EAA Seeks FAA OK For Electric Powerplants

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The days of flying in quiet, emissions-free aircraft are closer now, following EAA’s announcement that it has filed a request to the FAA for regulatory exemptions that would allow the use of electric motors in ultralight and light-sport aircraft. “This is only a first step,” said engineer and EAA member Craig Willan, who made the announcement last week at the CAFE Foundation 2008 Electric Aircraft Symposium, in San Francisco. “I’m participating on an EAA task force charged with further facilitating progress in the use of electric energy to power aircraft,” Willan said. “The EAA community is committed to this direction. More announcements are coming.”

EAA’s petition to the FAA proposes specifications for battery-pack weight limits on ultralight aircraft and the development of electric-motor ASTM standards for light-sport aircraft. “We have the responsibility to be part of the solution,” Willan said. “We in the EAA family have the intellect, the drive, and the passion to do something that can change the world. We have the ability — now we must take the responsibility.” The petition can be viewed online, click here.

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