First aircraft 100% electric in Spain

This week saw the arrival of the first aircraft 100% electric to be based in Spain.

The aircraft in question, a Pipistrel Velis, will be used by Aeroclub de Sabadell, based at the airfield of the same name, located some 20km from Barcelona.

The Velis will be primarily used to train future pilots at the Barcelona Flight School.

Flight training is one of the first and most popular uses so far of battery-powered aircraft, since range is still an issue (the Velis can fly for about an hour before having to come down to recharge its batteries). A small step in the process to decarbonize aviation, but one from where it will certainly possible to extract valuable lessons.

This Velis has been leased by Aeroclub Sabadell from Aero Green Lease, a French startup that acquired 50 aircraft from the Slovenian manufacturer in order to lease them to flight schools all over Europe.

To learn more about the Velis, check out the podcast episode I did with Ivo Boscarol, founder of Pipistrel and a true pioneer of electric aviation (Pipistrel was very recently acquired by American aerospace corporation Textron)

And I would also suggest you check this other podcast episode with the German electric flight enthusiasts that crossed Germany in a Pipistrel!