Pilot Shane Fisher has the first private pilot certificate earned in an electric plane.
He performed his check ride in Pipistrel’s battery-powered Velis Electro.
A student pilot has earned a private pilot certificate using an electric plane, for the first time in the U.S.
Shane Fisher flew his check ride in a Pipistrel Velis Electro on March 6 at Right Rudder Aviaton’s flight school at Florida’s Inverness Airport (KINF). The two-seat trainer is the world’s first electric-powered aeroplane to receive a type certificate. It was certificated by EASA in 2020, but in the U.S., it operates under light sport experimental aircraft rules.
“This is a fantastic accomplishment for both Shane and the aviation industry as a whole. This major milestone demonstrates the exciting possibilities and reality of electric aircraft in the training market here in the U.S.,” Right Rudder said in a statement released Friday.
He completed the cross-country requirements for his certificate in a Pipistrel Virus SW–with a similar airframe to the Velis, powered by a Rotax 912 engine. Fisher, of Ultimate Aviation, has since become a Pipistrel dealer, representing the brand in the Philadelphia area.
The achievement serves as a reminder of recent leaps forward in the development of battery-powered electric aircraft. Textron’s $235 million purchase of Pipistrel this year speaks volumes about Textron’s view on the future of electric flight.
About the Aircraft
The Velis Electro is a single-powerplant aircraft aimed at the pilot training market. It has an empty weight (with batteries) of 941 pounds (428 kg). The maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) is 1,320 pounds (600 kg). Payload: 378 pounds (172 kg). Its maximum speed is 98 kcas.
The aeroplane has a maximum endurance of 50 minutes, plus reserve. The maximum recharging time is one to two hours.
Read more on the development of electric aircraft.