e-flight-Journal01-2017

e Training
SOLAR EQUIPMENT FOR E-Airfields
Specifically, this project will look like this: First of all, a fleet
of Alpha Electro airplanes will be distributed across this alpine
republic among 10 flying schools under the leadership
of «Ecoflight» in Mollis. In addition, each of these e-flight bases
will receive a charging station with a solar system for the
ecological generation of electricity. This would allow the stations
to recharge the e-airplanes at the airfields.
All FOCO-registered flight schools in Switzerland are invited
to participate in this project. The corresponding applications
have to be submitted by the end of April. The cost for the aircraft,
charging stations and solar power add up to around
200,000 Swiss francs, but a leasing model is also possible
on a per hour basis, in particular for the solar system. In principle,
flight school partners should operate their e-airplane
for at least 300 hours per year. The corresponding monthly
reports will be collected and evaluated by the project initiator
AlpinAirPlanes GmbH, since the project also aims to improve
and further develop the technology.
Beginning in Summer 2017
The project will start in summer 2017 and will run until
September 30, 2018. The delivery of the e-aircraft will be with
a frequency of one airplane per month. Therefore, the last
flight school partner will not receive their aircraft until spring
2018. They are, of course, not obligated until September
2018 to reach the planned 300 hours of use. Rather, the project
tends to bring all ten aircraft together to 2500 flight hours.
The maintenance and upgrades of the fleet are organized
and implemented by AlpinAirPlanes in collaboration with
local certified CAMOs. In this first phase, AlpinAirPlanes will
incur the maintenance costs. A replacement aircraft, which
is based at the base of AlpinAirPlanes, will ensure the permanent
availability of ten aircraft from spring 2018 onwards.
The AlpinAirPlanes will also draw up a curriculum for the
flight schools. The necessary permits in Switzerland have
already been obtained.
Fresno, California
Subsidized by local funds from Fresno County, a fleet of four
Pipistrel Alpha Electro trainers will be made available for primary
training in California’s Central Valley late this year, program
organizers hope. Fresno County will be installing chargers
for the aircraft at four local airports: Mendota, Reedley,
Fresno Chandler and a fourth airport is to be determined.
The Alpha Electro has an 85-knot cruising speed making
round-trip, cross-country flights a stretch. Joseph Oldham,
Sustainability Manager for the City of Fresno, said that the
fourth airport will ideally be just over 50 NM, permitting the
Alphas to make one-way flights meeting private pilot crosscountry
training requirements, recharge in about 45 minutes
and return home. The fallback plan is for students to
do cross-country training in the piston-powered version of
the Alpha.
Fresno county hopes to have the new aircraft on hand and
high-voltage chargers installed at the four chosen airports
by the fall of this year. The FAA has not yet released a paradigm
for approving electric propulsion airplanes, either in
certified aircraft or in light sports, as Pipistrel plans for the
Alpha Electro. Oldham is working with the FAA about approval
of electric LSAs, the last major hurdle in Fresno’s
Pipistrel Alpha‘s
electric
identity is
distinctive,
indicating the
company‘s
faith in the
technology.
All four of the
current training
programs
chose Alpha
as the trainer.
e Flight Journal
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