The 13th “Night at the Institute of Aviation” was held on October 4, 2024. This year’s edition of the educational and scientific picnic attracted about 46,000 visitors, who were treated to open research laboratories, exhibitions of aircraft and machinery, as well as meetings with engineers, scientists and pilots.
“Night at the Institute of Aviation” is the only night of the year during which one can visit laboratories that are inaccessible on a daily basis, where research is conducted for aviation, space and related industries.
Science acts as a magnet
During this year’s event, the Institute opened new spaces, such as a 3D printing center and a vacuum chamber in the newly opened Rocket and Satellite Propulsion Laboratory Center. Visitors could also see the WR-2 rocket launcher with a technological model of the ILR-33 AMBER 2K rocket, which crossed the space frontier this July. The composite, hybrid and rocket propulsion laboratories were also open once again, and drone technology capabilities were on display. For the last time, it was also an opportunity to take a look at the largest wind tunnel in Poland, which will undergo a major upgrade starting next year.
“Our event has a huge power of attraction which is very encouraging for us, because what we show has tremendous educational value. We show technology and science in a very attractive way, and the level of knowledge provided is adapted to different age groups. Our role is not only to explain, but also to inspire people to choose an engineering path in their future careers”, says Paweł Stężycki, PhD., Eng., director of the Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation.
Attractions for everyone
“Night at the Institute of Aviation” is a celebration of Polish science and technology which also included numerous exhibitors from research institutes, technical universities, foundations, associations, student science circles and industry companies. During the current edition, more than 100 different attractions were displayed – from a static exhibition of aircraft, helicopters, drones, robots, simulators to engine firing demonstrations, lectures and numerous booth activities. As an added attraction, passenger planes flew over the Institute’s grounds, taking off and landing at the nearby Chopin Airport.
“Despite the autumn weather, we managed to gather a large number of visitors, which shows that the program of attractions met the needs and interests of different groups. From the youngest who could look at large machines and sit with their parents, for example, in the airport fire truck, to slightly older who were eager to visit our laboratories, participate in lectures or try their hand at flight simulators” adds Paweł Stężycki, PhD Eng., director of the Łukasiewicz – Institute of Aviation.
The event was held under the honorary patronage of the Minister of Science, the Ministry of National Defense, the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, the Mayor of Warsaw, the President of the Łukasiewicz Center, the Civil Aviation Office, the Polish Space Agency, Warsaw University of Technology, the Aeronautical Military Academy, the Polish Chamber of Commerce of Advanced Technologies, the Copernicus Science Center, the Polish Airports, the Chopin Airport, Polish Air Navigation Services Agency, National Fire Service Headquarters, Polish Aeroclub and Warsaw Aeroclub.
A photo gallery of the event is available at this link.
