Aviation Week – a summary
Aerial demonstrations, glider stunts, presentations of aircraft models as well as popular-scientific conferences with the participation of representatives of the government, the authorities of the Silesian University of Technology, experts from the aviation industry, scientists - an Aviation Week took place at the Silesian University of Technology. The event took place as part of the European City of Science Katowice 2024 celebrations.
The Aviation Week began on May 27th, 2024, the Aviation Industry Day. At the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering there was a popular-scientific conference, Job Fair of aviation companies and a competition for secondary schools. The Silesian University of Technology has also signed a cooperation agreement with Boeing.
- Aviation Week is one of the 50 weeks of the European Science City Katowice 2024. The Silesian University of Technology coordinates eleven of them. Aviation Week is an extraordinary opportunity to show what potential and experience we have in this area and, above all, what industrial partners we have – said the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology Prof. Arkadiusz Mężyk.
As added by the coordinator of the Aviation Week, Dr Hab. Eng. Jarosław Kozuba, prof. SUT, the event is also an opportunity to present the courses our students are taught on. - One of the tasks of the Silesian University of Technology is to meet the society, present what is happening here. During the Aviation Week, we can show our potential, present the offer of education, not only in the field of aviation, but also those implemented in other universities, because other faculties are also present here - emphasizes Prof. Kozuba.
Prof. Marek Gzik, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education present at the inauguration of the Aviation Week, emphasised that the Silesian University of Technology, despite its short experience in aviation education, can boast of many successes and achievements in this area.
Aviation Week is a very important event. I am glad that as a representative of the government I can take part in it and see with what great momentum this event is organized. Not only university authorities and people representing the environment of the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering, but also young people are involved here. Air transport is a very important industry, and we are glad that it is developing dynamically. Polish universities are becoming more and more actively involved in the process of training pilots, air traffic controllers and mechanics. This is very necessary, because we cannot forget about the threat that is growing beyond our eastern border - emphasized Prof. Mark Gzik.
During the inauguration of the Aviation Week, Silesian University of Technology signed a cooperation agreement with Boeing.
“The agreement opens wide the door to full cooperation not only in the field of student education or professional internships and practical education at Boeing, but above all to the implementation of joint research and development works using the most advanced technologies,” said the Rector of the Silesian University of Technology, Prof. Arkadiusz Mężyk.
As emphasized by the President of Boeing - Honorata Hencel, the potential of the university decided about choosing the Silesian University of Technology as a partner for cooperation. – “As a Boeing company, we do not have a facility in Silesia. Our offices are located in Gdańsk, Warsaw and Rzeszów, so the choice was really related to the potential of the university. Knowledge, thematic richness of Silesian University of Technology, excellent infrastructure, teaching staff, students’ potential, research on aviation materials or engineering issues that are conducted here, have determined our choice.” - said President Honorata Hencel.
During the Aviation Industry Day, with the participation of scientists and students, a popular and scientific conference was also held, during which participants discussed, among others, the history, and prospects of the aviation industry in Poland and the region, as well as the Silesian Aviation Cluster and the Aviation Valley. There was also an aviation industry Trade Fair.
On the second day of the Aviation Week at the Katowice International Airport, the future of aviation was discussed. On Air Transport Day, the industry’s directions of development and the challenges that companies from the aviation sector will face in the near future were discussed.
Participants emphasized that apart from the COVID 19 pandemic, when air transport was experiencing a crisis for a while, we can see an upward trend in this industry. The President of the Upper Silesian Aviation Group - Artur Tomasik, also confirmed that the plan is a huge investment aimed at the development of the airport. The first implementation agreements will be signed this year.
“The Katowice Airport development plan by 2028 is comprehensive. Its key point is the construction of the main passenger terminal and the associated new road system. Equally important is the expansion of off-road parking, multi-level parking and the creation of a transfer centre – announced the President Tomasik and added that the entire investment will generate passenger traffic at the level of 7.5 million passengers per year by 2028. What is most important for the development of the industry – thanks to this investment, about eight thousand new jobs will be created.
- We meet these expectations. Silesian University of Technology knows forecasts that aviation will develop very quickly in the coming years – by 10 percent on a yearly basis. In the field of transport, we offer studies with the specialization in aviation mechanics and air navigation. The training is carried out in close cooperation with the companies where they can work. Such cooperation also allows students to obtain appropriate qualifications and certificates already during their studies - explained Prof. Bogusław Łazarz - Vice-Rector for General Affairs of the Silesian University of Technology.
During the conference it was emphasized that such a dynamic development of aviation in the region would not be possible without the presence of Poland in the European Union. The discussions on the future of aviation were attended by students of aviation faculties and specialties of the Silesian University of Technology.
