This Day in History: 2021-06-19

An attempt to set an endurance record for electric-powered flight in a standard production aircraft commenced on Saturday 19 June 2021. Pipistrel Alpha Electro aircraft 23-0938 departed from Parafield airport, South Australia, at 7:00am. The record attempt was organised by the Adelaide company Eyre to There Aviation (ETA) with support from sponsors AvPlan EFB, Aerometrex, West Coast Bitumen and Recreational Aviation Australia. The record flight succeeded in covering a total distance of 729 nm (1,350 km) in a series of 24 flights over 7 days of flying, longer than previous attempts. The pilots were Catherine Conway OAM, David Bradshaw and Barrie Rogers. Sources: Eyre to There Aviation; AHSA Outlook newsletter vol 37 no 4 Sept 2021.