Picture courtesy of Pipistrel, ©Jean-Marie Urlacher

When Ivo Boscarol was flight-testing his gliders, at night and in secret, away from the prying eyes of the Yugoslav authorities of the time, little did he imagine that, some thirty years later he would be at leading a major technological revolution in aviation.

Slovenian aircraft maker Pipistrel takes it name from those bat-shaped nocturnal gliders (“pipistrello” means “bat” in Italian), but it successively transformed itself into a a manufacturer of light aircraft and, in the last decade, it has become one of the leading players in the field of electric aviation.

When a bunch of Swiss and German entrepreneurs set several records flying all-electric between the Alps and the North Sea last September, it was at the helm of a Pipistrel aircraft. A Pipistrel Velis to be more exact, the first all-electric aircraft to received its type certification, last summer.

But the Velis is but one of the many different initiatives that Boscarol has currently in his hands: Pipistrel is also leading the MAHEPA programme in the field of hydrogen propulsion, it is also developing unmanned and VTOL aircraft, starting work on a 19-seater aircraft concept and readying a massive project in China for the production of electric aircraft.

To speak with Ivo Boscarol is to tap into a stream of energy and passion for aviation…and he’s got good reasons to feel this way, next year Pipistrel expects to produce twice the number of planes it has delivered this year..and to keep this level of growth for several years thereafter!

Listen to today’s episode of the podcast to get a glimpse of the past, present and future of electric aviation as well as the fascinating story of the family-owned company that has helped shape this segment of the industry from its early start.

Download this episode from:

Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher

Things we talk about in this episode:

Ivo’s story - how Pipistrel got started and why it’s got this name
Pipistrel’s range of products
Pipistrel’s big China project
Pipistrel’s growth and expansion plans
How to get a job at Pipistrel
The future of electric aviation
How to facilitate the transition to electric flight by adapting the infrastructure