Mike Hoogveld
Co-founder nlmtd
Mike Hoogveld is a partner at nlmtd and an expert in future‑proof organizing. With more than twenty years of experience as a manager and advisor across a wide range of organizations in the Netherlands and internationally, Mike is also a startup mentor, conducts academic research at Nyenrode, and teaches at various universities and business schools.
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In the podcast Mastering Transitions, Mike Hoogveld and Pieter Paul van Oerle speak with people who are shaping the major changes of our time. In this episode, they talk with Merlijn van Vliet, e‑pilot and entrepreneur behind NRG2FLY, about electric aviation – not as a distant future, but as something that is already starting today.
Electric Flying: Why the Biggest Challenge Isn’t Technology, but Mindset
Aviation is on the verge of a fundamental transition. Electric flying, once seen as niche or even unrealistic, is rapidly evolving into a serious building block of sustainable mobility. But as with many transitions, the biggest challenge lies not in technology, but in mindset.
In the second episode of the podcast Mastering Transitions, produced by nlmtd in collaboration with Change Inc., our founders Pieter Paul van Oerle and Mike Hoogveld speak with pioneer Merlijn van Vliet, founder of E‑Flight Academy and Energy to Fly. His story shows how transitions really unfold: not in a linear or perfect way, but through experimentation, collaboration, and shifts in thinking.
From coincidence to transition
As with many innovations, this story did not begin with a master plan, but by coincidence. While training as a pilot, Van Vliet landed at an unfamiliar airfield and saw electric aircraft for the first time. His instructor was skeptical: too little range, too little capacity, no future. That was precisely the moment Van Vliet thought, there is something to be gained here.
What followed was not a classic startup journey, but a strategic choice. Instead of trying to replace the entire aviation fleet at once, he started where electric flying already makes sense: flight schools, short flights, and training operations – contexts in which the current limitations of electric aircraft are not yet a barrier. This approach offers valuable lessons for accelerating the transition to a sustainable future.
Lesson 1: Start a transition not where it ends, but where it already works today
One of the most striking insights from the conversation is that technology is often not the biggest bottleneck. Of course, there are limitations, for example in range but these are comparable to the early days of electric cars. As Van Vliet puts it succinctly: “The biggest obstacle is not technology, but mindset.”
We have become accustomed to traveling long distances without thinking twice. But how much travel does that really require? And why should transferring in the air suddenly be unacceptable, when we consider it perfectly normal in train or metro networks?
Lesson 2: Transitions require ecosystems
While many entrepreneurs think in terms of disruption, Van Vliet quickly discovered that this approach does not work in aviation. The sector is too interconnected, too regulated, and too dependent on collaboration. Instead of fighting the established order, he built an ecosystem, from airlines to airports and even fossil-based players. Actors with seemingly conflicting interests proved willing to cooperate in practice.
Lesson 3: In complex transitions, progress comes from connection, not disruption
One of the most powerful insights from the conversation is that transitions require a combination of three elements:
- Policy: direction and clear preconditions
- Innovation: new technologies and solutions
- Practice: concrete application and experimentation
Without practice, it remains planning. Without policy, it lacks commitment. Without innovation, progress remains incremental. During the Electric Flying Connection Tour, with short flights between Lelystad and Schiphol Airport, this interplay became tangible. Not because the system was already perfect, but precisely because it was still unfinished.
Lesson 4: Transitions accelerate when ideas become visible and experienceable
A surprising insight is that the greatest opportunity for electric aviation lies not in entirely new infrastructure, but in what already exists. Europe has thousands of airports, and a large share of flights are shorter than 500 kilometers. This means a significant part of the network can be electrified relatively easily, provided the infrastructure is adapted.
Van Vliet captures this in one sentence: “It’s better to put a charging station at an airport than to build an airport next to a charging station.”
In short, whether you are working on the energy, mobility, healthcare, or food transition, the patterns are similar:
- Start small, but strategically
- Focus on behavior and mindset, not just technology
- Build ecosystems instead of silos
- Combine policy, innovation, and practice
- Leverage what is already there
Transitions are not linear projects. They are learning processes with a constantly moving target.
Listen to the episode
Curious to hear Merlijn van Vliet’s full story, including concrete examples and real-world insights? Listen to the episode of Mastering Transitions and discover what it takes to create real change.