The third day of Aviation Week was marked by unmanned aerial systems (UAS). At the Silesian Planetarium, specialists from the world of science, business, as well as civil and military services talked during a popular-scientific conference about wide applications of drones and bold prospects of drone technology development.
- My company provides drones to municipalities that use them, for example, to monitor air quality, or to create maps or inventory – says Tomasz Siwy, a graduate of the Silesian University of Technology, once one of the founders of the student science club High Flyers, and today the owner of the company Prodron, which deals with drone technologies. “The possibilities of drones are huge,” he adds.
The conference also discussed the use of drones in military aviation. Specialists emphasized that time is a very important issue with the use of unmanned aerial systems – drones allow instant detection of the target, its identification and, if necessary, destruction.
“Most of our systems are of dual use,” said Remigiusz Wilk, from WB Group, a Polish company specializing in the design and production of technologically advanced solutions in both the defence and civil sectors. “For example, the Fly Eye system introduced into the military is used to defend borders, while equipped with a thermal imaging head can be used as a support in extinguishing fires. Such a device can detect the source of fires even below the surface of the ground. We had such a situation in one of the national parks, where neither firefighters nor a manned plane could reach the peat fire. Such systems are also used to search for people, which can save and protect lives.
– At the Silesian University of Technology, we educate students in drone technologies, we consider them to be future-oriented, we invite all interested to study – emphasized Dr Hab. Eng. Marek Marcisz, prof. of Silesian University of Technology - the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering at SUT. - “We treat drones as the future of aviation, we talk about autonomous transport, but not only about vehicles, one day we will fly planes without a pilot.”
During the Day of Drones, you could check on flight simulators, as well as the state of knowledge about the safety of BSP operations. As part of the Aviation Week, there was a competition for secondary school pupils. In addition to their knowledge of security, primary and secondary school pupils were able to show off their skills in programming and piloting. As part of the Aviation Week at the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering of the Silesian University of Technology, there were also eliminations to the Junior Droniada finals. The teams had to fly through the obstacle course as quickly as possible and program the transport of the object to a hard-to-reach place.
- The aim of the competition is to popularize drone technologies, inspire children and young people and develop their interests in this direction from an early age - said Dr Eng. Aldona Rosner from the Continuing Education Centre - a branch of the Silesian University of Technology in Rybnik. - Both students and teachers were delighted with the atmosphere that prevailed during the competition, we are glad that teams came to us even from Przemyśl or Warsaw.
During the Aviation Week there could not be missing talks on aviation education, education, and training, which is why on Friday, 31 May, the conference “Aviation education in Poland and in the world” was organized at the Faculty of Transport and Aviation Engineering in Katowice.
The conference brought together representatives of universities offering aviation education in Poland and abroad, civil services, as well as from the business world.
“We have a number of graduates who work in aviation companies, but most importantly, they stayed at our university. This should guarantee in the future the fluidity of training at the Silesian University of Technology - said Dr Hab. Eng. Jarosław Kozuba, prof. of Silesian University of Technology, director of the Civil Aviation Personnel Training Centre of Central and Eastern Europe at the Silesian University of Technology. “Our task is to show young people the right patterns and ways of doing things, both when performing aviation activities and in everyday life, because aviation safety, which we put first, depends on the everyday lifestyle of a person. There is no room in the aviation environment for amateurs. Therefore, we need to examine whether these people can continue to be trained.”
The discussion panels did not lack discussions about aviation law regulations in relation to the training of aviation specialists. The quality of education as a determinant of flight safety was also discussed, among others, with psychological aspect in mind. The speakers emphasized the importance of educating responsible people.
"To ensure safety at the right level, we must first ensure the quality of education, and we can do this, among other things, by standardizing the rules. It is important that instructors and lecturers, regardless of the location of the training centre, transfer their knowledge in such a way that a student who meets with his or her peers from the industry from the other end of the world can talk to him or her in the same language and aviation slang at the highest level”. - explained Tomasz Pietrzak MSc, Eng, member of the National Commission for investigation of Aviation Accidents.
“Today, aviation is based on uniform rules. The basis for aviation cooperation is defined very clearly and as a university educating primarily for military aviation, more broadly for state aviation, we use cooperation with the Silesian University of Technology” - said General Brig. Dr Eng Ryszard Hać from the Polish Air Force Academy in Dęblin. – “Although the Silesian University of Technology has been conducting aviation training recently, it takes place with very experienced staff and exchange of experiences, also through such conferences, which is very necessary.”
The conference was also attended by representatives of the Technical University in Kosice, with which the Silesian University of Technology has been cooperating for four years The university from Slovakia has been educating aviation professionals for 65 years.
