The first commercial aircraft flight in an electric airplane took place in Campbell River, B.C. Edwin Clements, 15, a local Air Cadet, was the first paying customer in Sealand Aviation’s Pipistrel Velis Electro. Clements actually won the opportunity to be the first passenger in an essay contest but paid a nominal fee of $20 to make it a business transaction.
Sealand intends to use the Electro as a trainer and is looking forward to the low operating costs. “To go from $80 an hour in leaded fuel to less than $2 an hour in electricity, it’s just perfect for companies like ourselves that do training flights,” flight instructor Ian Lamont said to CHEK News. Clements enjoyed the ride and also took the controls briefly. “It was pretty fun. Considering the weather was a little bit bumpy, but [it was] a really fun ride,” he said. “Pretty quiet. Really cool experience.”