e-flight-Journal_4-2022

eFlight Forum
The following presentation was by Günther Spitzer of the
DULV,the German Ultralight Pilot’s Association. He explained
how the organization, which is under supervision of the German
authorities, is doing the homologation of ultralight aircraft
(up to 600 Kilograms MToW), including electric aircraft. Their
system is similar to the EASA certification, but the complexity
of the rules is lower and the certification is faster and much
cheaper than an EASA certification. As the German “UL-Type
certificate” is highly recognized in the world, this is often used
for a first development. For example, this also helped for the
eVTOL pioneer Volocopter for flying the VC-200 around the
world. But Spitzer explained that this case also created some
conflicts. Initially Volocopter, when they started the UL-certification
as eVTOL, intended to bring out a UL-product, but during
their path to the market they decided that in future, they
will not build any ultralights but only SCVTOL commercial aircraft
with EASA.
“But the DULV is a pilot’s organization,” explained Spitzer,
“we are only certifying machines which can be flown by our
members later- who are paying the bills of the organization.
We have neither budgets nor capacity to develop certification
rules and then later do a certification for commercial companies
who only use the UL-certification as a cheap shortcut and
are not intending bringing out products for our members - we
only certify ‘Leisure Aircraft.’”Later in the discussion he further
explained that this does not mean that the DULV will never
certify an ultralight eVTOL at all, but it must be a product for
the UL-class intended – for example, the Blackfly from the U.S.
company Opener or the eMagicOne,as Opener is intending to
start the sales of the Backfly as an ultralight in the next year.
The next presentation of the ultralight side of e-flights was followed
by a presentation from Norway, where the industry is
expecting the first business case for electric flying, also on the
commercial side.
Eric Lithun, CEO of the company Elfly,presented for his company,
which has not only built an electric race plane which already
is airborne, but is also developing a nine-seat electric
commuter plane. The unique sales point of this plane is that
it is an amphibious-plane. After this he explained why Norway
is the ideal place to start electric business flying and why with
an electric seaplane it is the ideal solution:
1st: Norway has 98% renewable electric energy, so here e-
Flight really is green.
2nd: Norway is a large country with a small population (only
5.3 million inhabitants) and 80% of the Norwegians live near
water.
3rd: Norway has no good, fast traveling road or train network,
especially in the northern countryside. So short-haul commuter
aircraft flights are already in use as a way of government
supported public transport now. There are more than 50 million
airtrips per year (10 per head of the population).
4th: it has 2650 Kilometers of coastline and 450,000 lakes.
5th: the major industries (shipbuilding, fishery, oil & gas, and
salmon farming) are located close to the coast.
6th: Norway has the highest percentage of electric cars in the
world;also the ferryboats in the fjords are all electrified.
So ElFlys approach is not only replacing the existing fleet of
turboprop aircraft for the many short trips from the airports
along the coast by electric aircraft, but in addition can also
land and take the passengers directly from the harbors in the
city centers. They then fly them either to the next harbor or to
the airport. Another advantage is the mountainous countryside:
emergency landing fields are very sparse, so amphibious
planes have another advantage here.
The following panel discussion was very interesting, as also
participants of the other sessions of this day participated. If
you want to know more, click here.
Calin Gologan, CEO of Elektra Solar,
presented the Electric Ultralight
Trainer which is coming to the market
in Germany in 2023 as a 600 Kg Mtow
twin seat aircraft. The aircraft will be
presented at the e-Flight-Expo @ AERO
Friedrichshafen/Germany and can be
ordered and delivered right now. The
aircraft will be also certified for glider
towing.
4 / 2022
e Flight Journal
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