Electric Aircraft Symposium Will Explore New Technologies

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The Aero Friedrichshafen aviation show coming up in Germany April 2-5 will feature an E-Flight Expo showcasing aircraft with electric motors and other alternative propulsion systems, but if you can’t make it there, another opportunity is coming up soon on this side of the pond to catch up with all the latest advances. The 2009 Electric Aircraft Symposium, hosted by the CAFE Foundation, is set for Friday, April 24, in San Carlos, Calif., near San Francisco. A new hydrogen-fuel-cell-powered two-seat aircraft from Germany is expected to be on exhibit. Top innovators who are developing new ways to make lithium batteries that can hold more energy and charge faster will be in attendance. Another topic on the agenda is the development of GA airplanes that can fly themselves. The conference will explore “the latest technologies … toward a green mobility solution to our climate, energy and transportation needs,” Brien Seeley, president of the CAFE Foundation, told AVweb. Seeley also expects to introduce the NASA Aviation Green Prize, a CAFE flight competition to produce two-seat aircraft capable of 100+ mpg for emission-free commuting at 100+ mph, to be determined by a 200-mile race.

The symposium will be held at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, 11 miles south of San Francisco International Airport, and is open to all, for a registration fee of $249. Discounts are available for students. Attendees include visionaries, leaders of key industries, university professors, venture capitalists and aerospace grad students who will find plenty of opportunity to network and participate in Q & A sessions with the speakers. Click here to access the full program and to register online. For an in-depth report from last year’s symposium, by Kitplanes editor Marc Cook, click here.

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