Pipistrel Brings Greener Option for Flight Schools

Pipistrel is inviting flight schools to learn more about the Velis Electro, its flagship electric aircraft, on display at this year’s EAA Airventure event.

The Pipistrel Velis Electro is designed and manufactured by Pipistrel, a Textron Inc. company. The all-electric aircraft is on track for certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and is already certified by the European Union Aviation and Safety Agency (EASA) and the UK Civil Aviation Authority (UK CAA).

“We are working with the FAA to achieve certification for the Velis Electro and we’re looking forward to bringing an option to flight schools that reduces our industry’s carbon footprint and is significantly more affordable for aspiring pilots than anything else on the market,” says Gabriel Massey, president and managing director at Pipistrel.

“We’re seeing great interest in sustainable solutions for flight schools. The Velis Electro has already achieved a lot of success in Europe. Having the only certified electric aircraft in the world available in the US is a very exciting prospect, especially for such a large GA and flight training market,” adds Massey. “We encourage those at Oshkosh to come and see the Velis Electro for themselves at our booth and in the air.”

The Velis Electro is a two-seat, fixed-wing aircraft that produces noise levels of only 60 dBa and no exhaust gases. Its electric engine design was developed in-house at Pipistrel for more than 12 years.