Follow the Grand River to Brantford: the first destination for Waterloo’s e-plane
Where would you like to go on an e-plane flight?
The imagination can think of many desirable destinations. However, this simple question is not just about the e-plane. It is also about airports and their charging infrastructure.
The Pipistrel Velis Electro comes with a charger designed for the European 400-volt electrical system. This means that a special transformer needs to be installed at any North American airport where the Velis is to charge. (Note: Pipistrel is developing an adapter which will allow the Velis to be charged using CCS chargers, which will remove this hurdle. CCS is one of the most widely used electric vehicle charging standards.)
When we asked nearby flight schools if they would be interested, the Brantford Flight Centre (BFC) enthusiastically volunteered. The transformer and cabling were installed to match those at our Waterloo Wellington Flight Centre (WWFC) home base. Now Brantford can charge the e-plane and be our first destination.
Zach is the University of Waterloo Aviation student with the most hours flying the Velis and he eagerly agreed to be the first to fly to the new charging destination. He checked that GAUW was ready to fly and climbed in.
Congestion on the ground was more than usual so Zach had to wait 20 minutes before taking off and turning south on his 23-minute flight to Brantford. During this 20-minute period, the batteries discharged by only 1%, and the motor and propeller were largely stopped, producing no vibration, no noise, and consuming no energy.
Once at Brantford, Zach joined the downwind leg for runway 23, landed, and taxied over to where his team was ready to charge GAUW up for the next flight. The battery still had 60% of its charge remaining and only took 7.78 kWh to reach full charge again. If you paid 20 cents per kWh, the cost for fuel was $1.56.
General Manager Shawn Broughton, Chief Flight Instructor Katherine Summers and many other BFC staff were also on hand to welcome GAUW as the beginning of a new wave of electric propulsion in general aviation.
The Brantford Flight Centre is keen to welcome electric aviation as part of its strategic focus on meeting the future needs of general aviation. The installation of charging facilities means that Brantford is open, not just to the Velis Electro from Waterloo, but also to other e-planes with similar electrical needs.
The Velis conducted two more research flights, then charged up and flew home with Zach and David on board.
The bonus from connecting Waterloo and Brantford airports is that both are located on the scenic Grand River. The Waterloo Region International Airport, YKF, is located on the eastern bank of the Grand River. As the longest river in southern Ontario, the Grand meanders through cities, towns, forests and farmland. Heading south from YKF you fly over the City of Cambridge, the Village of Glen Morris, cycling trails along the Grand, the Town of Paris and even the occasional canoeist before reaching the Brantford Municipal Airport, YFD. Because the Velis is so quiet, it does not disturb the natural acoustic environment when it passes overhead.
Brantford is our first destination, but more will follow. We hope that a network of airports across southern Ontario will soon install chargers and support the transition to low carbon, electric aviation. It is time to dream bigger.
