History was made last Saturday when the first-ever coast-to-coast flight by an all-electric aircraft was completed when the Beta CX300 touched down at Santa Monica Airport.
The flight began in Burlington, Vermont – home of Beta Technologies, manufacturer of the CX300 – on February 7 of this year and after 22 days, 20 flights and 2,900 miles, test pilot Chris Caputo flew the last leg of the journey into Santa Monica.
“Our next stop is Edwards Air Force Base, we're going to do some work with the United States Air Force Test Pilot School,” Caputo said.
A large crowd of aircraft enthusiasts and aviation aficionados gathered on the main terminal’s observation deck, late on Saturday afternoon to watch as Caputo made a low and slow pass over the length of the runway before circling around and landing. The noise of the aircraft was non-existent. Beta claims that it only generates 65 decibels, the equivalent of a refrigerator running or the volume of a normal conversation.
“During takeoff it'll be ever so slightly louder than, but not by very much,” Caputo said, adding, “Inside the cockpit, you don't even need the headphones, we just use those to communicate with ATC. But you could take off the headphones inside the cockpit and you can just have a normal conversation, it's really quiet.
“The only noise you're going to hear is the spinning of the propeller. You're not going to hear any engine noise at all. So when we're coming in on approach, the power is literally back at idle and we're gliding in, it's almost silent,” Caputo said.
The object of the exercise was not only to set a record, but to thoroughly test equipment durability, reliability and even support infrastructure across the country. Since charging facilities and compatible equipment weren’t always available at every pre-arranged stop along the way, ground support vehicles had to also make the journey and quite often the pilots and aircraft would have to wait until they caught up. This was pretty much the case with the part of the flight plan that was everything west of Arkansas.
“Here in the US, we are so fortunate to have the infrastructure of these small airports, so we have to preserve them. And noise is obviously always going to be an issue. So I think as we continue to preserve this infrastructure to offer more access to rural areas, whether it's cargo logistics or medical supplies for example, I think it's really going to be key to unlocking electric aviation in the future,” Caputo said.
The Alia CX300 CTOL (conventional takeoff and landing) all-electric aircraft is powered by one five-blad fixed pitch propeller and one H500A electric motor. It has a wing span of 50 feet, a cargo capacity of 200 cubic feet, together with a top speed of 135 knots and a maximum range of 336 nautical miles. A full charge is completed in about 40 minutes.
“Electric aircraft are going to revolutionize the aviation industry,” Caputo said. “We're out there and we're flying this aircraft and once we get it certified and in the hands of our elite customers, including UPS, United Therapeutics, Bristow Group, Air New Zealand, they're the ones that are really going to figure out how to work that into their business models.
“From an operational cost perspective, from a maintenance cost perspective, and the simplicity of the aircraft, it is without a doubt something we have to help change. With the trajectory of climate change, and all other forms of transportation going electric, at Beta Technologies, we are leading the way in aviation on the electric side,” Caputo said.
This impressive aeronautical accomplishment represents just another small step in the continuing evolution of the development of electric aircraft. Sadly, these early models are still too expensive for en masse retail, but as battery efficiency improves with every single aircraft iteration, that cost will only come down.
In October of last year, Eco-Aviation, a Santa Monica nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting all aspects of green aviation, including electric aircraft and sustainable airports, showed off the first FAA-certified electric aircraft, the Pipistrel Velis Electro, which has been contracted to the Proteus Flying School, based at Santa Monica Airport.
