Wingspan Conversations: In-depth with EUROAVIA President Leo Buchner

In Wingspan Conversations we shine a spotlight on the people behind EUROAVIA who carry the association on their wings. This month, we are taking a look at the story of Leo Buchner, International Board President of 2023-2024. From his early beginnings in the organisation to his hopes for the future, read on to learn more about the man currently running the EUROAVIA engine.

Joining EUROAVIA and First International Experiences

Leo joined the affiliated society in Munich, Germany in 2018 (nobody panic, he’s not that old). In the second week of his university studies, he met the people from EUROAVIA Munich at a student club fair and was taken with how nice they were. He joined on the spot (well, technically after going with them to a pub).

His first international event was the TNT (Train-New-Trainers) in 2019 in Leuven, Belgium, about half a year into his membership. Back then, he was still young, both in his studies and in the association. The event was pretty great, and he is still in contact with a lot of people he met at that event. More importantly, however, it gave him an opportunity to join his first Working Group: the EUROAVIA Training System (ETS). If it wasn’t for that event, he might not have joined a WG that quickly.

“In the TNT, you become a member of the ETS Working Group right away. So, I joined EUROAVIA International very early on as well. That is one of the things that I’m most grateful for.”

Leo then became an active trainer, joining the trainer’s group at the Formation Workshop (FoWo) that same year. Afterwards, he joined the ETS board and also served as its coordinator, helping the Working Group navigate the difficult online times of the COVID-19 pandemic.

During the pandemic, in 2021, he also joined the Affiliated Societies Working Group. He wanted to learn more about the association as a whole and thinks the AS WG is a very good place to do that. Later on, he became their coordinator until his election as International Board Member.

Memories and Learnings

There’s a lot of happy memories in EUROAVIA for Leo. The highlights, though, are the Congresses in Bremen and Sevilla in 2023. Because of the pandemic there were no international events for a few years, so these were the first he was able to attend after the lockdown. There, he realised that what felt like a lot of ‘alone time’ during those times was an experience shared by many members. So, seeing that the sense of community that existed within the association before the pandemic was still there, maybe even stronger than ever, was one of his happiest experiences. Moreover, while it didn’t use to be before, he now views the Congress as his favourite type of International Event, because that is where the most ideas and people get together.

To Leo, the biggest benefit and strongest selling point of the association is something intangible called ‘the EUROAVIA spirit’ (and he loves to talk about it). It is the bond created among members based on a shared passion for aerospace, travelling and getting to know other people and cultures.

“It means a lot. At international events, where people get together and are able to geek out about their passion for aviation or space. Where you know that there is going to be people you can talk to without knowing them. Where travelling is a value, and getting to know other people from foreign cultures is a value. That is the EUROAVIA Spirit and that is what keeps us thriving.”

Aside from having a lot of great experiences, Leo was also able to grow and develop a variety of soft skills through EUROAVIA. His work in the association, in the Local Board, Working Group and a variety of projects, gave him the opportunity to take on responsibilities. He sees this as important experience to be able to shape an organisation or a team. It forces you to grow in teamwork, communication and project management skills that are really important to be effective.

Becoming International Board President

Leo had thought about running for IB (International Board) for a while but was not able to because of studies and other projects (he’s really not that old though). The 5-year plan taskforce, instigated by the previous IB, gave him the possibility to voice some of his ideas for the association. With the plan accepted, it made him feel like now was a good time to try to shape the organisation, and being an IB member is the position with the most leverage to do so.

He is excited about some interesting technical projects that EUROAVIA is working on. Aside from that though, he thinks the association can circle itself around events such as Future & Beyond and the Ideathon. These remarkable events give the opportunity to partner with a lot of aerospace companies and grow the organisation’s network. Furthermore, since attending the European Space Conference, he is looking forward to stepping more into the topic of space education.

If there is one positive change Leo wants to make for the association, it is consistently getting EUROAVIA a place at the big table.

“EUROAVIA is so relevant. It is full of so many people that are influential and motivated. The perspective of students, of youth, can be given a strong voice through our association, and it should not be heard too silently.”