Contra Costa County Airports Commissions Electric Aircraft Charging Apron and Flight Simulator Lab at Buchanan Field in Concord

Aviation directors with Contra Costa County Airports and aerospace instructors from the Diablo Valley College Aeronautics partner program commissioned Northern California's first county-operated dual 180-kilowatt electric aviation charging apron and FAA-certified electric flight simulator lab on Saturday afternoon at Buchanan Field Airport at 550 Sally Ride Drive in Concord. Installed along the West Ramp adjacent to the Clubhouse Drive terminal apron, the high-voltage charging pedestals conform to the international SAE AS6968 aerospace charging standard to serve next-generation battery-electric flight training aircraft and regional air-mobility demonstrators.

Each liquid-cooled tarmac dispenser delivers up to 180 kilowatts of direct-current power, enabling two-seat Pipistrel Velis Electro and Bye Aerospace eFlyer training airplanes to recharge their lithium-battery packs from 20 percent to 85 percent state of charge in twenty-two minutes between student flight blocks. Because electric propulsion eliminates piston exhaust and reduces takeoff exterior sound footprints from 78 decibels to under 60 decibels, touch-and-go training circuits over Concord and Pleasant Hill neighborhoods operate at less than half the perceived ground noise of legacy leaded-fuel trainers.

Inside the adjacent West Ramp Aviation Education Center, county airport staff and flight schools opened a full-cockpit electric flight simulator room where high school and community college students practice high-voltage battery thermal management and regenerative propeller descent profiles. Student pilots also rehearse Bay Area Class D airspace communications before logging dual flight hours on the runway.

The $890,000 zero-emission aviation infrastructure project was funded through a Federal Aviation Administration Airport Improvement Program (AIP) Zero-Emissions grant and Contra Costa County Airport Enterprise funds. Pilots and prospective aviation students can review ramp charging procedures on the Contra Costa County Airports Official Portal.