Ampaire opens new California headquarters

Ampaire, which was founded in 2016 out of a garage in Temecula, is now the leader in the hybrid electric powerplant space and was headquartered in various Southern California locations before finding its new home on the edge of Los Angeles County. In a time when general aviation is not celebrated in all of California, Ampaire’s warm welcome to Long Beach was even more remarkable. Several noteworthy speakers attended the ribbon cutting, including Evelyn Wang, director of ARPA-E (Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy).

Long Beach Airport Director Cynthia Guidry also spoke.

“We have a robust GA community and your presence here is right on time. This is a place with a rich aviation legacy where greats like Charles Lindbergh, Howard Hughes, and Amelia Earhart once soared, and where the future of flight is now being written by innovators like Ampaire,” Guidry said. “It is truly exciting to be a part of the legacy of what you’re doing and what we’re seeing here at the airport as we continue to add to our continued story.”

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson joined the grand opening—he grew up attending airshows, and with his young daughters in attendance at the ribbon cutting, expressed his joy that the leading edge of future tech would be here in his city.

Final remarks came from Ampaire CEO Kevin Noertker.

“Our strategy is not one of flash, it’s consistency,” he said. “We systematically identify the opportunities and challenges that face our industry and then we address them. From the humble beginnings of short haul cargo to the far-flung future of supersonic passenger transport we have our eyes set on the full breadth of aviation and we’re getting there in thoughtful ways.

“We’re here to celebrate the opening of this new facility where this future will be built. This is the entrance to a once-in-a-century opportunity. It is as significant of a change as the jet age.”

Ampaire’s approach is to make “commercial electric air travel a reality with available technology” by upgrading existing aircraft to hybrid electric power. Ampaire accomplished several industry firsts since the 2019 first flight of its Electric EEL technology testbed aircraft, including the world record for “longest endurance flight for a hybrid electric aircraft—twelve hours and 1,400 statute miles.” According to Ampaire, “The EEL has successfully completed missions spanning Hawaii, Ireland, Canada, Alaska, Arizona, and California. In 2022, Ampaire’s hybrid electric Eco Caravan, the world’s largest hybrid electric aircraft, achieved its first flight.”

Learn more about Ampaire online.