environment
Austria’s first electrically operated aircraft is used at the Bad Vöslau airfield (Baden district). According to the manufacturer, the machine causes no CO2 emissions and almost no aircraft noise.
The two-seater machine with the license plate OE-ACW is emission-free, as was emphasized at the presentation on Monday, which was postponed due to the pandemic. The “Velis Electro” from the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel is operated by the Watschinger flight school.
Aspiring pilots practice take-offs and landings with the electric aircraft and complete short sightseeing flights, so-called traffic circuits, explained Managing Director Georg Watschinger. He estimated the possible duration of the flight at around 50 minutes. The machine is fully charged within one and a half hours. The electricity comes from the photovoltaic system on the roof of the hangar in Bad Vöslau. The “Velis Electro” was delivered in October last year and, according to Watschinger, has been in use since January. The reactions from residents and pilots are “very positive”.
Austro Control allowed aircraft
The aircraft was approved by Austro Control as the aviation authority. “We want to support climate-friendly technologies,” said Managing Director Philipp Piber. He was convinced that aviation would find solutions and answers when it came to climate protection. E-mobility is one approach. Ultimately, he expects a “mix” when it comes to a climate-friendly future in aviation, says Piber.
It is “a key goal to make air traffic as environmentally friendly as possible,” emphasized Günther Ofner, CEO of Flughafen Wien AG. In this regard, he spoke of a challenge for the coming decades. Ofner described e-planes as the first step. He sees a long-term perspective for aviation in synthetic fuels.