WHAT CHOICES EXCITE OUR FUTURE PILOTS?
On December 17, 1903, Orville Wright flew the first successful powered airplane at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina after Wilbur and Orville had spent the previous 4 years researching and developing the plane.
Their flight lasted 12 seconds. And travelled only 180 feet.
It would‘ve been amazing to be a part of their incredible accomplishment, but surprisingly from the history books, apparently there were only four spectators. I wonder if people realised the impact on our lives whether more people would’ve gone to watch them make history?
Aviation is all of my life, and there’s plenty of people older and more experienced than me in the industry. I look at all the inventions and discoveries, and imagine how wonderful it would be to be able to skip through time and see or experience the major aviation milestones.
The Concord with its unique shape and supersonic speed, the SR-71 Blackbird with its amazing Mach-3.4 speed and unique ability to just outfly any enemy aircraft, Military fighters like the F-16 or F-35 Lightning. General aviation like the Cirrus SR series with the evolution of ballistic parachutes for single engine emergencies. Aviation has embraced the glass cockpit and Garmin has become a common phrase for all aviators.
There are so many advancements in technology.
But now we are all to experience the greatest changes in the whole aviation industry – flight without fuel, oil, or traditional ICE engines!
Electric, hydro-electric and eVTOL are an emerging part of our aviation future. Kids now with a passion for flying can become our electric, hydro and eVTOL pilots of the future. Often when talking Aerospace we refer to it as a “space-race” as if it’s the fastest to create a new aircraft wins. The new aircraft being developed now are being very carefully designed and tested. The innovations are amazing and safety is extremely important.
I have personally flown the Pipistrel Alpha Electro electric plane. Usually when I fly other aircraft I have to take numerous cushions and spend ages adjusting seats and seatbelts. The Pipistrel Alpha Electro is a good size for small pilots as the adjustments are quick and easy. I can even reach the rudder pedals! The size of the Pipistrel also makes it nimble and although it doesn’t have an aerobatic rating, flights are just pure FUN! I have flown along the coastline of Perth, close enough to see all the high-rise but also the pretty beaches and vast ocean. Without the traditional engine noise, it is very peaceful. Flying a Pipistrel just puts a huge smile on your face.
The first thing that strikes you as a student is how quick it is to pre-flight. A simple walk-around, battery check and passenger chat and we were taxiing. With no engine run-up required, any flight lesson is off to a quick start. The quiet cockpit allows for some great instructor feedback as this little electric is ideally suited to training.
The Pipistrel Alpha is from Textron Aviation and was originally manufactured in Slovenia and Italy. It is the first ever type-certified electric-powered aircraft approved for pilot training in day VFR. With a short take-off and a powerful 100+ fpm climb capability, it’s a great little plane for 70-90 min training flights. In Australia, we have the certified Alpha and overseas they have Velis, Virus and Sinus. The evolution of electric will lead to greater mission ranges with increased battery performance, larger payloads and extra passenger configurations.
A company that also grabbed my attention was Dovetail Electric Aviation, with their hydrogen-electric powerplant. It provides a very exciting journey for them towards sustainable aviation. The prototype powerplant designed for aircraft with under 20 passengers, represents a fusion of a hydrogen fuel cell and electric propulsion. The system is capable of converting existing aircraft such as Cessna Caravan, Beechcraft King Air and Pilatus PC-12 to emission-free electric power offering a 40% reduction in operating costs. The heart of the powerplant is a hydrogen fuel cell system which generates electricity through a chemical reaction between hydrogen and oxygen emitting only water vapour as a byproduct. Truly emission-free! Dovetail are dedicated to accelerate the transition to sustainable aviation.
CEO and co-founder of Dovetail, David Doral said they are more committed than ever to making sustainable aviation a reality. “Our electric powerplant isn’t just a prototype; it’s a step towards transforming regional air travel into a zero-emission experience. We’re excited about the potential this technology holds, not just for reducing operating costs but for reshaping how the world thinks about flying”.
Our aircraft so far, even back to the Wright Brothers, have been mostly conventional. They have been easy to put into distinct categories – Fixed Wing or Rotary. Drone Pilots are also flying in the airspace but now eVTOL takes it a step further.
Joby Aircraft are expected to be the first eVTOL aircraft that’s delivered to a customer in 2024.
Recently they have been doing certifications to fly electric air taxi services in Australia. The Californian-based manufacturing of the Joby eVTOL has been accelerated with a nearly 900 million dollar investment from Toyota. The electric taxis are intended to provide fast, quiet and sustainable transportation solutions for urban environments.
I’ve rarely taken a car-type taxi but the future sounds very exciting with eVTOL aircraft taking over the taxi services. As a future pilot, I look at my career as conventional in fixed-wing training, but the evolutions are very exciting. I could fly electric, hydro-electric or eVTOL? Why not all three?
I’m very happy dipping oil and checking Avgas when I’m flying a Cessna, but I’m born into the generation where everything in our lives needs charging – so why not the planes too? Not everyone will agree and that’s OK. Kids get excited about new things when some others may take a more cautious approach. When we all sit back and look at how far aviation has come, I think we’ll all agree it’s a pretty amazing industry to be in.
In another 121 years, what will people look back and see?
The Innovators like Pipistrel, Dovetail and Joby will have done the hard work and we’ll all have got to enjoy the new flights. Air taxis and sustainable aviation won’t be new catchwords and pilots will fly an amazing assortment of aircraft.
Aviation is really pretty awesome, and I think I’m curious like Orville and Wilbur to see where aircraft designs and pilots will end up.
“We were lucky enough to grow up in an environment where there was always much encouragement to children to pursue intellectual interests; to investigate whatever aroused curiosity”. – Orville and Wilbur Wright.
I’m glad they include children, and my wish is that more aviation includes children. We are going to be the generation experiencing the greatest aviation change. I wonder what the Wright Brothers would think of aviation now?
