Electric aircraft: Adelaide-based aviation company scores manufacturing deal

An Adelaide-based company is set to become Australia’s first manufacturer of electric aircraft.

Pipistrel Alpha Electros which will be imported by an Adelaide company, in the hope of eventually manufacturing them. Picture: Pipistrel

An Adelaide-based aviation company is set to become Australia’s first manufacturer of electric aircraft with a view to building up to 100 a year for use in flight training.

Eyre to There Aviation has signed a deal with the European-based company Pipistrel, which produces a range of electric aircraft.

Managing director Barrie Rogers said initially Eyre to There would import 15 assembled aircraft from Pipistrel in Slovenia for demonstration and training opportunities.

From there, the plan was to scope opportunities to set up an assembly line in Adelaide, he said.

“Australia is currently the only country in the world that already certifies electric aircraft for training purposes, so we have an opportunity to be a world leader,” Mr Rogers said.

“Electric aircraft are cheaper to buy, cheaper to run, are significantly quieter than conventional aircraft and don’t rely on fossil fuels.”

Mr Rogers said the one thing that had hindered the development of electric aircraft — the weight of the battery — was now being ­addressed, to the point where the planes were commercially viable.

“Electric aircraft don’t have the range of other aircraft but they’re perfect for short flights, such as flight training and particularly circuit training, which is a core activity in obtaining a ­private pilot licence,” Mr Rogers said.

“Roughly 25 per cent of flight training covers the beginner phase which involves circuit training for takeoffs and landings, as well as training in close proximity to an airfield.”

The type of Pipistrel Eyre to There planned to import and eventually manufacture was the Alpha Electro — a two-seat electric trainer with an endurance of one hour plus a 30-minute reserve.

They do not come cheap, at about $112,000 each, but running costs are estimated to be about $26.70 an hour, including battery replacement, maintenance and overhaul costs.