Ampaire Hybrid-Electric EEL Lands at Rural Airport, Battery Recharged in Flight

On August 6, 2026, Ampaire’s converted Cessna 337 Skymaster, the Electric EEL, completed its first eIPP (hybrid-electric) data flight from Salt Lake City International Airport to Cedar City Regional Airport, traveling 240 miles (386 km) south across Utah’s high-altitude desert corridor. The aircraft landed with its battery recharged by its own combustion engine during the trip, without any charging cable or ground charging infrastructure. The flight marked the first hybrid-electric demonstration in Utah under the FAA’s eVTOL Integration Pilot Program and is designed to prove self-charging capability for rural airports lacking charging stations. Ampaire says the parallel-hybrid design positions the electric motor forward and the combustion engine aft along one centerline for safe test conditions.