First Australian-built electric aircraft prepare for take off

Company Managing Director Barrie Rogers says his fully electric aeroplane, designed by Pipistrel in Slovenia, was set to take off in the flight training market. His company plans to initially import 15 assembled aircraft with plans to establish an assembly line in Adelaide to manufacture up to 100 aircraft a year. The first of the planes is already in Adelaide and made its maiden South Australian flight in February.

Rogers was previously Airport Manager at Parafield Airport in Adelaide and also at Port Lincoln Airport on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula. Rogers expects his company would be the first electric aircraft manufacturer to be based in Australia.

One of the key drivers was Australia being ahead of the regulation game in terms of flying the electric aircraft, according to Rogers, who claims the planes will be ideal for the more than 250 registered flight schools in Australia. There are an estimated 3,400 training aircraft being used by flight schools in Australia, and about 25% of flight training covers the beginner phase involving circuit training for take-offs and landings with training close to airfields.

“Australia is currently the only country in the world that already certifies electric aircraft for training purposes, so we have an opportunity to be a world leader,” says Rogers. “Electric aircraft are cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, are significantly quieter than conventional aircraft and don’t rely on fossil fuels. And they are ideally suited for short range flight training activities.”

Until now, the electric aircraft industry had been hampered by the heavy weight of the battery needed in each plane but Rogers says that technological advancements have reduced its size “to a point where electric aircraft are now commercially viable in Australia”. The time range for the Pipistrel Alpha Electro is one hour plus a 30-minute reserve. The 6.5m-long aircraft is able to climb 370m per minute and has a cruising speed of 157km/hour.

“Electric aircraft don’t yet have the range of other aircraft,” he says. “But they’re perfect for short flights such as flight training and particularly circuit training, which is a core activity in obtaining a private pilot licence.”

Rogers believes the time was right to introduce the new technology as the average age of a small single engine aeroplane in Australia is 36.4 years, with many nearing the end of their life span.

“We see a clear market opportunity to provide brand new, low-cost aircraft that have zero emissions,” Rogers adds.