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After much anticipation, Sealand Flight’s all-electric Velis Electro aircraft has arrived in Campbell River, B.C.
Aiming to lay the groundwork of sustainable aviation in Canada, the airplane embarked on a three-month-long journey, from production in Slovenia to its new home on Vancouver Island.
Received on Sunday, Feb. 18, 2024, Sealand leaders, pilots and maintenance engineers shared the monumental experience of unboxing and assembling their zero emissions aircraft for the first time. Out of the container and into one piece, the aircraft was assembled in under 60 minutes.
The remainder of the day was spent exploring and marveling at the newest addition to Sealand’s fleet.
“The collective excitement of Sealand’s staff, customers, and supporters is immense. We are ecstatic that the capability for zero-emissions flight is now in our hangar,” said Mike Andrews of Sealand Flight. “At the same time, we are continuing to press forward to meet our innovative objectives with the airplane. We’re working closely with national and regional representatives of Transport Canada, preparing our Velis Electro to fly, and subsequently initiating their nation-wide trial program—evaluating the viability of electric aircraft in flight training.”
Completion of several key steps is now the focus for Sealand, as they prepare for the inaugural flight of the electric training aircraft. These requirements include finalizing the company’s aircraft charging infrastructure in Campbell River, a Canadian importation process, and the issuance of a Flight Authority for the airplane to be legally cleared to fly.
In March, Sealand will welcome technicians from Pipistrel, the aircraft manufacturer, to host a week-long maintenance training course. Several industry partners, including Transport Canada will be attending.
This is a unique opportunity for Canadian members to learn more about the integration of electric aircraft into the existing framework of aviation, and to be positioned as global leaders while aviation technology advances.
A public First Flight event is still under development for Sealand Flight. At the time of publishing, a precise timeline to when the electric airplane will be cleared for flight is not known, but Sealand staff are eager to see it airborne within the month of March.
This press release was prepared and distributed by Sealand Flight.
