Electric Aircraft Differences Training

The UK CAA permits the Pipistrel Virus 128 Velis Electro to be flown on either a SEP (Land) Class Rating, SSEA (Land) Class Rating, or LAPL(A) with SEP (Land) Privileges.

In all cases, completion of electric aircraft differences training is required, with completion of the differences training endorsed in the pilot’s logbook.

The CAA recommendation is that pilots should complete the Pipistrel Online Training Programme, and then sufficient flight training with an appropriately qualified flight or class rating instructor.

Airbourne Aviation’s electric aircraft ground school comprises a mix of pre-study material, together with extensive pre-flight briefing and post-flight de-briefing, all taken from the Pipistrel Online Training Programme. Flight training is provided by our in-house “electric qualified” flight and class rating instructors. We also have a flight examiner available if any skill test or proficiency check is required.

Differences training will require a minimum of three flights, with more not uncommon, depending upon the background experience of the pilot. Owing to the extent of ground briefing involved, each training flight is likely to involve half a day at the airfield.

Dual training flights are currently charged at £225 per flight to include all associated ground school.

Simple air experience flights, excluding the ground school, are also available, charged at £185 per flight. These flights cannot normally be credited towards any differences training requirement.

For qualified pilots who have completed their differences training, solo hire is available at £160 per flight. Solo hire also requires membership of both Airbourne Aviation and Popham Airfield’s Spitfire Flying Club.

For pilots wishing to complete their “one hour flight training with an instructor” as part of their licence revalidation requirements, we offer a standalone one hour training package at £250. This is very similar to the first session of a differences training course, but will include a short second flight to ensure that a minimum of one hour with an instructor has been completed. Normally the whole package should be completed on the same day.

If, after completing our standalone one hour training package, a pilot subsequently decides to complete a full differences training course, we will normally be able to credit the first flight of the differences training as having already been completed.

(Please note that the combined weight of both occupants in the Velis Electro cannot exceed 172 kg or 380 lbs).