New and unique in the Netherlands and Germany: a flying lesson in a fully electric aircraft! Step into the sustainable future of aviation and discover how great it is to fly electric.
Sustainable
Aviation is not sitting still when it comes to sustainability. Kerosene and gasoline will eventually be replaced by alternatives such as electricity and hydrogen. There is still a long way to go before these techniques can be applied in large aircraft, but you can already feel what it is like to fly an electric aircraft yourself!
Pipistrel Velis Electro
You will be flying a Pipistrel Velis Electro, an aircraft approved in the Light Sport Aircraft category (CS-LSA). The Pipistrel is an all-electric aircraft. With a full battery of 22 kWh you can fly for about 50 minutes. Of course, we keep a margin and therefore all flying lessons are a bit shorter. In Aachen, the lessons last 30 minutes. Even though electric flying is new to the general public, Pipistrel has more than 12 years of experience with electric flying and has thus built a platform where safety is guaranteed.
Your first flying lesson
You are going to make a full-fledged first flying lesson. This means that your flying hours will also count if you were to go on later for your PPL or LAPL license. If you just want to experience it and leave it at one lesson then that's totally great too. Also you do not need any experience to follow this flying lesson. It is also very nice to give and receive as a gift.
Locations
Your flying lesson will be flown from the airport Aachen-Merzbrück. For a flight from Aachen you cross the German border from Kerkrade (South Limburg). You will find the Aachen-Merzbrück airport north-east of the city. Aachen is also a cozy little airport with a nice restaurant, where you can see all kinds of flying activities throughout the day. In Aachen there are also Dutch speaking instructors. English and German is of course no problem.
Theory
Each flying lesson begins with a "briefing". If it is your first flying lesson the instructor will tell you about the basics of flying. How does an airplane stay in the air? How do the pedals work? What are all the buttons and gauges for? Of course you can also ask all your questions. If you bring someone along to watch you take to the air, he or she can of course also attend the introduction. Then you both know what you will experience in the air. You do not have to pay extra for this.
The instructor also takes you through the program that you will fly together. So you know exactly what to expect during the flight. Do you want to fly in a certain direction? Then this is also the moment to discuss this with your instructor. The maps on this page give you an indication of how far you can fly.
Practice
After the theory you go with the instructor to the plane. First you check together if the plane is ready for departure. Then you drive to the runway, this is called taxiing. Through the headphones you can hear the instructor and the control tower. The instructor asks permission from the control tower to take off. And then the time has come! In the air you can fly the plane yourself. You get to fly everything yourself except the last part of the landing. Of course the instructor helps you with everything. He will take over if you want to look outside. Or if you want to make photos or a video.
Total time
The flight time is 30 minutes in Aachen. With the theory you're soon about 1.5 to 2 hours busy at the location. Take your time when you come to fly. You're going to have a great time at the airport and in the high-tech hangar.