Dutch flight school E-Flight Academy flies entirely electrically on the sun

Pioneer in sustainable aviation
From the very beginning, E-Flight Academy has been a pioneer in sustainable aviation. By using electric aircraft, CO2 emissions and noise pollution are significantly reduced, positively impacting the environment and the community. The addition of solar panels and battery storage further strengthens these sustainability goals, making the entire concept complete.

The technology behind flying on te sun

• 504 solar panels with a capacity of 405 Wp each, totaling 204.1 kWp
• Annual yield of 200,000 kWh
• 10 charging stations landside: Eaton Green Motion Home
• 4 charging stations airside: Eaton Green Motion DC 44
• Battery storage with Eaton X-Storage lithium batteries (NMC technology: Lithium, Nickel, Manganese, Cobalt Oxide), totaling 500 kWh (50x 10 kWh each)
• Involved parties: Maxem Energy Solutions B.V., Eaton Green Motion, NRG2fly, Hedgehog Applications, MNDN Duurzaam

June: record month  for E-Flight Academy
Flying on solar power naturally reaches its peak in the summer months in the Netherlands. June has been a record month for E-Flight Academy in terms of electric flight hours and energy production. In just one month, a remarkable [xxx] hours of electric flight were logged, [xxx] kWh of energy were generated, and [xxx] charges were completed (both aircraft and cars).

"We are extremely proud of this achievement. It has always been our mission to make the skies quieter and cleaner, and with this new development, we can show that it is possible to fly entirely on solar power. We hope to inspire as many other flight schools around the world as possible because this is where electric flying is first applicable today."

Matthijs Collard, founder of E-Flight Academy.

Electric flying today:

• The Pipistrel Velis Electro has been the only certified electric aircraft in the world since 2020.
• This two-seater aircraft can fly for an hour, including a 10-minute reserve.
• The charging time with a regular charger is about the same as the flight time.
• With a fast charger, charging takes about 25 minutes.
• The aircraft has an empty weight of 425 kg and a maximum takeoff weight of 600 kg.
• The two passengers can have a combined weight of up to 175 kg. If the instructor weighs 75 kg, the student pilot can weigh up to 100 kg.
• A typical flight lesson lasts about 45 minutes, which is perfect for electric flying.
• When flying to another airport, a 30-minute reserve must be maintained, reducing the flight time to 30 minutes.
• Pilots trained electrically receive a license that allows them to fly conventional aircraft and eventually become commercial pilots.

About E-Flight Academy
E-Flight Academy is located at Teuge Airport in E-Deck, the hangar of the future, which also serves as a sustainable event location. The academy is the first sustainable flight school in the world and offers a wide range of training opportunities for future recreational and commercial pilots. Among others, KLM Flight Academy and the Ministry of Defense train at E-Flight Academy. The fully electric fleet and the use of solar energy make the flight school unique and leading in the aviation sector worldwide.

For more information
E-Flight Academy
Website: www.eflight.nl
Press contact: merlijn@eflight.nl
Phone: +31615896506

📸 Menno van Luijn

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European Regional Development Fund
The shared facility E-Deck is an innovative ecosystem that facilitates R&D and development within electric aircraft technology and electrification of airport infrastructure and ground-based activities. E-Deck is a physical shared location where knowledge, expertise, and ambition come together around e-aviation. It involves SMEs in collaboration with knowledge and educational institutions. Besides accelerating the transition to electric flying, Teuge Airport also becomes an attractive location for companies active in developing electric transportation modalities. E-Deck is being realized with financial support from the European Regional Development Fund by 31-12-2023. Co-financed as part of the Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.