Unite in aviation: Joanneum Aeronautics takes flight
**Joanneum Aeronautics DBF Team Aims for Success in Wichita**
The Joanneum Aeronautics Design Build Fly (DBF) Team, a student-led initiative at FH Joanneum in Graz, Austria, is preparing to compete in the prestigious DBF contest organized by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). This year's competition will take place in Wichita, Kansas, in April 2022.
The DBF Team has previously represented Austria in the DBF contest, achieving their best result in 2019 with a third-place finish. This year, the team is working tirelessly to build their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) with the goal of delivering vaccines in the contest.
The DBF contest requires teams to complete three flight missions and one ground mission, with a jury evaluating their performances. The mission includes one flight without actual load, transport of syringes in containers, and a full-automatic deposit of the load without manual intervention.
Lucas Kappel, a resident at STUWO dormitory Smart Living in Graz, is a key member of the DBF Team. He is primarily responsible for fundraising and managing tasks such as planning travels and events, writing and maintaining project reports, organizing sponsors and supporters.
Kappel's passion for aviation led him to start a bachelor degree in Aviation at FH Joanneum in Graz in 2018. He is now pursuing a master's degree of the same name. His close proximity to FH Joanneum allows him to assist with building the UAV in the aviation laboratory within ten minutes.
The Joanneum Aeronautics is a student union of aviation enthusiasts at FH Joanneum, with three active teams: Team Drone Tech (TDT), Laviators, and the DBF Team. The DBF Team has been admitted to participate in the contest in the USA.
Wichita, known as the "Air Capital of the World," is a fitting location for the DBF contest. The city hosts various aviation-related events and exhibitions, including the Design Build Fly exhibit at Exploration Place, which provides a hands-on experience of aircraft manufacturing processes. Wichita is also home to significant aviation companies like Cessna Aircraft Company, which collaborates with local universities to enhance student experiences in aerospace engineering.
The DBF Team encourages readers to visit their blog "Hangartalk" on the FH Joanneum website and their social media platforms for updates on their progress. Kappel and the other members of the Joanneum Aeronautics are excited for the contest in April 2022 in Wichita, Kansas. Their goal is to design, build, and fly an unmanned aircraft in the DBF contest by the AIAA and make Austria proud once again.
The Joanneum Aeronautics DBF Team's extensive preparations for the DBF contest in Wichita, Kansas, include not only the manufacturing of their Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) but also delving into education-and-self-development through regular blog updates on their platform "Hangartalk" and discussions on their social media. The consolidation of technology and lifestyle in the team's pursuit of success is exemplified by Lucas Kappel, a student within the Joanneum Aeronautics union, who balances fundraising efforts and project management with his ongoing education in Aviation at FH Joanneum, eventually aiming to deliver vaccines through their UAV during the competition.
