Helping future pilots take off
It’s an old refrain: “The young model aircraft fliers of today are the seasoned pilots of tomorrow.” The international AERO aviation show, taking place at the exhibition grounds in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from April 20 to 23, 2016, hopes to encourage future pilots’ dream of flight and give them the boost they need to take to the air. “The ones with an early initiation into the world of flying are the ones who later sit in the cockpit of a jet,” says AERO project leader Roland Bosch, who believes that would-be pilots need to be guided on board as early as possible to get the young people excited about aircraft. With the slogan “Be a pilot,” AERO promotes the profession of captain and the pastime of recreational piloting. Director of the exhibition center Klaus Wellmann and AERO project leader Roland Bosch are actively seeking new infusions of energy: “Even an industry-oriented expo like AERO needs to show how fascinating the topic of flight is,” Roland Bosch says. For the first time, admission to the expo is free for visitors under 16; previously, the admission fee was only waived for under-14s.
So the subject of model-building is slated to be a model of success at AERO. At the Bastelecke Aichner stand in Hall B4, young visitors can create their own model planes and, depending how much time they have, construct various models under expert guidance. The individual parts are cut or sawed straight out of balsa wood or plywood, then sanded and glued. Drills, heat guns, and other equipment at their disposal. For ribbed surfaces, the model builders demonstrate how to attach covering film to the model’s shell. Youth groups are welcome to sign up. Needless to say, the hobbyists may take their models home with them. The service is free of charge.
At the indoor hangar at the AERO aviation expo in the ZEPPELIN CAT Hall A1, curious visitors can look on as drone pilots execute flight maneuvers. The spectacular camera shots that the airborne flying device sends to the pilot on the ground are projected on screen. Anyone interested in the incipient, action-packed sport of drone racing should come see the live competition at the aviation show.
Around 600 companies from the entire world are exhibiting at AERO, the Global Show for General Aviation. General Aviation is represented by single- and multi-engine piston aircraft, helicopters, gyrocopters, turboprops, multi-engine jets, and historic gliders. The program is rounded out with drones, new aircraft engines and avionics, accessories, and services for all aspects of flight as well as flight school opportunities. In parallel, innovations in specialist aspects of electronic aircraft, avionics and AERODrones are presented.
AERO 2016 starts on Wednesday, April 20 and ends on Saturday, April 23, 2016.