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e Training
race to get the Alpha Electros into service. The aircraft will
likely be available for rent by area pilots, but the priority users
of the aircraft will be veterans and low-income youth
seeking primary flight training.
SpaceX’s electric flight training program
SpaceX, the private space company founded by Elon Musk,
is seeking to provide flight training for its space tourism clients
with Pipiestral’s Electro Alpha. Due to an existing requirement
by NASA, all space travelers launched in the US
must be licensed pilot in the first place. Obviously NASA did
not envision the advent of private space tourism open to
general public back then when the requirement policy was
drafted. No less a disruptive technology innovator than its
peer companies Tesla and SolarCity, which are also founded
by Elon Musk, it is only natural for SpaceX to want its
flight training to be as innovative and environmentally friendly
as Tesla’s electric cars. It is reported that Pipietral is going
to delivery two Electro Alpha trainers to SpaceX’s designated
flight training partners at Oshkosh Airventure in July
2017. It remains to be quite interesting to be seen what the
participation of SpaceX in electric flight will do to the industry.
Do not forget that Elon Musk has explicitly mentioned in
at least a dozen occasions that he might want to design an
electric VTOL supersonic jet if no one else comes up with
such an airplane. Now that’s exciting!
Alpha Electro‘s specially designed propeller can recharge the battery
to extend the flight time. A very useful feature in flight training
when most flights are in takeoff and landing pattern.
France
During the Paris Air Show, a letter of intent was signed between
Mr. Jean-Luc Charron, representing the French
Federation of Aeronautics (FFA), Finesse Max S.a.r.l, represented
by Mr. Christian Stuck, and Ivo Boscarol, the General
Manager of Pipistrel, regarding great future of electric aircraft
in France: for the first time in European history it will
be possible to do the legal training for a private pilot license
– on an electric aircraft. More details about this project is in
the Paris Air Show article of this issue.
Pipistrel Alpha Electro is the first electric airplane in the world
whose flight time is longer than the battery charging time. The battery
compartment is easily accessible for quick change if needed.
23 e Flight Journal