A little about me
Hi everyone, my name is Selina and I recently finished the Science and Aviation program at the University of Waterloo. My first intro flight that made me determined to become a pilot was flying over the Upper Kananaskis Lake in Alberta. As a Skyhawk flying over the vibrant lake, lush green trees, and majestic mountains, I wanted to combine sustainability and aviation to preserve these views. Through my aviation program and WISA, I can now pursue both areas of interest.
Pre-flight
As an e-plane research assistant working on the Pipistrel Velis Electro project, I would ensure that a proper walkaround was conducted before each flight. In contrast to a piston aircraft, the electric plane contains two batteries: one located at the front of the aircraft and the other behind the seats. At the beginning of each flight, I would have to make sure the batteries were charged and the coolant pump (which cools our batteries) was filled with fluid with no large air bubbles. This left us with no mess to deal with (like draining 100L from the fuel tank on piston aircraft or leaving engine oil stains). Just as simple as that, we were ready to take flight!
Flying differences between electric planes and piston aircraft
The design behind the Velis maximizes energy efficiency. Runup is less than three seconds! At full throttle, the battery must deliver more than 50kW of power for takeoff. If I was holding short of the runway, fifth in line for takeoff, I would barely use any energy. (When the throttle is idle, the motor stops and only the avionics use power.)
When I first started flying circuits in the Velis, I noticed it had a greater gliding ratio when compared to all the other piston aircraft that I have flown at the Flight Centre. Many times, I was high on approach. As the wingtip reached the threshold of the runway on downwind, I would idle the throttle and let it glide from late downwind to wheels down.
The flaperons are another different feature from what we are used to. Both the flaps and the ailerons are incorporated into one control surface. To prepare for landing, flap 2 is used to slow down to 60kias. This increased drag will bring you down to a perfect flare on landing. Overall, it is a simple ultra-light plane to fly.
If you see us flying, make sure to slow down. We usually cruise at 80kias (20kW-25kW). Even though we are slow, our power output during takeoff is powerful. At full power of 64kW, our RPM is around 2300. The operating handbook limits the usage of 64kW to 90 seconds to make sure we do not overheat the battery system. You could say that we are the flying Tesla in the sky!
The electric plane is not fond of the cold. You might notice that during the winter, the Velis is left in the hangar. If the battery is below zero degrees, the plane will not start. On top of that, we do not have heat inside the cockpit. If you do decide to fly, make sure to dress warmly! Air vents must remain open to prevent the windshield from fogging up.
The Velis is extremely quiet when it comes to taxiing on the apron. Unlike the piston aircraft where we can hear the gas guzzling and the engine running, the only sound from the e-plane comes from the friction of the propeller against the air. Keep in mind it doesn’t take much power to get the Velis moving. Even the sound from the fuel truck can mask the sound of the electric plane!
Charging
As research assistants, we have been conducting ground runs at a high-power setting before taxiing the plane back to the apron to charge. We found that at higher-power settings, the battery is warmer, which decreases the charging time. Before this, we were charging the plane for two to six hours in November temperatures. By comparison, the Velis would normally complete a full charge in one hour during summer operations.
Reflection: Why I chose the song “Chase the Sun” by Danny Avila
The orange hue of the sky and the euphoric sound of the music gives the feeling of hope. The lyrics “I’m flying away, running like the wind, as I chase the sun” best describe the Velis Electro. With no external lights on the aircraft (like landing or anti-collision lights), it is only allowed to fly during the day. Hence, we are “chasing the sun.” As we wrap up the day by tying down the aircraft and uploading data collected on the data stick, we are one step closer to a more sustainable future in aviation. This opportunity is truly a rewarding experience.
Note: kias = knots indicated air speed