Aviation students experience first Velis Electro ground runs

Monday, May 16th marked a successful first day of e-plane ground runs for the Pipistrel Velis Electro. The Velis team consisting of Kyra, Tyler, Gabriel and Dr. Paul Parker performed several ground runs to verify the performance of our brand new electric aircraft. 

As students in the aviation program at the University of Waterloo, it was incredible to contribute towards steps that create a greener future in aviation, and being a part of this opportunity was beyond exciting for all three of us. 

The first day started with a pre-flight walk around of the plane, making sure that everything was in order for the first ground runs. With that new-plane smell wafting through the cabin, we then took turns gathering data as the plane ran from 90% SOC (State of Charge) to 30% SOC, at four different power settings: 20 kW, 25 kW, 30 kW and 35 kW. We made sure to not run below 30% SOC to respect the recommended 30% landing reserve and to protect the batteries’ health. 

Sitting in the seat of an electric aircraft for the first time and starting the prop was such an incredible moment with the strangely quiet hum of the motor. As unfamiliar as it was initially, we quickly became accustomed to it as the ground runs continued throughout the day. 

The second day started with a more varied set of ground runs. This time, we adjusted the power settings to simulate a climb and a descent. The first run was completed at 35 kW, and after bringing the plane to 70% SOC, we increased the power setting to 48 kW to imitate the climb phase for 90 seconds. Then at 50% SOC we reduced the power setting to 15 kW for 3 minutes to simulate a descent. This sequence was repeated over the course of the day with the same four power settings as the previous day. 

After each run, the plane was pushed back into its space near the hangar and plugged in to charge. Each charge-discharge cycle took around 2 hours. 

We ended both days with gauges all in the green and observing expected numbers, which was a great start!  

Going forward, we are excited to start training Elaine Gabber, our WWFC, Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre, instructor on the team, and our CFI, Chief Flight Instructor, Matt Scheben on the Velis Electro, as we continue down this greener path for the future of aviation. This is an amazing opportunity to be a part of a change for a greener future.