How did this end up here?

That was the question some passersby asked when they spotted a Velis Electro in the heart of Bern on Friday, August 21—a day that, unfortunately, started out very rainy. Thanks to the posters and the volunteers, however, it soon became clear to everyone why the modern light aircraft was parked right in front of the Bubenberg Monument.

On March 31, 1901, the founding meeting of the Swiss Aero Club took place at Café Rudolf, a popular gathering place for lawmakers of all political stripes. Fifty years later, the Aero-Club commemorated this meeting by, among other things, displaying a modern Piper Cub in front of the café. Another 75 years later, a modern Velis Electro electric aircraft was placed at the same spot.

As the rain gradually let up toward the afternoon, more and more curious passersby gathered around the plane, and a number of knowledgeable volunteers and organizers were on hand to answer their questions. At first, some people simply couldn’t believe that the sleek aircraft actually had no gasoline engine under the hood. And the fact that it can fly for nearly an hour on electric power alone also met with amazement. Many also asked questions about the Aero-Club, which were readily answered—including by Central President Matthias Jauslin, who, like the organizing team and the members of Electrifly-In, bravely braved the rain.

A team from Italian-speaking Switzerland was also on site at the event, and they presented a Report for the main broadcast of "Tagesschau" which featured an interview and background information.

The Berner Zeitung (BZ) published an online article as early as Friday afternoon, which brought even more visitors to Hirschengraben.

By the way, on the weekend of September 12–13, Velis Electro will be at the Electrifly-In at Bern Airport Passenger sightseeing flights were conducted.