'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
'Nonsense:' Doug Ford slams lawsuits filed by Ontario school boards against social media platforms
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 mm among weather alerts in effect for 7 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres, air quality advisories and other alerts have been issued for seven Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Gangs netting up to US$3 trillion a year as Southeast Asia human trafficking becomes a global crisis, Interpol says
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
Canada Post’s newest stamp features special cookies for Islamic holiday
Canada Post’s newest specialty stamps feature “melt-in-your-mouth” desserts to mark two Islamic festivals, the crown corporation announced Thursday.
King Charles calls for acts of friendship in first public remarks since Kate's cancer diagnosis
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
A dog and a bird formed an unlikely friendship. Their separation has infuriated followers
Peggy is a stout and muscular Staffordshire bull terrier, and Molly is a magpie, an Australian bird best known for swooping on humans during breeding season, not for befriending dogs. But in an emotional video posted online, Peggy’s owners announced that the animals had been separated.
Statistics Canada reports real GDP up 0.6% in January as Quebec strikes end
Statistics Canada says real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December.