You’ve heard of electric vehicles, but have you heard of electric aviation? Beta Technologies, a solutions provider for energy storage, power conversion, thermal analysis, and electric propulsion technologies headquartered in South Burlington, is making huge advancements in the future of flight. Most recently, the company completed test flights with the largest electric aircraft to fly yet. Beta plans to attempt a cross country flight with the Ava XC from Kitty Hawk, NC to Santa Monica, CA as early as this spring.

Beta Technologies has been able to provide professional training to its employees for this work by using the Vermont Training Program. Recently the company received a Vermont Training Program grant to train 12 incumbent workers and 8 new employees for positions of aircraft design engineer, flight test engineer, and test pilot. These trainings included flight testers aviation safety course, ANSYS design software, and certificate trainings in aircraft hardware and software systems.

In addition to Beta Technologies, aerospace tech giants GE Aviation and Collins Aerospace call Vermont home. There are also more than 250 small and medium-sized enterprises based in Vermont that act as a supply chain hub for global aerospace and defense companies – all contributing to the state’s $2 billion aerospace industry.