Independence from the grid. This is a vision that few have realized, but is coming much closer to reality. In this case focused on the holy grail of transportation – Aviation. Ok, space geeks dont shoot me – you will have your turn – eventually.  This year the Lindbergh Prize judges chose to focus on a different aspect of electric aircraft propulsion than past Lindbergh Prizes by awarding a Vision Award. The Award focused on innovation with a “vision” for integrated electric power for an aircraft and its supporting infrastructure. In my view, having a complete plan for energy management is the key to widespread adoption of electric propulsion.

PC-Aero is the winner of the Lindbergh Prize for Electric Aircraft Vision Award for their integration of Solar World’s solar technology into their Electra One aircraft and the supporting hanger. Their vision is for the energy from the rooftop solar cells to not only provide power to the aircraft but also the hanger itself and excess energy to feed back to the power grid.

This is quite literally an electrifying time. Visionaries are taking risks. The field is alive with novel approaches and rich in activity and experimentation. With continued intellectual and financial investments, great opportunity exists for technological advancements that could apply well beyond electric aircraft. We are grateful for the incredible ongoing support of Sikorsky Helicopters and  Sergei and Elena Sikorsky. The heritage of  our visionary ancestors continues to serve as a brilliant  inspiration to push for the next giant LEAP in aviation technology – sustainable flight. Ok, maybe that was a little over the top, but I’m just sayin… Cheers, Erik