'Major milestone': Harbour Air completes another electric seaplane test flight
B.C. company Harbour Air says it has completed its first point-to-point test flight with its electric seaplane, nicknamed the "e-Beaver."
The modified De Havilland Beaver, which was retrofitted to run entirely on electric power back in 2019, completed the 72.4-kilometre test flight on Wednesday morning, the company said.
The flight from the Fraser River in the Lower Mainland to Patricia Bay on the coast of Vancouver Island took about 24 minutes to complete – with the company calling the test a "major milestone" in the plane's development.
"I am excited to report that this historic flight on the e-plane went exactly as planned," said Kory Paul, vice president of flight operations for Harbour Air, and one of the company's e-plane test pilots.
"Our team as well as the team at magniX and Transport Canada are always closely monitoring the aircraft’s performance and [Wednesday's] flight further proved the safety and reliability of what we have built," he said in a release Thursday.
The plane will stay in Victoria over the next several days, with the e-Beaver scheduled to fly over the BC Aviation Museum on Vancouver Island during an open house at the museum on Saturday.
After that, the plane will be sent back to the Vancouver International Airport where Harbour Air has an "aerospace maintenance facility."
In 2019, Harbour Air made headlines for completing the world's first test flight of an electric-powered commercial aircraft.
Last summer, the company said it was hoping to launch its first all-electric commercial flight with passengers in 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canadian gov't proposes new foreign influence registry as part of wide-spanning new bill
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government is proposing a suite of new measures and law changes aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada, amid extensive scrutiny over past meddling attempts and an ever-evolving threat landscape.
Boeing Starliner capsule's first crewed test flight postponed
The long-awaited first crewed test flight of Boeing's new Starliner space capsule was called off for at least 24 hours over a technical issue that launch teams were unable to resolve in time for the planned Monday night lift-off.
Teacher charged in historical sexual assault of Calgary teenage girl
Calgary police have charged a teacher with the alleged sexual assault of a teenage girl more than 20 years ago.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
Man banned from owning animals after fatal Calgary dog attack
The owner of three Calgary dogs that got loose and mauled a woman to death in 2022 has been ordered to pay a $15,000 fine within one year and banned from owning any animal for 15 years.
East-end Ottawa family dealing with massive rat infestation
Residents in Ottawa’s Elmridge Gardens complex are dealing with a rat infestation that just won’t go away. Now, after doing everything they can to try to fix the issue, they are pleading with the city to step in and help.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Newfoundland and Labrador latest province to tighten rules on Airbnbs
Newfoundland and Labrador is the latest jurisdiction to bring in stricter rules for short-term rentals, with a coming set of regulations that will force operators to register with the provincial government.