Inside Britain’s first fossil fuel-free flight school | Science and technology news

I’m sitting at the end of the runway, just seconds before takeoff clearance, and the rotating propeller of the plane I’m sitting in jerks unexpectedly and comes to a sudden, ominous halt.

The pilot and instructor Adam Twidell sitting next to me senses my nervousness.

“That’s just another thing that’s great about electric aircraft,” he grins. “Unlike a traditional aircraft that sits still and burns fossil fuels, an electric aircraft simply stops and we save energy.”

And with that the propeller begins to whir again and we zoom down the runway and up into the sky over Surrey.

With just two seats, the Pipistrel Velis Electro is an all-electric aircraft designed for pilot training and short jumps.

It is the first zero-emission aircraft certified for normal operations. In fact, the only emissions arise during construction, maintenance, eventual end-of-life disposal and the electricity used for charging.

It feels remarkably quiet on board, it’s quieter because there’s no combustion engine, and there’s less vibration.

Fairoaks Airport in Surrey now has the UK’s first fossil fuel-free flying school.

Student pilot Cameron Taylor is taking the first steps toward enabling his generation to fly in skies completely free of fossil fuels.

He sits inside the Pipistrel Velis Electro, which he teaches to fly, and explains that it is much easier to control than normal aircraft.

“Normal airplanes have a lot more moving parts, a lot more to think about, but on this airplane there are only four switches that control the main instruments,” he says.

4AIR, a provider of sustainability solutions for aviation, advises the aviation industry on becoming more environmentally friendly and is behind the flight school together with partner Synergy Flight Training.

4AIR’s Kennedy Ricci believes new environmentally conscious pilots will demand faster travel to “Jet Zero.”

“As the younger generation learns to fly this aircraft, their desire for more electric and larger aircraft will only increase,” he says.

Charging the plane takes just 45 minutes and running a full battery only costs a few pounds, again attractive to students who pay for their own lessons. 4AIR compensates for the energy used.

Electric planes could one day make good short-haul commuter aircraft, and more than a dozen UK airports currently have charging stations.

It is unlikely that battery-powered aircraft will ever carry us across the Atlantic.

Sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) are being developed, but SAF is expensive and so far we are only producing a very small amount of the quantity needed.

Airlines are also investing in more fuel-efficient operational improvements to aircraft, such as optimizing flight routes and reducing weight.

Research is also underway on long-term solutions such as hydrogen-powered aircraft.

Back in the air, I keep an eye on the battery level monitor.

Adam assures me that he doesn’t suffer from “range anxiety” and that we still have an hour of flight left in the battery, but he always lands at least 15 minutes before time is up.

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He lets me take control for a few minutes, my clammy hands gently moving the steering column. As we fly over Surrey, we see Thorpe Park from one window and even Heathrow and its gas-guzzling jets from the other.

Once safely on the ground, I catch up with Cameron again.

“It’s really refreshing to know that I’m contributing to an environmentally friendly future,” he says. “I’m helping to prove that we can do this. Many people don’t realize how far technology has advanced.”