It's called Velis Electro. And it's not the name of a band you might hear in Garorock. Since mid-November, this two-seater plane has been crisscrossing the skies of Lot-et-Garonne. Its particularity: it makes very little noise, it does not need fuel to rise into the air. Members of the Agenais flying club, via rental from the Cra (Regional Aeronautics Committee), fly this electric device every day (weather permitting…) with enthusiasm and delight.
A rare machine, which few clubs have available. “There are only twenty in all in Europe. This is the only electric aircraft to be certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency,” explains Gilles Bourgade, president of the flying club. “It is manufactured by Pipistrel, a Slovenian glider manufacturer. We are renting it from the company Green Aérolease until the end of this week. »
The Agenais Aeroclub – which has two aircraft and a microlight – would like to extend the pleasure. And get a Velis Electro full time. “We will submit this project to the next board meeting in the coming weeks,” says Gilles Bourgade. With the first deployments of the swallows' wings, the president and instructor Philippe Georges hope to regain control of the electric machine on the Agen track. “We weren't really able to take advantage of it with the persistent fog in winter…” In New Aquitaine, Royan has one full-time on its base. “Albi too. It is also there that we discovered, in August 2023 during a visit, the Velis Electro. »
Like a plane without noise
The plane presents, according to these air enthusiasts, multiple advantages. “The device is completely carbon-free. It is light, there is no vibration and no need for preheating. It has all the advantages of an aircraft without the constraints of a thermal engine,” says the instructor. Another significant strong point: the absence of noise. Enough to give hope to the representatives of the club but also to the leaders of the Smad (Mixed Airfield Union), sometimes confronted with complaints from local residents about the noise of the engines. “This was especially the case when the school (Airways, Paris Flight Training, Editor’s note) was operating at full capacity. The students were practicing. Today, let's not exaggerate, we are not in Orly, nor even in Blagnac! », breathes Gilles Bourgade.
-Despite everything, there remain many points for improvement in the virtuous aircraft. “We can fly for a little less than an hour (compared to five hours with a thermal aircraft, Editor's note), while respecting all regulatory constraints. In particular that of respecting a minimum battery percentage when you land. » In Agen, recharging takes one hour and fifty minutes. “It could be less, but our installation is currently not suitable. »
Velis Electro leaves Agen on Friday January 24. He will reach Angoulême, in Charente, after several hours of flight, and numerous jumps to recharge his batteries.
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