AFI KLM E:
22 June 2019:The French civil aviation authority, DGAC, and the French Aviation Federation (FFA) has organised a daily demonstration flight of the Pipistrel Alpha Electro, an all-electric, two-seater, single-engine light aircraft during the Paris International Air Show at Le Bourget.
The FFA took over Alpha Electro from Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel to evaluate its operation in real-life conditions in a flying club. Till the FFA took over the aircraft had only flown in an experimental, private capacity. The FFA coordinated a long and complex pioneering process which resulted in the DGAC and EASA issuing a flight permit in the framework of a community association training process. The FFA Fab'Lab' received the delivery of the Alpha Electro in early 2019 at Toussus-le-Noble airport in Greater Paris.
AFI KLM E&M has been involved in the FFA project very closely. The company is not only providing financial support to FFA but also are giving their mechanics' and technicians' expertise at the disposal of the FFA's Fab'Lab' to contribute to the evaluation of this new aircraft type.
"Commercial aviation started with light aviation, this will also be the case with electric aviation", said Olivier Seyller, Air France captain and head of the airline's cadet training programme. "The aircraft is powerful, has an hour of autonomy and is very simple and convenient to operate. It could very well become an alternative to traditional combustion-powered aircraft, for instance as part of training operations for our cadet pilots. "
"It is a small-scale laboratory for the future of aviation," said James Kornberg, Director Engineering and Maintenance Innovation AFI KLM E&M. "We are naturally interested in the potential of electric propulsion and in all the new questions it raises in terms of certification, operability, and, of course, maintenance. Our experts contribute their support to the FFA and in return, we benefit from a unique observation post for the behavior of an electric aircraft in real operating conditions. That can only teach us a lot about only-just emerging technologies, but ones that have a tremendous potential for the coming decades."
"We are delighted to be able to count on a major player like AIR FRANCE and its Engineering & Maintenance Division to support us in our innovative program,e," said FFA President Jean-Luc Charron. "For many years, the FFA has worked on the concept of the flying club of the future to prepare optimally for the energy and societal transition of light sport aviation. The deployment of the Alpha Electro is a unique opportunity to construct a new framework for the piloting and maintenance of electric aircraft and to build up a precious fund of feedback. But this is only a first stage for our Fab'Lab' at Toussus-le-Noble: ultimately, we aim to place a whole fleet of electric aircraft at the disposal of pilots in our flying clubs so that we can continue to explore this genuine technological leap forward."
