In recent years, the province has emerged as a hub for electric aviation, with local companies such as Sealand Flight and Harbour Air leading the adoption of these technologies.
BIV spoke with both companies about the current state of electric aviation in the province.
The first electric ‘commercial’ flight in Canada
Sealand Flight is Canada’s first flight school implementing a fully electric airplane into their operations—a Slovenian-made two-seater Pipistrel Velis Electro.
Established in 2014 and based out of Campbell River, the school provides lessons and programs geared toward private and commercial pilot licences.
In 2023, the school was selected by Transport Canada to participate in a trial program that evaluated the effectiveness of electric planes for training purposes.
The school purchased the plane, with partial funding from the province’s Clean Vehicle program, on February 18 of this year, and subsequently carried out Canada’s first commercial electric flight with a student on June 14.
Students flying the Velis Electro are able to complete almost half of their training in the plane before being moved to an internal combustion aircraft, something Sealand Flight spokesperson Mike Andrews says is partly due to its range.
“Its sole use is to train the fundamentals of flight to new pilots,” he says. “It doesn’t yet have the range and capabilities to be a major cross country machine or anything like that.… Until we have the charging infrastructure to take those trips.”
Although its weight capacity and range are limited, its primary advantage lies in its ease of operation in comparison to a conventional aircraft, something crucial for student training.
“It’s really unique. In fact, I would say it’s simpler,” Andrews says. “When it comes to [conventional] airplanes, there’s a little bit more engine management. You have fuel and carburetor controls, … and all these things. There’s a little bit more going on in the cockpit, and especially for new pilots, it can be a little bit overwhelming.”
“In the electric airplane, there’s one digital instrument that shows you where the battery levels are, what power setting the motors are in, and there’s one power lever to control it.”
Aerodynamically, the plane handles just like a traditional airplane, but the major difference is understanding how the systems work together in the electric aircraft. This is why the school also offers transition training to licensed pilots who want to gain experience in this new environment.
The electric aviation industry is still in its early stages, and like with electric cars, industry leaders say it will take a few years to develop and establish the infrastructure necessary to support it.
One important aspect to consider for the pace of development is the heavy regulation of the aviation industry. Further leaps forward are expected in the next decade or so, Andrews says.
The prospect of a future greener aviation industry is an encouraging one, with Sealand Flight choosing to partake in this trial program not only to lower emissions, but also to change the framework allowing more commercial aircraft to take off.
“It’s tangible, it’s here, it’s possible,” says Andrews. “To start training the next generation of pilots on the next generation of aircraft. We’re not set up yet to make a major shift, but that’s where we want to be headed.”
So why is the province emerging as a hub for electric aviation? Andrews says this can be partly attributed to the provincial government’s investment and adoption of green technologies and infrastructure.
“There’s the B.C. government, which is highly supportive of this; we have provincial funding, as well as support from BC Hydro, who have given us an electrical engineer to help us engineer charging infrastructure at other airports as well.”
Another group supporting greener aviation initiatives is the Canadian Advances Air Mobility, a Vancouver-based consortium that groups innovators in the industry and acts as a catalyst for the advancement of sustainable flight.
The world’s first airline flying an electric aircraft
Another leader in the electric aviation realm is Harbour Air, North America’s largest commercial seaplane airline with over 40 planes in their fleet, serving 500,000 passengers a year across 12 destinations in British Columbia.
Harbour Air was also the first in the world to fly a prototype electric aircraft: A retrofitted DHC-2 de Havilland Beaver known as the eBeaver.
The plane first took flight in 2019, and is powered by a 750-horsepower all-electric motor from magniX USA Inc., an electric aircraft engine manufacturer based in Everett, Wash.
This new engine adds 300 horsepower to the base model’s 450 horsepower.
Committed to building the world’s first all-electric commercial airline, Harbour Air signed a letter of intent with magniX for the supply of 50 magni650 engines in early 2024.
All the work on the electric water plane was performed at the Harbour Air Aerospace Services main hangar in Richmond, with conversion work planned to be made at the same location in the future.
This further solidifies the region’s reputation as an innovation leader, with plans to mass produce and commercialize the plane currently underway, according to communications co-ordinator David Evans, speaking on behalf of the eBeaver team via email.
“Absolutely, we want to share this technology with any and all owners and operators who are interested,” he said. “We have already signed letters of intent with multiple customers, and will continue to convert and sell the aircraft as long as there is demand.”
Plans to convert bigger planes in the future like the Twin Otter are also in the works, but Evans says the fleet will have to “decarbonize one aircraft type at a time.”
While not all aircraft might be able to be fully electric, the company is looking at decarbonizing as much as technology will allow, creating technologies that can be scaled up into larger aircraft. Benefits of an electric engine include greater efficiency, less noise pollution and a significantly reduced carbon footprint compared to a fuel-powered engine.
In a standard seaplane piston engine, 80 per cent of the fuel turns into rejected heat, but for an electric motor only about seven to 12 per cent is lost.
There is also a considerable improvement in the performance of the eBeaver due to a reduction in drag, allowing for faster takeoffs, a greater climb gradient and a reduction in power required to maintain level flight, according to Evans.
However, the fundamental disadvantage of the airplane is the loss of range and endurance. Although most of the company’s destinations fall within these parameters, fully electric flight is not yet viable for longer flights, including trips to Seattle. Technology to support these routes is expected to be available in the early 2030s.
Another challenge is charging and short turnarounds, something Harbour Air plans on solving by improving their infrastructure.
“We are looking at installing 150kW chargers,” says Evans. “Those will allow for a recharge time of approximately 30 minutes, which is close to our turnaround time.”
According to Harbour Air specifications, the eBeaver’s standard range with six passengers and a total payload of 552 kilograms is 82 kilometres, with an endurance of 60 minutes and a cruising speed of 233 kilometres per hour.
In its extended range configuration of four passengers and a maximum payload of 425 kilograms, the plane could travel as far as 130 kilometres for 75 minutes. Cruising speeds would remain the same.
Harbour Air is currently working on obtaining full certification with the relevant government agencies by 2027 as part of its next electrification phase, with the ultimate goal of reducing its carbon footprint and helping develop technologies that can be scaled for use in larger aircraft, added Evans.
“The goal is to have a fleet operating on sustainable aviation technologies in whatever format that presents,” he says. “For the smaller aircraft that could be fully electric, for the larger aircraft that could be hybrid or hydrogen technologies.”
“All technological advancements have to start somewhere, and the best way to get this technology into market is to install it on the smaller, known aircraft platforms,” he added.
While the prospect of electrifying widebody planes seems distant, the company said it hopes to chart a path towards decarbonizing the industry alongside players like Sealand Flight, further establishing the region as one of the world’s hubs for electric aviation.
