This latest model uses the same basic layout, but has undergone a series of dramatic improvements and has already been certified by the German aviation authorities, a first for an electric airplane. In the United States the eSpyder will be offered as a kit-built airplane, but the company hopes to offer it as a completed light sport aircraft soon.

Before all the know-it-alls chime in with the usual range anxiety and comments about how slow the airplane is, we don’t care. Flying an electric airplane like the eSpyder is about having fun. It’s about flying very quietly without the rattle and hum of an engine overwhelming your senses. After our brief flight, we walked away with the feeling that few things can beat a small electric airplane for a nice flight across the countryside. Think of it more as a relaxing ride in a convertible, rather than the practical minivan.