http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/news/GAMA-Welcomes-Electric-And-Hybrid-Aircraft-225080-1.html

GAMA Welcomes Electric And Hybrid Aircraft
By Mary Grady

The General Aviation Manufacturers Association announced this week that it has
created a new "associate membership" category for manufacturers of electric and
hybrid propulsion aircraft. The association said it hopes to “better enable the
worldwide development, growth, and airworthiness certification of electric and
hybrid propulsion technology to benefit the future of general aviation.” GAMA
noted that its “core expertise” is working with policymakers and regulatory
authorities around the world to bring new products to market. “Our goal with
this associate membership is to allow these new technology companies to tap
into our resources and expertise,” GAMA President Pete Bunce told AVweb on
Tuesday.

"We're very excited about this new emerging technology sector," Bunce said.
"The companies working on this now don't qualify for regular membership,
because they don't have certified aircraft, or they might not even have
products yet." The new membership category will enable them to access GAMA
expertise to help with certification and other issues, at a "very low barrier
to entry," he said, with lower dues than for regular members. GAMA committees
now are working to create all the paperwork needed, and Bunce said they will
announce "probably about a dozen or so" associate members early next year.

A number of projects using electric and hybrid propulsion are in the works by
manufacturers including Airbus, Pipistrel, and Aero Electric Corp.; and NASA
has been funding research to explore the technology’s potential. The GAMA news
release states that these new technologies are potentially “very safe, highly
reliable, and may dramatically lower the operational costs of flying.”

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