Harbour Air’s Electric Havilland Beaver Seaplane Finishes Point-To-Point Flight

The retrofitted electric Havilland Beaver seaplane successfully completes a test flight in Canada

Harbour Air completed their first point-to-point test flight with the electric Havilland Beaver seaplane while flying 45 miles from the mainland of Canada to Vancouver Island. The Canadian’s seaplane airline used the magniX 760 horsepower electric motor on a retrofitted DHC-2 De Havilland Beaver

With “ample reserve power,” the electric Havilland Beaver seaplane flew from a terminal on the Fraser River close to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) and made a successful landing in Pat Bay which is close to Victoria International Airport (YYJ). According to Harbour Air, the trip took 24 minutes and covered a distance of 45 miles. The journey serves as the first direct, point-to-point test flight for the electric seaplane.

“I am excited to report that this historic flight on the ePlane went exactly as planned,” said Harbour Air test pilot and VP of flight operations, Kory Paul. “Our team as well as the team at magniX and Transport Canada are always closely monitoring the aircraft’s performance and today’s flight further proved the safety and reliability of what we have built.”

Electric Havilland Beaver
Harbour Air

With the completion of the point-to-point test flight, Harbour Air comes one step closer to receiving both FAA and Transport Canada certification and approval, paving the way for other commercial all-electric aircrafts. Management expects that by the summer of 2024, commercial passenger flights will be possible thanks to their all-electric ambitions.

Before returning to Harbour Air‘s testing center in Vancouver, the electric Havilland Beaver seaplane will stay in Victoria to promote the airline’s collaboration with the BC Aviation Museum. At the end of 2022, the company plans to ground test a new aircraft, and the first flight is scheduled for the second quarter of 2023.

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