This Manatee County test pilot is on a mission to take electric planes to new heights
Miguel Iturmendi is taking an electric plane to new heights.
Last June, he flew the Helios Horizon plane 16,300 feet over Lake Tahoe, breaking the world altitude record for an electric plane weighing less than 500 kilograms, or about 1,100 pounds. He looked out the cockpit window, admired the magnificent lakes and mountain peaks and tried not to get too excited.
Iturmendi and the rest of the Helios Horizon team, which is based in Manatee County, are still making progress. In a test flight last week, the electric plane reached 22,000 feet.
Helios Horizon wants to prove electric planes can rival traditional planes. Their goal is to make it possible for more U.S. companies to build electric planes for travel. According to Iturmendo, most projects like this are happening overseas, in countries like France, Germany and Switzerland.
Helios Horizon’s test plane has a small cockpit and long wings like a U-2 spy plane. It offers an incredible view from two bare and somewhat uncomfortable seats. Unlike a traditional plane that runs on fuel, this plane runs on an electric motor and rechargeable batteries.
“We believe that this is the way of the future,” said Iturmendi, Helios Horizon’s chief engineer and test pilot.
Helios Horizon’s sustainable flights
Javier Merino, the project manager for Helios Horizon, said he expects Helios Horizon to play an important role in reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
“I have kids and I want to leave a better world for them,” Merino said. “...If you consider how much an airplane pollutes versus an electric plane, we’re leaving a mark on the future.”
The Helios Horizon team already holds a world record, but their sights are set even higher. Iturmendi will conduct additional test flights this summer near Lake Tahoe in Nevada, where drier air, colder temperatures and higher elevation make for better flying conditions.
Iturmendi will attempt to break the absolute world record of 30,000 for an electric-powered flight in Bishop, California.
“High-altitude flying is a little bit like climbing,” said Iturmendi, who first began test-flying the plane last year. “If you’ve seen any documentaries about climbing Everest or K2, a lot of the danger is on the way down. You can’t celebrate too much on the top, maybe take a couple of pictures, soak it all in for 30 seconds or so and go back to being focused. You can celebrate on the ground when you get off the plane.”
Electric plane aims for world record
After testing, Iturmendi will put the experimental plane in a trailer and make the four-day drive back to the Helios Horizon warehouse on Whitfield Avenue near the Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. Starting in July, he will modify the plane to go even higher.
In March 2025, Helios Horizon is aiming to become the world record holder for the first electric plane to fly at 44,000 feet — the lowest part of the stratosphere.
The Helios Horizon team has engineers from California, the Netherlands, Spain and other countries around the world.
Iturmendi also hopes to inspire students to go into jobs in science, technology, engineering and math.
