Bye Aerospace's eFlyer 2 all-electric trainer has received a Special Airworthiness Certificate from the Federal Aviation Administration, clearing the way for the aircraft's first flight.

The certificate follows a detailed FAA inspection of the two-seat aircraft's airframe, electric propulsion system, instruments and other functional systems, carried out at Centennial Airport near Denver, where Bye Aerospace is completing flight preparations. The review confirms the aircraft is airworthy and authorised to begin flight testing.

The structural build of the eFlyer 2 was completed in July, following several months of structural testing and propulsion system validation using a truck-mounted test rig known as The Beast. Engineers have since carried out final systems integration, further electrical validation and operational ground testing ahead of a phased flight test programme designed to progressively expand the aircraft's operating envelope.

Orders for the eFlyer 2 and four-seat eFlyer 4 have come from flight training schools including Spartan College of Aeronautics & Technology, Skyborne Academy and Flex Air Flight School in the United States, along with KLM Academy in the Netherlands. Bye Aerospace's combined orderbook for the two types stands at more than 1,000 aircraft.