Twente Airport is hosting an E-Flight Academy pop-up event from 6 September to 18 September, which will allow pilots to trial flying an electric plane.
During the event, pilots will be able to take lessons in the fully electric Pipistrel Velis Electro in order to obtain their E-rating.
Twente Airport is able to host E-Flight Academy’s electric flying lessons due to its quiet airspace, long runway and existing infrastructure, which includes an electric mobile charging station.
The ongoing development of electric flight involves extensive training and testing programmes, and Twente believes that airports should be prepared to accommodate electric planes in order to facilitate such progress.
Indeed, as the rollout of electric planes continues, Twente Airport hopes to play a key role in making aviation more sustainable in the Netherlands and beyond, with the ultimate goal of becoming a climate neutral industry by 2050.
To prepare for this future, E-Flight Academy uses the Pipistrel Velis Electro to train pilots in electric flight. This two-seater aircraft is currently the only certified electric aircraft in the world that can be flown.
In addition to the CO2 savings, the aircraft is also considerably quieter than conventional training aircraft.
