No engine noise… just the sound of the wind.
That’s what you hear at the controls of the first carbon-free aircraft!
From 10 to 14 June, twenty-four students and staff from ISAE-SUPAERO had the opportunity to discover electric flight. Instructors from the Institute’s Flight Operations Centre at Toulouse-Lasbordes aerodrome brought in a Velis Electro belonging to the Albi flying club to raise awareness of carbon-free aviation among students and teacher-researchers. This two-seater aircraft, produced by the Slovenian manufacturer Pipistrel Aircraft, is currently the only 100% electric aircraft certified in the world.
“The aim was to show future engineers what exists and works today, but also to give them a first-hand experience of the operational constraints associated with the aircraft’s current limited range,” explains Stéphane Juaneda, head of the Lasbordes Air Operations Centre.
The operation was a great success. “It’s a good way of putting our engineering training into practice,” says Valentin, a student in his 1ʳᵉ year of the engineering course. “It allows us to see in practice the progress of decarbonised aviation, its limits and what we could add to it for tomorrow.”
Training in the challenges of decarbonisation
The decarbonisation of the aviation sector is a major focus of ISAE-SUPAERO’s training programmes: students are trained in climate issues as part of the core curriculum for Engineering and Masters courses. In terms of research, the Institute has also fully embraced the subject. To date, 35% of the institute’s in-house and collaborative research topics relate to decarbonisation or are linked to the transition of the aerospace sector.
Private pilot training at ISAE-SUPAERO
ISAE-SUPAERO is currently the only institute offering its students (Engineering and Masters courses) the opportunity to learn to fly light aircraft. Every year, 35 students prepare for the Private Pilot’s Licence (PPL) with instructors from the Institute’s Flight Operations Centre, located at the Toulouse-Lasbordes aerodrome. This year, electric aircraft were included in the training.
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