The FAA has granted Textron eAviation’s Pipistrel an exemption from the light sport aircraft (LSA) regulations, allowing the company’s Velis Electro electric-powered airplane to operate under LSA regulations in the U.S. This means that flight training schools and individual pilots can now fly the Velis Electro without restrictions that until now relegated them to experimental airworthiness limitations.
“This is a great day for flight training organizations and aspiring pilots,” said Kriya Shortt, president and CEO of Textron’s eAviation segment. “With this exemption, the cost-barrier to pursuing primary flight training can be substantially reduced. We are thankful to the FAA for its support in bringing more opportunities for electric aviation to the United States.”
Electric power was on the table when the LSA rules were first proposed in 2002, according to the FAA’s comments on the exemption: “The FAA considered electric propulsion as an acceptable alternative to reciprocating engines because it was believed to adhere to the proposal’s intent to require a ‘simple-to-operate design.’” But that notion was quashed due to concerns about the term “single non-turbine engine” describing an LSA’s powerplant. While the originally proposed rules would have allowed electric propulsion for LSAs, the final rule issued in 2004 changed that term to “single reciprocating engine” to exclude rocket and turbine engines—and, in turn, electric motors.
“The FAA believes at the time the rule was created, the philosophy for LSA was small, simple, and safe. Electric propulsion was likely too novel back then for adoption. Practical batteries likely seemed like something only feasible in the distant future,” the agency explained.
As it turned out, the FAA accepted a change to the F37 standards that govern LSA approval in 2015, and this finally included electric propulsion. However, the LSA regulations remain codified and are difficult to change, hence the need for an exemption. There were no comments on eAviation’s petition for exemption.
According to Pipistrel, “The Pipistrel Velis Electro is the first commercially available, type-certified electric aircraft in the world. The aircraft is quiet, producing noise levels of only 60 decibels, low cost, and user-friendly, making it an ideal solution for flight training with zero carbon emissions.”
EASA certified the Velis Electro under its CS-LSA regulations on June 10, 2020, with special conditions attached to its lithium-ion batteries and electric motor.
Fully charged, the Velis Electro can operate for up to 50 minutes, not including reserves. Flight schools have been flying the Velis Electro in Europe since the airplane was certified. Typically, the electric airplane is used for close-in training such as takeoffs, landings, and other maneuvers in the practice area. For cross-country flights, students fly a piston-engine airplane such as the Pipistrel Alpha or Virus.
“The Velis Electro offers a lower-cost and more sustainable learning platform for student pilots to acquire flying skills and go from zero flight experience to eventually flying solo, while giving them early experience on next-generation power systems,” Pipistrel officials said in a written statement.
“The FAA exemption is an important milestone on the journey to sustainable flight. We are proud of our team and what we have achieved towards creating the future for electric and sustainable aviation, globally,” said Pipistrel president and managing director Gabriel Massey. “Taking off for the first time is exhilarating, and even more so in an electric aircraft. We are looking forward to seeing more pilots take to the skies and experience their first flight in the Velis Electro.”
