Emilia Holm's and Emil Rönn's academic life takes place at Campus Skellefteå, where the aviation school, Green Flight Academy is located.
Emilia Holm, 19, and Emil Rönn, 21, moved to Skellefteå in August 2023.
Both come from Vasa in Finland and now live in the student modules built on the campus.
Emilia is living her dream.
– I had flown 38 hours in ultralight aircraft before I started here. I've wanted to be a pilot since I was six years old, she says.
– I thought the training was relatively close. I had lived in Umeå for nine months before. It was good that there was a flying school in Norrland, says Emil.
Since the start of the Green Flight Academy in Skellefteå in August, Emilia Holm, 19, and Emil Rönn, 21, have each accumulated almost 30 flying hours.
Both have enjoyed their months in Skellefteå and appreciate the other students they are studying with.
– Skellefteå is a really nice town. Also, everyone who studies with us has the same interest, Emil notes.
The practical part takes place at Skellefteå Airport, but currently, during the winter, it's more theory than practical flying due to the weather.
The training in Skellefteå, which welcomed its first students in August 2022, is unique as it is the first in the world to focus on sustainability, with a significant part of the training for a commercial pilot taking place in electric aircraft.
In 2023, the flight school, equipped with three electric aircraft and four traditional aircraft, made more than 2,400 flights with the electric aircraft at Skellefteå Airport.
Shedding its newcomer status, the school has blossomed into a serious player, attracting widespread interest. Today the company has nine employees.
– The industry needs pilots. After the pandemic, there was a shortage of skills, says Cecilia Holmlund.
The BBC Travel Show visited in the early summer of 2023 under the headline "Electric Dreams."
– It was incredible PR for us, says Holmlund.
"Others see what we do and that it works, so they are not only curious about electric flying but also because we work in a cold climate," says site manager Cecilia Holmlund.
Green Flight Academy's educational director, Johan Norberg, takes center stage at Pilot Expo Berlin (February 23-24) to share their unique approach to sustainable flight training.
– 2023 was a game-changer, says Holmlund.
– It's not just about talking, it's about showing sustainable aviation works, even in cold climates. Now, the industry wants to know: 'How do you actually do it?'
– The Green Flight Academy's first graduating class is expected in late spring of 2024. Students Emilia and Emil will graduate as certified pilots in late winter 2025.