Wings Up on All-Electric Planes-

Local Airports are on board creating capacity for the future

The four Pipistrel Alpha Trainers on display at Fresno Chandler Executive Airport. Photo: New Vision Aviation

Imagine a time when most airplanes will run off power cells that recharge in the same way electric cars do today. 

All-electric aircraft are already in use here in the Central Valley of California as part of a demonstration project.  

The non-profit group New Vision Aviation facilitated the creation of an eight-county coalition of local governments to apply for a federal grant that has effectively jump-started the concept.

The original idea came to Joseph Oldham, the former Sustainability Manager for the City of Fresno and former Executive Director of a transportation planning non-profit.  His accomplishments include nurturing relationships between businesses and the government to get zero-emission buses into public transit fleets.  

He reached out to the manager of the Fresno Chandler Executive Airport to brainstorm a plan to buy four experimental electric airplanes from a Slovenia company.  The planes are manufactured in Italy.

Joseph did a lot of leg work in preparing the application for a grant to demonstrate advanced transportation technology. 

He believes the planes, along with charging stations at airports within range, will do just that.

After presenting the idea to local governments, writing a grant proposal, and pushing the initiative forward, New Vision Aviation was successful.

The idea boils down to creating a network of chargers at local municipal airports such as Merced Municipal Airport and Castle Airport in Atwater.

The experimental aircraft has a two-hour flying range, so the need for a charging network is critical to the success of the program.

“When we asked local governments in the valley with municipal airports to support our grant application, Merced was among the first to sign on,” Joseph said.

The initial grant application was approved.

One of the four Pipistrel Alpha Trainers at the Fresno Chandler Airport getting recharged.  Photo:  New Vision Aviation.

Four two-seater planes, known as the Pipistrel Alpha Trainer, were purchased and are in use right now.

Joseph has been a pilot for over forty years and has been a passionate advocate for sustainable transportation throughout those years.  He says this concept could create the next era of aviation.

 “With chargers at these municipal airports, the San Joaquin Valley could support the operation of small all-electric aircraft,” he says.

Alongside the track of creating a network of planes and charging stations to support all-electric aircraft, New Vision Aviation is developing a second track: getting high school and college-aged men and women excited about careers in aviation.

Reduced maintenance and lower electric (as opposed to fossil fuel) costs create an opportunity to bring more diversity into aviation.

The New Vision website envisions a mentorship program where pilots become mentors for young people interested in aviation.

Joseph Oldham is the President of New Vision Aviation.  Photo:  New Vision Aviation

“We’ve worked with Boeing on identifying the need to increase interest among younger people in flying,” he says.  “Especially in lower-income areas and among communities of color.” 

All-electric aircraft offers the opportunity to lower the cost of flying when compared to conventional small airplanes. 

Some in the industry estimate an hour of flying time now runs a student about $200.  This is due primarily to the higher cost of fuel.  With an all-electric aircraft, some observers believe that cost could be cut by half or more.

Joseph mentors a young student interested in aviation right now.  That student is learning to operate small aircraft.  

The student, his flight trainer, and Joseph were featured in a recent episode of the PBS series NOVA.  The segment was titled “The All-Electric Airplane Race”.

Joseph Oldham pilots the Pipistrel Alpha Trainer with NOVA correspondent Miles O’Brien in a segment from the “All Electric Airplane Race” broadcast aired earlier this year on PBS.  Photo from the NOVA segment.

Joseph intends to fly one of the Pipistrel Alpha Trainers to Sacramento later this summer. 

He plans stops along the way from Fresno to the Capitol using existing technology to charge the plane’s fuel cells.  That demonstration flight will include a charging stop in Merced County.

“We want to raise awareness of the potential of an all-electric fleet and charging stations throughout California and eventually throughout the nation.”

 New Vision is awaiting F.A.A. approval to start a flight school with the planes. 

Achieving that goal may be out on the time horizon, but the initiative to bring more young people into the world of aviation will continue to move forward.

It may not be too far into the future when a young Merced County teen can connect with a pilot mentor to help learn more about the discipline and rewards from flying as a career.

The relatively brief history of aviation has two revolutions so far. 

The first was powered flight.

The second revolution was jets.  

As Joseph told the PBS documentary reporter, “Electric propulsion is the third revolution.”

This entire effort is about making the most of the third revolution and making it more than just an alternative way to fly.

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The NOVA documentary featuring New Vision Aviation’s electric airplanes is no longer available for viewing on YouTube, but a program transcript is available at:  https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/video/great-electric-airplane-race/

For more information on New Vision Aviation, go to NewVisionAviation.org 

Steve Newvine lives in Merced. 

His book Can-Do Californians is available at BarnesandNoble.com and at Lulu.com