across all our operations and in this context it’s no different. What is different is the user experience. For us to be able to offer the Velis as part of ab initio training right now with lower operating costs and zero emissions is quite extraordinary.”
4AIR’s Ricci also believes the Velis Electro is a great first step to electrifying flight training. “We have a ways to go before you fully replace training aircraft, but the Velis Electro is going to have a big impact on the training market because it can address about 75 to 80% of somebody's initial PPL,” he says. “So, having this generation and then generations of aircraft that will come on from this, I think you see an opportunity where flight training is going to become more accessible. It's going to be simpler. It's going to be less expensive.”
Royal Air Force (RAF) captain Steve Bolton agrees. NEBOair deployed two aircraft to RAF Cranwell for a three-phase study called the Pathfinder Project back in 2022, during which the team conducted studies to assess electric propulsion flight. “The Velis Electro is undoubtedly a groundbreaking civil aircraft, which signposts the potential for meaningful changes in future light aircraft operations,” Bolton said at the time.
Currently, there is no electric module in the UK flight training syllabus, but that will be updated soon thanks to work undertaken by SaxonAir Flight Training, and flight instructor Riches, in partnership with Pooleys Flight Equipment.
Battery balance benefits
The Velis Electro’s fuselage houses one battery pack in the nose and one behind the cabin. Designed to ensure redundancy, if one battery fails, it is automatically disconnected from the system. The remaining battery can power the completion of the flight.
Established in 1957, Pooleys provides essential equipment for pilots, flight schools and aviation enthusiasts, including books, manuals and software for pilot training in the UK and Europe.
“Our work with Pooleys and the CAA is still in the initial stages, but what we’re essentially trying to do is amend or re-write the PPL training syllabus to focus on flying electric aircraft,” says Riches. “The current syllabus, although always evolving, has been around for quite a few years now and is all geared around flying piston engine Cessna 152s and Piper PA28s, as these have been the choice aircraft for nearly all flight schools.”
Whilst the main bulk of the current syllabus is still applicable and important to flying electric aircraft (such as principles of flight, air law, navigation, etc), some parts need adjusting to fit electric aviation. The key changes mainly concern flight planning and performance (focusing on a limited aircraft range, point of no return, etc), aircraft general knowledge and operational procedures, such as charging.
“It’s still important for students to learn about the piston specific parts, as currently we can’t teach the whole PPL ‘electrically’ due to range limitations, and chances are, once getting their PPLs, these students will go on to fly more traditional aircraft until those powered by alternative means are more mainstream,” explains Riches. For example, the Velis Electro’s range falls far short of the distance needed to complete cross country training and test flights.
“...the Velis Electro is going to have a big impact on the training market because it can address 75 to 80% of somebody's initial PPL.”
Kennedy Ricci, 4AIR
“...the Velis Electro is going to have a big impact on the training market because it can address 75 to 80% of somebody's initial PPL.”
Kennedy Ricci, 4AIR
NEBOair – Electric answers to training needs
UK-based NEBOair has a fleet of nine Velis Electro’s and four Pipistrel Virus’ – the Velis’ fossil fuel powered equivalent. (Combining the two is the cleanest route to pilot training today). The company leases its fleet to flight schools around the UK, including Synergy Flight School just southwest of London and SaxonAir Training in Norwich. All that is required is a 32 amp three phase supply to charge the Velis.
Kerry Wilmot, director at NEBOair tells us: “As JetZero comes increasingly closer, it is imperative we don’t just look at the larger projects but also address the CO2 which is produced from pilot training, after all, those we train today will be flying these sustainable aircraft of tomorrow, so if we can do that as emission free as possible it brings the journey full circle.”
The Velis Electro has been designed and built for training pilots of the future, with zero emissions in flight and low noise versus fossil fuel powered counterparts. This makes it well suited to airfields where there is a noise abatement. It also can be used for all take-off and landing sequences and local flying sorties once the student has approximately 50 minutes of learning, says Wilmot.
Combining the Velis Electro with the Pipistrel Explorer or Virus exposes the student to features such as variable pitch propellers, glass cockpits and air brakes, along with safety equipment such as the parachute. “Over 50% of students will go to commercial airlines. This training regime leaves them better prepared to move onto commercial training.”
ELECTRIC AVIATION WINS NEW FRIENDS
Away from the pilot training mission, the Pipistrel Velis Electro is also a fantastic way to introduce people to electric flight, according to Flexjet’s Twidell.
It turns out it also persuades reporters to write articles about it too. Flying in one of these aircraft was the inspiration behind this piece after visiting Synergy Flight School by invitation of Twidell and 4AIR back in March 2025. The aircraft at Fairoaks has also flown the local Member of Parliament, senior CAA officials, local residents, military and civilian pilots and aspiring young aviators on their first electric fight.
“Without exception, everyone has loved the electric flying experience,” Twidell tells us. “Just like the transition to electric vehicles there will be doubters in the midst wanting to rule out any aircraft that looks, sounds or feels different to the status-quo they are used to. However, just being able to showcase this first generation of electric aircraft has proved that the dawn of sustainable flying is upon us.
“It's early days in this new advanced air mobility sector and the first batch of aircraft will have their limits. But companies like 4AIR are there to spearhead a brighter and cleaner future in aviation.”
Back to the aircraft makers for the final say. Pipistrel’s Massey says owners consistently highlight two key benefits of the Velis Electro: technological innovation and cost-efficiency.
“They appreciate the zero-emission, low-noise profile of the aircraft, which allows flight training to be conducted closer to urban areas without disturbing local communities. Additionally, they praise the aircraft’s instant power delivery and simplified user interface. The type-certified electric engine responds immediately and the intuitive cockpit layout makes the aircraft very user-friendly for student pilots.”
