CO2 Net Zero
EURO FLIGHT TEST is Net Zero.
Corporate responsibility is a guiding principle at EFT. The leadership team and all employees are committed to continuously reduce our ecological footprint. By conviction we strive for sustainability as an essential topic of the presence and of all future action. With our “Sustainability Board” we have embedded our attitude into our organization. The Board consists of the executive team of EFT and meets bi-annually to review, monitor and discuss our sustainability strategy and goals. The Board will issue a yearly Sustainability Report of EFT and has taken following actions:
CO2 Neutrality
As a flight test company, we are well aware that we produce a considerable amount of CO2. Its complete avoidance unfortunately still is impossible with today’s technology. Consequently, when having produced a certain amount of CO2 the most sustainable solution to the problem is to create a CO2 sink. The natural sink for millions of years has been crops. Forests, foremost rain forests, draw CO2 out of the air, process it and “breathe out” oxygen.
EFT therefore tracks its aircraft CO2 emissions in a database and regularly plants and ensures growing of the corresponding number of trees in cooperation with our partner “Grow my Tree” in order to completely neutralize or even over-compensate the CO2 production.
As an example, for every CAT 2 fixed wing student we will plant 300 trees, which will neutralize more than 6 tons of CO2 every year. The student will receive a certificate confirming her/his compensation of CO2.
EFT is the first test pilot school worldwide to operate CO2 neutral.
Electrical Aircraft
Although most aircraft of today still use combustion engines, there has been made tremendous progress in the development and application of electrical drive-trains in the aviation industry. We are glad and proud to incorporate the first ever EASA type-certified aircraft, the Pipistrel Velis Electro, into our training. Currently being used mainly as a basic demonstration aircraft for e-aviation, we intend to increasingly use e-aircraft in our professional training courses as their capabilities grow exponentially.
EFT is the first test pilot school to incorporate electrical aircraft into the training schedule.
Highly Fuel-Efficient Training Aircraft
European aviation industry has been the pacemaker of fuel-efficient aircraft for the general aviation. EFT strives to continuously increase the operation of these modern aircraft in the training syllabus. Take as an example our Blackshape Prime BS100 basic trainer with a fuel consumption of only about 12 kg / hour.
Vicinity to Customers
Being based in the heart of Europe EFT is in close vicinity to of a wide variety of potential customers. Thus, travel related fuel consumption is dramatically lower compared to f. ex. a transatlantic flight. One single round trip Frankfurt – Los Angeles in a Boeing 747 burns around 240 tons of fuel. Per passenger this amounts to 660 kg of fuel even in economy class, and a lot more in business class.
EFT could fly more than 40 hours in its Blackshape and cause the equivalent CO2 foot print of a single passenger on a transatlantic flight.
Fight Simulator Training
As of today, flight test training in real aircraft is mandatory. Nevertheless, progress in microelectronics and computer technology has enabled replacement of demonstration of a number of flight test techniques formerly performed in an actual aircraft by flight simulators. Furthermore, reproducibility of data points under exactly the same conditions speaks in favor of flight simulators. Of course, a simulator uses a tiny fraction of energy compared to a real flight.
EFT increasingly uses flight simulators instead of real flights whenever suitable.
Paperless Tutorials
In the past it was common to hand out paper course material to students. Take a CAT 1 course with 10 students and that course alone would be the polluter of more than 200 kg of paper folders. EFT takes advantage of electronic display and processing technology. Course tutorials can be edited paperless on a provided PC / tablet and saved with the individual remarks and comments.
EFT completely uses paperless course material distribution.
The CO2 calculator of the Umweltbundesamt (German Environment Agency) shows that one single roundtrip Frankfurt – Los Angeles in the business class of a Boeing 747-8 consumes 6.9 tons of CO2. This is more than the approx. 6 tons one students consumes during his/her whole training program CAT 2 fixed wing as a flight test engineer.
Reducing tops compensating!
The best emissions are the ones that don’t even occur!