- “Cooperation with the Silesian University of Technology is very important for us” - said Docent. Eng. Robert Rozenberg, PhD, Eng. Paed.IGIP, head of the Aviation Department of the Technical University of Košice. – “I am glad that I was able to participate in this conference. We are in the European Union, so our lecturers teach according to the same principles as they are at the Silesian University of Technology. We try our best to prepare professional pilots and air traffic controllers.”
On Saturday, June 1, at the airport in Katowice Muchowiec, demonstrations of unmanned aerial vehicles took place. Spectators could admire flying models, and in the evening a night drone show.
“We are glad that this is where such an important event for aviation enthusiasts takes place. We are proud that at this facility, which is one of the oldest airports in the country, with the oldest operating aeroclub in Poland, models are shown, which is something that for those interested in aviation may have been unknown so far - said Michał Tomanek, President of the Silesian Aeroclub.
The aerobatic teams, which presented the possibilities of the models, were preparing for this performance with great commitment. The shows attracted a lot of aviation enthusiasts to the airport. Regardless of age, they admired the stunts performed by machines in the air with.
Sometimes we work on one such project for several years. Besides, the cost of making such a model is very high. The engine itself costs two or even three thousand euros – said Tomasz Bartela, a member of the Sport Modelling Club in Bobrowniki.
Visitors to the Katowice airport could get acquainted not only with Modelling Clubs, but also with associations from the region and uniformed services, which use the possibilities of unmanned flying vessels in their activities on a daily basis. These include the Polish Armed Forces, which on Saturday encouraged to join the army and develop competences in this area. Firefighters also showed their work.
"Today we present equipment that supports firefighters in operational activities. It is the only command and communication vehicle equipped with such advanced equipment. We use here the capabilities of drones, including their current monitoring systems. All data collected by drones can be quickly analysed and delivered to the participants of the action,” explained Wojciech Górecki from OSP Niegoszowice, who together with his fellow firefighters set up the company and produced a fire truck for special tasks.
In addition to professionals, among many people and stands that could be visited on Saturday to broaden the knowledge about unmanned aerial vehicles, there were also members of the Student Scientific Clubs of the Silesian University of Technology and representatives of schools who offer education in aviation classes.
The Aviation Week ended with the Air Picnic on June 2nd, at the airport in Gliwice. As part of the event, demonstrations of glider acrobatics, parachute jumps and show flights of airplanes were prepared.
The event was attended by the Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education, the authorities of the Silesian University of Technology, the City of Gliwice, students, and residents of the region.
- “We finish the Aviation Week at the Gliwice airport, in a place where we carry out practical training of pilots and aircraft mechanics, and soon also air traffic controllers. We are glad that there are so many aviation enthusiasts here, who can admire air shows, get acquainted with the beautiful aviation traditions and the offer of education at our university.” - said Prof. Arkadiusz Mężyk, Rector of the Silesian University of Technology.
- “I think that during the Aviation Week we managed to show what aviation looks like not only at the Silesian University of Technology, but also in region” - added prof Bogusław Łazarz, Vice-Rector for General Affairs.
Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Prof. Marek Gzik stressed that such events as the Aviation Week show how great the potential of Polish science is. – “Aviation Week is a good opportunity to present the scientific potential of Silesia. The event was one of 50 Science weeks, which are held as part of the celebrations of the European City of Science Katowice 2024 – says the Deputy Minister. Professor Gzik also stressed the importance of the university’s cooperation with business and local government. - Cooperation at the interface: Science, local government and business has a great chance to fuel the economy of our country” - he added.
- “Today’s event is another example of the fact that cooperation between the City of Gliwice and the Silesian University of Technology has a huge potential” - emphasized the president of Gliwice Katarzyna Kuczyńska-Budka. - “All aviation investments, as well as events like today, where we promote aviation, show how valuable it is. That is why we want to develop it. The city should boast of the Silesian University of Technology and use its potential for the development of the university itself and the city” – added the president.
During the picnic, in addition to air shows or glider aerobatics, participants could admire the training aircraft of the Silesian University of Technology, see a demonstration of works on a helicopter, and even a car constructed by university students. The aviation students talked about their passion. “Aviation for some is a passion of life, for others a way of life, and for others, an unfulfilled dream. The Aviation Week was an excellent opportunity to present the state of our aviation in the global, European, and regional context – concluded Dr Eng. Robert Wieszała from the Department of Air Transport at the Silesian University of Technology.
The Aviation week was held from May 27th to June 2nd, 2024.
The event is financed by the EU. The views and opinions expressed are those of the author or authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the European Union or the European Executive Agency Scientific Research (REA). The European Union and the REA are not responsible for them.
The event is also co-financed by the Silesian Voivodeship - Co-organizer of the European City of Science Katowice 2024.
