Interview: This Is Why College Kids Flew An Electric Plane Powered By A Ford F-150 Lightning Truck

The plane would depart home in Hartford, stopping to charge along the way using the converter-laden Lightnings as chase cars. Once safely back on the ground, Remy would hop out, charge the plane, and get back in the air.

Remy was accompanied by the plane’s owner for any and all of the flying he did. Phillip Smith owns the plane and is licensed to fly solo. So is Remy, but he, laughing nervously, recounts Phil’s words: “Remy, I trust you, but this is a $200,000 plane, and I’ve only known you for a couple of weeks – so I’m gonna fly along with you.”

“It ended up working out, though. He has a lot of time in that plane,” says Remy. The two had a routine in mind for the flying, with Phil handling the risker takeoffs and landings for Remy.

What flying he did sounded like a joy, especially the “anti-flyover” (a term Oktay coined), which from what Remy tells us, was that excellent mix of a little scary, fun, and exciting. On top of that, the plane and every Lightning involved performed flawlessly. “The chase helicopter had a mechanical issue halfway through the trip. [The plane and the truck] were the only things that didn’t break.”