From the Ground Up: KLM, Pipistrel, and the Promise of Electric Flight
Photo by Arnoud Raeven
Now, I've had the pleasure of witnessing countless marvels in transportation throughout my career—some gas-guzzling beasts, others purring electrics. But as a seasoned automotive, aero, and maritime journalist, this recent escapade by KLM and Pipistrel intrigued the socks off me.
Now, those mad geniuses have paired up with KLM at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport, that bustling hub of airborne activity which became the backdrop for this electric escapade. Just a month prior, I had written about Pipistrel's first electrifying event at the Schänis airfield, but to see an electric plane zipping around amidst the big boys at a major airport? That's another level of audacity! The mission? Give guests a taste of the future with the Pipistrel Velis Electro. Or as I like to call it, "The Silent Zoomer."
Photo by Arnoud Raeven
Let's start with what we gearheads love: specs. The Pipistrel Velis Electro isn't your grandpa's prop plane. She's a bird with a battery that'll give you 50 minutes of airborne glee (and an extra 10 if you're feeling cheeky). Just how far can you glide in that time? A nifty 250 to 466 miles (400-750 kilometers for my globally-minded folks). Though I wasn't personally piloting this electric avian marvel, I can imagine the silence is, well, deafening.
Jolanda Stevens, the zero-emission aficionado at KLM, pointed out, this isn't about today. It's about testing, adapting, and paving the way for tomorrow. If various market whizzes are to be believed, by 2035, these little electric birdies might carry up to 100 passengers.
Photo by Arnoud Raeven
Before we get too lost in our electric dreams, though, there's the pesky issue of batteries. You see, going the distance from, say, Amsterdam to New York on electric wings is... well, a flight of fancy. Our current battery tech isn't quite up to the task, so for now, my transatlantic flights will remain a noisy affair.
KLM isn't putting all its eggs (or batteries) in one basket, however. They're dabbling in everything from hydrogen to hybrid propulsion. And the Electric Flying Connection? They're busy connecting every Tom, Dick, and Harry in the electric flight world. Maybe, just maybe, they're onto something.
Photo by Arnoud Raeven
After all, if the Electric Flying Connection and their league of extraordinary electric enthusiasts have anything to say about it, the skies might look and sound a whole lot different soon. These folks are ambitiously connecting dots and drawing up an electric tapestry for the future of flight. I say, more power to them (pun very much intended)!
While I cherish the roar of my motorcycle and the hum of my electric car, the silent glide of the Pipistrel Velis Electro has me intrigued. I may not have personally taken to the skies in this electric darling, but I'll be watching, pen in hand, ready to chronicle the next chapter of flight's electric evolution.
Yours truly,
Captain Electro
