During the last week of February, from the 18th to 23rd, València had the opportunity to host the Drone Workshop (DroWo) 2024 event, an experience that encouraged participants to extend their knowledge and skills on drone technology, without missing the chance of tasting real paella and embracing Spanish culture all week long.
On the opening day, our local members ensured a warm welcome for all participants in València, picking them up and introducing them to the city and traditions, and thus began the first introduction between EUROAVIAns. The day concluded with the Welcome Dinner, which included mainly Spanish food like tortilla or jamón. After that, everyone participated in activities which, apart from letting everyone know each other’s names, it gave out joy for a great event kick-off.
Monday 19th marked the beginning of the workshop sessions. First of all, a welcome presentation covered the activities of the week, followed by welcome packages courtesy of the university and an interactive introduction to drones. What is a drone? How is the future of this industry envisioned? What are its applications? These questions brought up engaging discussions during the session. After lunch, at the university’s cafeteria, the workshop sessions continued with more technical matters on structures and materials after a visit to the university’s hangar.
Tuesday emerged as one of the most enjoyable days of the event. The day started with an interesting conference on drone sustainability and the future of drone industry with Chris Janke, an aviation expert from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. Afterwards, the morning session on aerodynamics and electronics was carried out. However, the highlight of the day came in the afternoon with the first drone assembly session. Participants were able to experience the process of construction of drones from scratch. Afterwards, after the workshop session, participants prepared for the Roundtable led by EUROAVIA IB President Leo Buchner. There, the infinite possibilities of EUROAVIA were explored, accompanied by its history and other fascinating details and testimonies from international WG members. It was a great opportunity for sharing experiences and encouraging new faces in EUROAVIA to make it greater and greater. After that, Cultural Night started, where it was offered a unique opportunity to discover the delights of different countries and strengthening the bonds among participants.
Wednesday stood out as one of the longest days of the event. There wasn’t enough coffee in València to enable our bodies to recover and prepare for the City Tour. It began with a visit to Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, a monument of singular beauty and splendour where creativity and knowledge are mixed in harmony. Later, a walk through the historic centre of the city allowed everyone to enjoy the hidden wonders of València, including the Llotja de la seda, Torres dels Serrans or the Central Market, where many had the pleasure to try València’s local food. In the afternoon, participants took part in a simulation session where Juan Cruz-Ayorora from CQV helped participants learn the basics of drone simulation technology with SIMNET UAV flight simulator.
After all these experiences, we reached the end of the journey. In the morning of Thursday, drones were completed in a workshop session, and then, a test flight took place in an indoor university facility. During the after-lunch break, participants had a blast by going for a walk on the nearby Malvarrosa beach (dip included!). Later, participants came back to the university for the final activity. As a kind of conclusion, the event closed with conferences from EASA and AESA on aviation safety, so that participants have all the information on the sector.
In the end, a course completion certificate was given to each of the participants. A group picture was taken and it was time to dress up for the Final Dinner at a downtown restaurant where we enjoyed a final evening together.
From EUROAVIA València, we want to express our gratitude to all who made this event possible, from the university to our collaborators, and especially to all the participants. Thank you for trusting us. It has been a pleasure to share these special days with you all.
SEE YOU AROUND EUROPE!
AS València