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EUROAVIA's Aeronautical Blog

Fly-In Leuven 2025

July 31, 2025 by Communication WG

From July 15th to 20th, EUROAVIA Leuven hosted the Leuven Fly-In, a vibrant four-day event filled with discovery and connection. Participants from all over Europe indulged in the finest Belgian chocolates, explored the future of aerospace through expert-led sessions, and gained a deeper understanding of the European Union during visits to the European Commission and Parliament.

Day 1 – July 16 : Visits to TUI and Space Applications Services

The first day of the fly-in started with two insightful company visits. We started the morning by taking a bus to the innovative space company, Space Applications Services. As soon as we arrived we were greeted by a EUROAVIA Alumni, showing the vastness and usefulness of the EUROAVIA network. Afterwards, they gave us an introduction on all the projects SAS is involved with. Two highlights were the moon gravity offloading system, designed for ESA’s LUNA facility, and the ICE Cubes service, a commercial service enabling for example university student teams to send their research projects to the ISS.

After an insightful morning in SAS and a great lunch we started our trip to the second company, TUI airlines. TUI airlines, being an airline, showed us how important maintenance planning and strategies to prevent or minimize aircraft on ground situations. They also provided a visit to their maintenance hangar, where we could see live maintenance on their Boeing 737-800 NG and Embraer 195-E2 airplanes.

After such an interesting day, we ended our day at the biggest bar in Europe, the Leuven “Oude Markt”.

Day 2 – July 17 : Brussels visit and the European institutions

On the second day we visited Brussels, the capital of Europe. Our first stop was the European Parliament. Stepping out of the train station we were immediately greeted by the parliament right in front of us, surrounded by countless other significant EU and government buildings. The visit began with an introduction to the inner workings of the European Union and its legislative processes. We then had the unique opportunity to step inside the hemicycle, where Members of the European Parliament debate and shape EU legislation. To end the morning, we ate lunch in the beautiful “Parc Du Cinquantenaire”, a park built for the 50th anniversary of Belgium.

In the afternoon, we headed to the European Commission. Our first speaker, an EU official, shared an engaging perspective on life inside the Commission, complete with amusing anecdotes that reminded us of the international and welcoming environment we also enjoy in EUROAVIA. The second speaker then introduced us to the EU Space Programme and the exciting launch of the brand-new EU Space Act.

Beyond the institutions, Brussels offered us a glimpse of its cultural richness. A walk through the European Quarter and the city center took us past iconic landmarks: The biggest palace of justice in the world, the palace of the king, the famous “manneken pis” and the beautiful “grand place” with its breathtaking town hall and gold-trimmed guild houses. While the king was not home at the time of our visit, a few lucky participants accidentally met him and his family on the Belgian national holiday a few days later!

After a well-deserved dinner, we ended the day with a panoramic view from a Brussels rooftop. Some other participants also experienced the famous street-long delirium bar, a joyous place full of Belgian beer.

Day 3 – July 18 : The future of aerospace and the spirits night

The third day of the fly in started with a visit to a typical Belgian market. These markets typically only come to the city on one specific day of the week. Many stalls were selling traditional breads, meats, fish, cheeses or even waffles. After having second breakfast here, we went to one of the university buildings for an interesting lecture on the aviation value chain given by a professor from Antwerp Management School. A lecture usually given as part of their master in air transport management, discussing the whole value chain of the industry, ranging from the manufacturers to the airports and the airlines.

In the afternoon, we visited DronePort, an innovative company based at a regional airport in Sint-Truiden. DronePort is shaping the future of aerospace by focusing on regional electric air transport and creating a hub for aviation startups and drone technology. While they currently operate as a regional airport, with private aircraft like the legendary Spitfire, their business park also includes a large drone testing zone and facilities for pioneering aerospace companies.

After another day of learning, it was finally time for the spirit night! But first, traditional Belgian fries from a “frituur” for dinner. During the spirit night we then all got to try many traditional foods and drinks from all over Europe.

Day 4 – Friday, July 19: Final Program and Farewell

On the final day of the Fly-In, we fully immersed ourselves in the charm of Leuven. A guided walk through the city revealed some of its most iconic sights: the historic university library, the peaceful medieval beguinage, and, most importantly for us, the Aerospace Engineering campus. Our tour concluded with a relaxed lunch in the city park, where we shared laughs and enjoyed our last midday meal together.

In the afternoon we visited the Stella Artois brewery, the headquarters of the biggest brewing company in the world, AB InBev. During the visit we discovered the more than

600 year long history of the brewery and learned about the brewing process of its most famous beers. At the end of the visit we also got taste of their products.

To end the final day of the Leuven fly we had our final dinner in a traditional restaurant. Here we tried many different local dishes and ended with the famous Brussels waffle for dessert. In between the eating we shared memories, signed each others flags and truly felt the community that EUROAVIA has created.

This may have been the end of the fly in in Leuven, but it is far from the end of our connection. Many more international events, such as the Leuven fly in, are still coming. And to all who read this, see you around Europe !

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