The Air Cargo Challenge (ACC) 2024 took place in Aachen, Germany. It was hosted by the Aachen Drone Development Initiative (ADDI) and AS Aachen. While ADDI oversaw the competition itself, EUROAVIA Aachen took care of everything around it. ADDI had the opportunity to host the event this year since they won last edition of the ACC that was held in Munich, 2022. It is a competition for university students in the engineering or science fields, which offers practical application of the acquired knowledge in aircraft modelling.
From the 9th to 13th July 2024, 300 participants from 16 countries, including the USA, India, China, Australia and all over Europe, travelled to Aachen. The 30 teams designed and built their aircraft specifically for this competition. Each team had to comply with technical requirements while showing that their aircraft was fast, efficient and capable of carrying a large payload. Everyone watched their own and other team’s planes with great enthusiasm and passion, hoping to come out as the best.
The competition was held at the airfield of the Condor Würselen e.V., a local model flying association. They helped by providing flight directors for the competition, the sound system and much more. Additionally, there was a big, sturdy tent where all 30 teams had booths to work on their planes and take shelter during rain. A big screen stood in front of the tent and displayed the current standings.
The Welcome Dinner took place on the first day of the event, where the participants had the chance to meet each other for the first time and watch the European Football Championship (EURO) game together. While the first competition day (the 10th of July) started with the technical inspection of all planes as well as a safety and pilot briefing. After lunch, each team had the opportunity to perform a test flight. In the evening, we ordered pizza for everyone and then took the shuttle to town to catch the next EURO game.
On the second day of competition, the sun continued to shine, allowing for two whole rounds of competition flights. Afterwards, the shuttles drove everyone to a restaurant where we had dinner together. While the weather on Friday morning, the final day of the competition, did not allow any flights, a third competition round was completed in the afternoon, leaving time for some fun flights before the award ceremony.
Adding to the excitement of the competition, each day featured lunch and dinner after a long day of hard work, providing participants with a chance to relax, socialise, and share experiences. These gatherings helped build friendships among the attendees and added to the overall enjoyment of the event so that everyone could socialise outside the competitive environment.
After three thrilling days of competition, the winners were announced amid great excitement. With the team Akamodell Stuttgart triumphantly taking first place, their victory means that the Air Cargo Challenge 2026 will be held in Stuttgart, already generating buzz and anticipation for another spectacular event!
During the award ceremony, the tables in the tent were rearranged for the final dinner. After dinner, a lively party was organised where participants celebrated their achievements. The evening featured music, food and drinks, and provided a perfect conclusion to the competition and leaving great memories and experiences in people’s minds.
AS Aachen