On June 10 2020 the European Union Aviation Safety Authority (EASA) certified the Pipistrel Velis Electro as the first type certified electric plane in the world. Five years later, it is still the only EASA type certified electric plane, but many others are in development and hope to enter the market soon. Over 30 countries have followed the EASA lead and certified the Velis Electro. Canada is currently assessing the Velis to decide whether to join the electric aviation trend.
GMUW is the third Velis Electro in Canada and its serial number, 103, indicates that there are already 100 of these electric planes flying in other countries.
In northern Sweden, the Green Flight Academy provides an excellent example of using the Velis Electro for low carbon pilot training even in cold weather. (The secret is to wear warm clothes as there is no heater installed.) In Switzerland, the Velis was adopted by 10 flight schools, often to reduce noise complaints from neighbours. The Air Force in Denmark acquired two planes for a two-year evaluation program. In the United Kingdom, the Royal Air Force introduced the Velis Electro at its Moray Flying Club for initial pilot training “students can reach their first solo without direct emissions” (RAF 2024). The US Air Force had a team of 20 test pilot volunteers fly the e-plane and provide qualitative evaluations. The wing commander noted that in addition to its quiet flight, the Velis was a lot easier to get in and out of than an F-16.
The dominant position of the Velis Electro in 2025 is illustrated by SkyZero where they track electric flights by airport and plane type. Nine of the top ten electric airports have Velis Electro operations. (The Joby base at Marina Municipal Airport is the exception.) The busiest airport for electric flights is Teuge in the Netherlands where E-Flight Academy operates. Six Velis Electros are flying there and have accumulated over 500 hours of flight time each.
In Canada, the Velis Electro is flying at Waterloo, ON and Campbell River, BC. The Waterloo Institute for Sustainable Aeronautics (WISA) partnered with the Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) to bring the first Velis (GAUW) to Canada in October 2022. Waterloo acquired a second Velis (GMUW) and Sealand Flight brought a Velis (FPIP) to Vancouver Island in January 2024.
These small two-seat electric planes are ideal for low carbon pilot training or local sight-seeing. To date, they have flown over 400 flights in Canada to gain valuable flight experience in a range of weather conditions.
Transport Canada has created a regulatory ‘sandbox’ to help assess the suitability of electrically powered aircraft in a flight training environment. Waterloo Wellington and Sealand are the current flight training units selected to operate Velis Electros under the exemption to standard regulations. Given promising initial evaluations, a proposal (Notice of Proposed Amendment 2025-002: Flight Training) has come forward to establish a regulatory framework for electric flight training by revising the Canadian Aviation Regulation Standard (CARS) 425.
Flight schools that use electrically powered aircraft would be required to develop a Transport Canada approved training program in order to identify the potential risks and describe the mitigation measures they will implement. WWFC and Sealand had to meet the same requirement to receive their current CARS exemptions. The Canadian Aviation Regulation Advisory Committee (CARAC) recently (March 20 – April 24, 2025) consulted with the aviation industry on the proposed amendments to CARS 425 – Flight Training. The feedback will be reviewed to determine whether further changes are required. It is expected that the CARS revisions will proceed within the next few months. A type certification decision for the Velis Electro is also expected in the coming months.
Prior to the expected general approval, Canadians who want to experience the quiet power of electric aviation and to fly with no direct carbon emissions have two options: Waterloo and Sealand. Waterloo offers ‘electric experience’ flights for pilots and others who want to experience the first ‘ev’ of the skies. Sealand offers training from the first flight to solo. Both flight schools have integrated the e-planes into their instructor training programs to build capacity for training the next generation of pilots with skills for new electric technology.
Some of the Canadian journey to collect data and experience for evaluating the Pipistrel Velis Electro has been shared by WISA through a series of blogposts. From arrival, to ground runs, to first flight, to circuit training, to frosty mornings and hot afternoons, to sightseeing along the Grand River to Brantford, to the first electric solo, the electric journey is shared.
Five years of international electric flight experience and over two years of Canadian experience combined with industry input provides a solid basis for the next decisions and steps to expand electric aviation in Canada. Will Canadian certification and broader electric flight training follow soon?