Despite much fanfare and promises of Parisian skies filled with visions of electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (eVTOL) machines carrying passengers to Olympics events across the City of Light, Volocopter may be left in the dark. A Double Blow eVTOL Insights reported a double blow to Volocopter’s plans late last year. “On Friday (November 17th), news broke that Volocopter’s plans to begin a 15 minute air taxi flight in the Marina Bay area of Singapore, early next year, alongside the hiring of key staff, has been put on hold – indefinitely – as the German company cannot secure local partners to share the large funding required for such an enterprise.” As though though that were not enough, On November 19th, Volocopter’s future “jewel in its crown” flights over Paris during the Olympic Games, next July and August, were sharply downgraded. Local politics seem to blame. eVTOL Insights reports, “The French Capital’s councillors have reacted to the idea with a …
Smartflyerchallenge – Europe’s First Fly-In for Electric Powered Aircraft
Air meets have been an important part of aviation history, bringing pilots, planes nad the public together in a symbiotic gathering. This was true in aviation’s genesis; things gaining a tremendous impetus with air meets throughout Europe and America following Wilbur Wright’s 1908 public demonstrations near Le Mans, France. René Maier, ex-Colonel of the Swiss Army and current President of the newly formed organization team for an annual event organized at the Grenchen Regional Airport, has announced the SmartFlyer Challenge, touted as the first fly-in for electric aircraft. The event, to be held September 9 and 10, 2017, will make Grenchen “the center of electric flight,” according to the organizers. Static and air displays of electric and hybrid-electric powered aircraft will help drive that message home. Organizers advertise at least four aircraft scheduled to appear, including an electrified Votec 221 being prepared by a group of university students at Innocampus Biel at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Hangar 55’s Hamilton …