Elektra Trainer D-MESO was slated to make a 5.200 kilometer (3,231 mile) flight arranged with Oulu University of Applied Sciences (OAMK), “In order to demonstrate the capabilities of especially designed aircraft for pure electric flying.”
North Circuit provided challenges in planning and logistics
“The special challenge for e-aircraft is the abAs withsence and/or often non functioning of charging infrastructure.
Therefore D-MESO will carry all necessary cables, adapters and a mobile wallbox 11kW on board to connect it to the standard CEE-3-phase plugs, which are mostly available in hangars or at lighting masts of aerodromes.”
So part of the challenge of the flight was. to adhere as closely as possible to the planned schedule while navigating through several countries’ airspace and managing sometimes uncooperative weather.
As Raphael Giesecke reported on his LinkedIn page, “The #North–#Circuit Tour has proceeded like planned. Really? Let’s see.
Dodging Lightning
“After roughly 1600 km (994.2 miles), pilot Uwe (Uwe N.) landed right in front of a Thundercloud. And immediately plugged it, started charging. Well, that didn’t go as planned. A lightning strike hit so hard that the airfield and two nearby villages lost electric power for more than an hour.
Note that the following video features the Elektra Trainer’s voyage in the first two minutes, and the remainder is worth viewing to review other electric aviation happenings.
“When electricity was restored, it became clear that one of the two chargers had faulty messages. Just wing it and fly on? Not our style! Uwe called Elektra Solar GmbH and they acted. Both (safety first) chargers were replaced within 30 hours! Thanks a lot to Elektra Solar’s support team in Bavaria!”
(Giesecke is the founder of AirtaXYZ™, an aeronautical consulting firm, “All about electric aviation, with a focus on passenger airplanes and eVTOLs.”)
As with Beta Technology’s Arctic tour, Uwe’s trek was a delivery flight. “Oulu University of Applied Sciences (Oamk) announced on March 18, 2026, its acquisition of the Elektra Trainer, a state-of-the-art, fully electric aircraft developed by German aerospace innovator Elektra Solar GmbH.”
Sea Crossings
The Elektra Trainer, other than dodging lightning bolts, managed three sea crossings and the claimed first ever electric aircraft passage above the Arctic Circle. Shared by Raphael Giesecke, the sea crossings proved the Trainer’s mettle.
- First Baltic Sea Crossing: From Barth airfield (EDBH, Germany) to Eslöv airfield (ESME, Sweden), covering 215 km (133.6 miles).
- Kvarken Sea Crossing (Gulf of Bothnia): From Umeå (ESNU, Sweden) to Vaasa (EFVA, Finland), covering 123 km (76.4 miles) along the historic 1918 flight path.
- Gulf of Finland Crossing: From Redstone Airfield in Pyhtää (EFPR, Finland) to Tartu (EETU, Estonia), covering 270 km (167.8. miles).
These accomplishments, let alone being able to maintain a scheduled set of stops despite a 30-hour delay After the lightning
Aviation history was made at Tartu Airport on Wednesday when the Elektra Trainer, a fully certified electric airplane, landed after a flight from Helsinki. ERR News
strike at Oulu, show the piloting skills of Nortmann, and the capabilities of alien Gologan’s airplane.
This flight, and that of Beta’s CX300, demonstrate the capabilities of these certified aircraft, and the ability of modern batteries to hold under stringent conditions.
For a full review of the flight, srr Uwe Nortmann’s account of the journey, including challenging h weather and sometimes less than adequate accomodations for the airplane, see this link.