The world of aviation is also taking its first steps towards the environment. The world’s first certified electric airplane flew over a village near Friborg, Switzerland, according to a statement from the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). This is the two-seater Velis Electro, a light aircraft designed and manufactured by Pipistrel, a Slovenian company founded in 1989. The certification was obtained thanks to a collaboration between FOCA and the European Union Agency for Air Safety ( EASA).
And as Leila Bakkers writes, in an article that appeared on the pages of the “Corriere del Ticino” on March 16, 2021, the first European certified electric aircraft landed in Agno (Lugano) and will be used for pilot training. The new technological frontier of electric propulsion will allow flights with “zero impact” in terms of energy. A goal, says the journalist, which can be completed with the installation of a photovoltaic system. Moreover, the turning point is also accompanied by a great relaunch of the desire to learn to fly, perhaps linked to the need for escape that is characterizing this long period of pandemic.
With its two batteries, one placed in the nose and another on the back, once full, the new aircraft is capable for over 50 minutes, to which are added about 30 reserve, that is to say that autonomy that it is suitable to cover the typical use of a flight school. Times that allow you to fly over an area that includes Ticino and Northern Italy.
The most striking feature of the Velis Electro is the very low noise level. In practice, the only audible sound when the aircraft is on is due to the movement of the propeller. In flight, then, not even that can be heard. Hence, it is a very suitable aircraft for training flights in urban areas. Speaking of costs, however, the amount is comparable to that of a luxury car, but not higher than those of any motor aircraft of the same size, which has higher maintenance costs, starting from the power supply.