Max Trescott takes listeners inside the cockpit of the future in episode 390, as he shares his firsthand experience flying the fully electric Bristell B23 Energic trainer and talks with executives from H55, the Swiss company behind its electric propulsion system. This in-depth episode explores the technical, operational, and strategic aspects of electric flight training aircraft.

The B23 Energic is a joint project between Czech aircraft manufacturer BRM Aero and H55, the latter founded by the team behind the Solar Impulse aircraft that flew around the world on solar power. Max discusses how H55 is focusing on producing electric propulsion systems—batteries, controllers, and motors—for aircraft manufacturers, rather than building entire aircraft themselves. This modular approach is designed to speed up certification and lower development costs.

H55 CEO Martin Larose shares how the company is involved in several projects worldwide, including with CAE to retrofit Piper Archers, Harbour Air to electrify floatplanes, and Pratt & Whitney on a hybrid Dash 8-400. He also explains H55’s plan to manufacture battery systems in both Switzerland and Montreal to serve global markets while avoiding costly and complex battery transport logistics.

Max’s test flight takes place at Palo Alto Airport, where the B23 Energic was on a U.S. tour. He notes the aircraft’s similarities to the Piper Sport Cruiser in handling and design, due to a shared designer. The electric version offers about 60 minutes of flight time and a 10-minute reserve, although U.S. FAA rules would require a 30-minute reserve, limiting U.S. endurance to 40 minutes unless additional batteries are added.

The aircraft uses NCA lithium-ion batteries and features a liquid-cooled motor and controller, but air-cooled batteries to keep things simple. While the plane’s payload is about 73 pounds less than its piston counterpart, it offers dramatically lower operating costs—estimated at $8–9 per hour for electricity versus $50+ per hour in fuel and oil for conventional trainers.

The certification process, especially in Europe under EASA, remains H55’s biggest challenge, with 90% of company resources dedicated to achieving approval. The motor is built by Equipmake in the UK to H55’s design and features dual windings for redundancy—ensuring safe single-failure tolerance.

Max also interviews Laurent, the demo pilot, and Céline, a project engineer, learning about how H55 built hundreds of hours of bench testing before the aircraft even flew. Their insights underscore the care and rigorous engineering that go into preparing electric aircraft for real-world flight training environments.

In-flight, Max describes the aircraft as well-balanced and intuitive, with a quiet cabin that enhances concentration—an important advantage for student pilots. He praises the center stick control, wide cabin, and visibility. The landing was smooth and predictable, and energy use during the short flight was minimal—about 6 kWh for a pattern and 360 turn.

Finally, Max reflects on how quickly the electric nature of the aircraft faded into the background during flight—exactly what H55 wants. The B23 Energic is expected to launch in Europe in 2026 and U.S. in 2027, with a price of $431,000 for early buyers and $500,000 later. It will be certified for Day VFR only, making it a strong candidate for cost-effective flight training.

If you're getting value from this show, please support the show via PayPal, Venmo, Zelle or Patreon.

Support the Show by buying a Lightspeed ANR Headsets
Max has been using only Lightspeed headsets for nearly 25 years! I love their tradeup program that let's you trade in an older Lightspeed headset for a newer model. Start with one of the links below, and Lightspeed will pay a referral fee to support Aviation News Talk.
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset $1199
Lightspeed Zulu 3 Headset $899
Lightspeed Sierra Headset $699
My Review on the Lightspeed Delta Zulu

Send us your feedback or comments via email

If you have a question you’d like answered on the show, let listeners hear you ask the question, by recording your listener question using your phone.

Mentioned on the Show
Buy Max Trescott's G3000 Book Call 800-247-6553
Lightspeed Delta Zulu Headset Giveaway
NTSB News Talk Podcast
UAV News Talk Podcast
Rotary Wing Show Podcast
H55 website
Bristell B23 Energic Electric Aircraft

Free Index to the first 282 episodes of Aviation New Talk

So You Want To Learn to Fly or Buy a Cirrus seminars
Online Version of the Seminar Coming Soon – Register for Notification

Check out our recommended ADS-B receivers, and order one for yourself. Yes, we’ll make a couple of dollars if you do.

Get the Free Aviation News Talk app for iOS or Android.

Check out Max’s Online Courses: G1000 VFR, G1000 IFR, and Flying WAAS & GPS Approaches. Find them all at: https://www.pilotlearning.com/

Social Media
Like Aviation News Talk podcast on Facebook
Follow Max on Instagram
Follow Max on Twitter
Listen to all Aviation News Talk podcasts on YouTube or YouTube Premium

"Go Around" song used by permission of Ken Dravis; you can buy his music at kendravis.com

If you purchase a product through a link on our site, we may receive compensation.