Finnish amphibious aircraft completes first test flight in Jämsä

An amphibious aircraft built at Finland’s only aircraft factory in Jämsä has completed its first test flight, Yle reports.

The Atol Aurora, a wooden seaplane capable of landing on both water and land, took off from Halli Airport on 1 July. The flight lasted around 30 minutes under partly cloudy skies, with the entire factory staff observing.

Test pilot Vesa Keinänen conducted the maiden flight. The project, led by Anssi Rekula, now Sensofusion’s aviation director, has faced delays due to international type certification bureaucracy. Full approval will require hundreds of flight hours as part of an extensive test program.

The Atol Aurora is a revised prototype, developed after a 2018 crash destroyed an earlier version near Rovaniemi. Construction of the new model began under Rekula’s leadership, and the factory relocated from Rovaniemi to Jämsä in 2021.

Defense technology company Sensofusion acquired the factory last spring and plans to use the seaplane as a base for a new surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft, including unmanned operations.