Note: the article is about an ultralight, which is not really an airplane based on what most people think of: it can only have one seat, cannot be used for commercial activity or flight training. It's for hobby-use only.

> I think the grand idea is that with improvements to battery density and weight this will spill into commercial aviation market.

That's a pipe dream for 2 reasons:

1) battery density is still a small fraction of fuels

2) thus small trainers are about the weight limit you'll see for electric aircraft. There is no path for airliners to propel with batteries.

3) Most of the small electric airplanes have been destroyed in battery fires. So aviation-grade batteries will be needed, and anything certified will be very expensive.

> Small electric planes with lower per-hour operating costs are also a game-changer for flight schools and their students.

"lower per-hour operating costs" would be nice, but fuel is not the dominant cost for flight training, and is not a game changer. In addition, most of the small electric planes you have read about were destroyed in battery fires, killing the pilots.

> Cheaper pilot licenses should translate into increased supply of qualified labor and lower the costs of starting/operating an airline.

No, you're not going to see cheaper pilot licenses (unless you personally open some kind of flight school as a charity), and in the US, the 1,500 hour rule means operating an airline will be expensive. Almost all of the US "regionals" have already shutdown due to a shortage of ATP holders.

It gets old reading aviation news on HN because the fanbois can't separate SciFi from reality. Aviation is an expensive, regulated industry, and will only become more that way.

So let me explain what the game changers are ...

For amateur non-IFR practise and commuting, combining a Sport Pilot or Private Pilot license ($10,000+) with an electric LSA (under 1,320 pounds) plane and free tie-down would be a game-changer for non-commercial use.

(There's no affordable airport access in the Bay Area since tie-downs start at $500/month, and hangars at $1,000/month. No municipality will let you "take off and land" on your driveway in any urban area.)

Otherwise, you're looking at ultralights (under 254 pounds), which is not what most people consider a safe way to commute, but you could trailer. There is one all-metal ultralight, the Hummel, that looks like an airplane, so it is possible to build one for ICE. (See below why that doesn't include electric.)

https://flyhummel.com/ultra-cruiser/

Note that ultralight weights don't include fuel or pax, so it's that weight plus fuel. (LSAs gross weight is 1320 pounds, so that includes fuel and pax.) However, batteries would subtract from the empty weight, making those categories useless!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light-sport_aircraft

What I described above is non-experimental US aviation. If you're clever, there are workarounds using experimental aircraft that can help with the weight limits. However, you can't do any commercial activities, and insurance may not be available for carrying passengers.

So instead of the SciFi nonsense, please follow the above to create a reality-based plan, instead of "Gee-whiz, I can't wait for electric airliners!"