From Sunlight to Flight with NEBOair

Written: 19th May 2022

It was a hazy and calm 06.30 climb into my Tesla model 3 while a blue grey cloud hung itself between the horizons, making the sky feel like it finished just an arms reach above the tops of the houses. I drove out of town as the last of the suburban foxes were skipping back along the damp pavement to their earths, before the rush of my neighbours brought the life back into the streets.

If you've met me, you'll know that I get incredibly passionate about anything to do with Electrification, especially when it's cutting edge and has the potential to decarbonise buildings or transport in a meaningful way. I'm a self professed green energy nerd and as the headlines ticked over on the radio, I made my way out to Old Buckenham Airfield to meet up with Kerry Wilmot , Director of Project & Infrastructure at NEBOair Ltd , with a tight knot of trepidation mixed with giddy excitement bubbling in my stomach.

Electric planes, are they a thing yet?

If you had asked me a few years ago when electric flight would become a reality, I would have told you that I had no idea and spent some time discussing the challenges faced by commercial airlines who are shouting about blended sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as the answer the industry's long-term commitment to net zero carbon emissions by 2050. I mean they have already produced fuels that have reduced carbon emissions by 80% so it's not that much of a stretch to assume that this will continue to improve and combined with carbon capture technologies, you could see net zero flight by 2050.

But, net zero flight is here, today and you can buy a certified, fully electric plane today! I thought it was all trials and concepts and workshop tinkering but Pipistrel have quietly been pioneering electric flight and the VELIS Electro is the first and ONLY certified electric plane available for commercial or private use today and there is unlikely to be a competitor until 2025.

At 09.37 I arrived on the former RAF air base to a light patter of rain and there in front of the car was the beautiful Pipistrel VELIS Electro , emblazoned with the aircraft registration letters "G-OEKO".

Kerry, with her indefatigable passion for NEBOair and its mission to decarbonise and democratise flight, met me with an energy that isn't found in the corridors of many businesses. Immediately I knew that this was a company that meant business and she explained in a clear and compelling way that this little plane was going to change everything.

"every single pilot started their training in a 2 (or 4) seater, single propeller plane"

Who is going to Fly this plane?

The qualifications in the UK actually mean that it is very unlikely that you wont start your training in a plane exactly like this. Although logged flight experience varies significantly from one licence level to another you are required to have spent at least 70 hours of flying as a captain in command to gain your Private Pilots Licence (PPL).

Sergey Grachev, Chief Executive Officer at NEBOair explained the categories of planes that you can fly in the UK start with a single seater regulated category. "you can't start in one of these because the instructor is absent and you can't learn all by yourself. So you need two seats for the instructor and a student as a minimum." Some people learn in a four seater but these are quite expensive so the majority of flight schools in the UK own a fleet of 2 seater planes if they specialise in PPL and leisure flight. "[As a result] the majority of pilots in the UK start in a 2 seater aircraft, unless the club they learn with only own 4 seaters." After you have done your PPL licence you can then do multi-engine training followed by jet starts.

The impact that this aeroplane could have will be to train a whole new generation of pilots on zero emissions aircraft, something that Kerry is very passionate about. "we're talking to the CAA about a "green PPL" and with just a few tweaks to the PPL assessment process that will allow us to stop and recharge the plane while learning the operations to and from controlled aerodromes"

What was flying electric like?

In short, it was amazing.

If you have driven an electric car or motorbike you'll know that the immediate noticeable difference between ICE and electric is the noise. With an Aeroplane the contrast is significant! That deafening drone of the engine exhausts and bone shaking vibration is gone.

Deepak Mahajan, Head of Flight Operations at NEBOair gave me a tour of the plane and it's systems and explained that the 2 x 11kWh battery pack (70kg) and motor weighs the same as it's sister planes combustion engine (minus the fuel) but emits no sound other than a pair of liquid cooling pumps while idle. Deepak is a UK CAA Certified Flight Instructor and Ground Examiner, with more than 11,400 flight hours and you can see in his eyes that flying electric is a bug that you can catch. As he sat and conducted his pre flight checks and made us ready for the trip I could hear the birds singing and like an electric car, the simplicity of an electric motor means that there is no need to go through a complicated process to start the engine like its sister ICE planes: Open the throttle, switch on the fuel pump, advance the mixture control to full rich to purge the fuel lines of vapor, retard the mixture control to idle cutoff, then engage the starter... You just flick the power on and open the throttle.

The prop span up to speed and the noise of the air rushing over the cockpit was insignificant. We taxid out to runway 25 and within what felt like a few meters we were up in the air. The ascent was smooth, the plane felt like it was hanging from a thread in mid air and it became obvious that the only reason we needed the headsets was to listen for other air traffic on the radio.

Deepak told me about his long flying career and the impact that going electric has had on his business and the cost of his operations. He explained that everyone wants to reduce their carbon footprint and this plane delivers that with absolutely no compromise. In fact it makes flying more comfortable and accessible for more people. Deepak likes to invite his granddaughter to fly with him and he explained that she wasn't very enthusiastic and spent much of the flights in an ICE plane protecting her ears. In contrast Deepak said that his granddaughter really enjoyed the VELIS Electro and he is clearly excited that the transition to these quieter electric planes means that he will get to spend more time in the air with her in the future.

A quick turn to the south and we decided to call Greg Jackson on speaker phone... Yes, we called someone on speakerphone in the cockpit of a flying plane, testament to the fact that flying electric is about as noisy as driving down the motorway. just have a look

What next?

Celeste Goschen, Creative Director, Marketing and Promotions at NEBOair explains that the biggest challenge is access to chargers, as just like the electric car you need a network of plane chargers to enable hopping between aerodromes.

"The main goal of the business is to decarbonise flight but we're also really passionate about the potential that electric flight has to democratise flying and remove the stigma that flying is only for the rich and people with lots of disposable income".

Passionate about flight the team at NEBOair want flying to be for everyone and the significant cost efficiencies vs the traditional piston plane could help make this a reality.

A plane costs a lot of money, more than a car and access to flight training and plane rental is also expensive. The £170,000 for the VELIS electro is however exactly the same as it's piston powered siter plane, but through shared economy models, access to an electric plane could be cheaper because they cost 1/10 of the fuel costs.

A piston plane will drink about 15ltrs petrol per hour which costs £25-30 in today's economy. But the VELIS Electro uses 14kW per hour at a cost of £2.80. [May 2022]

If you haven't seen it yet here is the FullyCharged.SHOW & Everything Electric Video about NEBO with Deepak himself.

In conclusion, there are a huge number of benefits of zero emissions planes and we should all start thinking about how this technology proves that the transition is truly under way.

1. Reduced carbon footprint: Zero-emission planes do not produce any greenhouse gas emissions, which will help to reduce the carbon footprint of air travel.
2. Improved air quality: Air travel can contribute to poor air quality due to the emissions from planes. By flying zero-emission planes, we can help to improve air quality and reduce the associated negative impacts on human health and the environment.
3. Reduced noise pollution: Zero-emission planes are typically quieter than traditional planes, and at 100 feet you can't hear the Velis Electro at all from the ground.
4. Increased energy efficiency: Zero-emission planes are often more energy efficient than traditional planes, which can help to reduce fuel consumption and save costs in the long run.
5. Positive branding and reputation: Airlines and training schools that invest in zero-emission planes and sustainable practices can improve their brand image and reputation, attracting environmentally-conscious travelers and stakeholders.
6. Lower dependence on fossil fuels: By flying zero-emission planes, we can reduce our dependence on fossil fuels, which are finite resources and can have a negative impact on the environment when extracted and used.