The Allplane Podcast #84 - with electric aircraft futurist Morell Westermann
This is not the first time that Morell Westermann visits this podcast.
Those of you that were around in 2020, when we were just taking off, might remember how Morell Westermann and Malik Aziz explained here their record-setting electric flight across the whole length of Germany.
Well, Morell is back at record setting, this time, at aeroFriedrichshafen, in Southern Germany. Europe’s largest general aviation show, will have a special opening act with the arrival of what is intended to be the largest formation of electrically-powered aircraft ever to fly together.
Electric aircraft from all over Europe will gather at an airfield in the canton of Sankt Gallen, Switzerland, and cross the water of Lake Constance to make a coordinated arrival at the show.
This will be a remarkable feat in itself, but I thought that was also a good excuse to invite Morell back to the podcast in order to take the pulse of the electric aviation industry from a pilot’s perspective.
In addition to his work as a technology and innovation consultant and key note speaker, Morell is a keen and experienced aviator and a very active member of the, still small, but growing electric aviation community. We may even call him an evangelist of electric flight!
So, tune in for an overview of a movement that is starting to transform the way people fly!
Download this episode from:
Apple Podcasts / iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts or Stitcher
Things we talk about in this episode:
Morell’s professional background and previous electric aircraft record setting
Morell’s new project to gather as many electric aircraft as possible for aeroFriedrichshafen
The electric aircraft landscape in Europe, which countries and companies are leading
Advantages and challenges of electric flying
What need to happen for electric aircraft adoption to accelerate
The podcast in which Morell Westermann and Malik Aziz recount their record-setting electric flight across Germany
The website of that record-setting flight
Elektra Solar, the second electric aircraft to be certified
Eviation Alice (btw, we expect to have an episode soon dedicated to this very interesting aircraft!)
Btw, the best-selling aircraft in the world is, as Morell correctly pointed out, the Cessna 172, but we when it comes to units sold, we were a bit off, it’s not 5,000, but…45,000!
Previous podcast with H55 founder, André Borschberg
Previous podcast with Pipistrel founder, Ivo Boscarol
Green Aerolease, the French company specilaizing in electric aircraft leasing
The Dutch electric flight school that Morell refers to
How does a Pipistrel electric charger look like?
Podcast Music: Five Armies by Kevin MacLeod
Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3762-five-armies
License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Interview Transcript:
(please note that, although we strive to make it as close as possible to the original recording, the transcript may not be 100% accurate)