AS Stuttgart goes to ILA Berlin
At the beginning of June, EUROAVIA Stuttgart, together with many other local groups, had the great opportunity to visit ILA Berlin. During the five-day visit, more than 40 students gained valuable insight into the current state of the aerospace industry and found plenty of inspiration for their future careers. Five companies, Diehl Aviation, Diehl Defence, Liebherr Aerospace, OHB, and MTU, welcomed us at their exhibition stands. We took every opportunity to ask questions, engage in interesting discussions and learn from experienced professionals working in the industry.
I would especially like to highlight our visit to the Liebherr Aerospace stand. Liebherr is a major supplier to the global aerospace industry, developing and manufacturing high-tech systems such as flight control and actuation systems, landing gear for both civil and military aircraft, as well as air management and climate control systems. At their stand, Liebherr showcased a full-scale landing gear for the Airbus A220-100. Even for what is considered a relatively small commercial aircraft, the landing gear was impressively large and demonstrated the complexity behind seemingly ordinary aircraft components.
The presentation provided fascinating insight into one of the less visible, yet absolutely essential, aspects of aerospace engineering. Many of Liebherr’s products are critical for flight safety, reliability, and aircraft performance. At the same time, they illustrate how future innovations, such as advanced manufacturing technologies, including metal additive manufacturing, as well as increasingly intelligent system integration, will shape the next generation of aircraft. As aspiring aerospace engineers, it was exciting to see how these technologies are already finding their way into today’s aviation industry.
Besides meeting industry experts, we also took the opportunity to connect with fellow EUROAVIA members from other Local Groups. In one of Berlin’s many iconic bars, we met members from AS Aachen and AS Dresden, as well as representatives of the International Board. The evening turned into a great opportunity to exchange stories about recent events, academic challenges, and the different activities of our Local Groups. Members from Stuttgart even challenged the team from Aachen to a friendly card game. Although Aachen emerged victorious, everyone left with great memories, stronger friendships, and new connections with EUROAVIA members from across Europe.
Overall, the trip to Berlin was an unforgettable experience. It allowed us to explore the world of aerospace engineering firsthand, meet leading companies in the industry, and enjoy spectacular flight displays throughout the exhibition. Visits to events, such as the ILA, are always highly motivating, especially before a demanding summer exam period, as they remind us why we chose to study aerospace engineering in the first place. AS Stuttgart looks back on ILA Berlin with great appreciation, and we are already looking forward to our next major adventure, the Paris Air Show next year.