Reykjavik Flight Academy has entered into an agreement for the purchase of three all-electric eFlyer training aircraft. For the first-time, students will be offered instruction on aircraft that run on electricity only. The introduction of the Bye Aerospace eFlyer into the flight school fleet is also an important milestone in decarbonization for Icelandic aviation and marks the beginning of a new and more environmentally-friendly future in flight instruction.
The aircraft in question are manufactured in the United States by Bye Aerospace, Inc. and are of two types. Two are eFlyer 2s, two-seater primary training aircraft, and one is an eFlyer 4, a four-seater advanced training aircraft. In addition, an agreement is under negotiation for the option to purchase two additional eFlyer aircraft, which will be announced in the future.
Until now, the limited flight endurance of electric aircraft has been the main bottleneck in their uptake in the general aviation market. However, with recent advancements, Bye Aerospace has taken a lead in this market by ensuring three hours of flight endurance including reserves. Others in the market are limited to a single hour. Bye Aerospace has received hundreds of orders for their aircraft. Depending upon the aircraft and certification completion, estimated delivery will be two to three years, which the company said is a relatively short time in this new market.
The use of electric aircraft for training is a great advantage. Electric motors can deliver a relatively high-power output, and the eFlyer 2 will deliver 150HP / 110kW, which is about 40-50 percent more than an equivalent class of combustion engine with no density altitude losses.
The biggest difference is replacing fossil fuels with electricity, which results in significant savings in operating costs, estimated to be only about 1/5 of the operation cost of comparable conventional aircraft that use aviation gasoline fuels. The carbon footprint of the new training aircraft will be negligible and the noise impact will be almost undetectable.
As a teaching tool, the eFlyer machines are at the forefront. They are equipped with the best available controls and advanced Garmin navigation equipment, but perhaps the most innovative feature is that the aircraft are equipped with parachutes attached to their fuselage. The covers can be released with one handle and they glide safely to the ground.
Hjörvar Hans Bragason, principal of Reykjavík Flight Academy, said, "Investment in electric aircraft for training is a major step, both in the history of aviation in Iceland in general and as part of environmental initiatives that are currently taking place. With the new aircraft, Reykjavik Flight Academy will be a leader in it‘s field and will proudly be able to offer first-class equipment for training and instruction. Increased safety, lower costs and more environmentally-friendly options will be a guiding principle in our service to the pilots of the future.”
George E. Bye, CEO of Bye Aerospace, said, “We are grateful to our partners at Reykjavik Flight Academy for their leadership in Iceland, and for recognizing the many important benefits of electric aviation. We look forward to many eFlyer deliveries of Reykjavik Flight Academy in the coming years.”
