Ultralight aircraft, motor gliders, travel planes, helicopters and business jets can be seen in Friedrichshafen. There are also civil drones and electric flight taxis, which are becoming more and more popular in aviation. The range of e-flight-expo will also be expanded in 2020. Special exhibitions such as Avionics Avenue, Engine Area, Be a Pilot and Aerodrones / UAS Expo will continue. Helicopters of all sizes and types of propulsion can be found in the helicopter hangar and the flight simulator area is available again at Lake Constance. The two-day Lindbergh e-flight rally for electric aircraft takes place for the first time immediately before AERO. The participating electric trikes, three-axle vehicles and hybrid aircraft will then be presented at the trade fair.
Trade fair boss Klaus Wellmann, Roland Bosch as “Head of AERO” and project manager Tobias Bretzel emphasise that the economic opportunities for general aviation are still encouraging. In any case, AERO 2020 ensures that every aviation enthusiast finds the right aircraft.
Civil drones, ultralight aircraft, helicopters, single and multi-engine aircraft with piston engines, turboprops or business jets are presented. New drives, intelligent avionics, services and accessories related to flying are just as much a focus at AERO as offers for pilot training and career opportunities in general aviation.
Traditionally, the full range of all established manufacturers can be seen on Lake Constance, from single-piston or two-piston engines to aircraft with a propeller turbine. This large variety of types has been the backbone of general aviation for decades. The current high demand for school aircraft gives the aircraft manufacturers an additional boost. In addition, the latest model years of proven Echo-class machines as well as several trade fair innovations can be seen. Among them is even a world premiere: A German-Chinese company wants to present its new turboprop amphibious flying boat at AERO.
Business aviation has become one of the focal points at AERO. Multi-engine piston engine aircraft, especially turboprops and jets, form its core. Classic turboprop twins can also be seen on Lake Constance. For the manufacturers of business jets, there is currently also a good economic trend, as evidenced by the recent positive figures from the GAMA manufacturers’ association in autumn 2019. The whole range of business aviation from turbine single to multi-jet will be on display at AERO in the new Business Aviation re-sale area.
The eleventh edition of the e-flight expo will take place in 2020. More and more airplanes are getting an electric or hybrid drive today. This year, large corporations and numerous start-ups are also dealing with the development of electric flight projects, including numerous high-flyers, in view of the CO2 problem. For example, one of the giants in the field of aircraft propulsion will be represented at AERO with its new “Electric propulsion” area.
Electrically powered taxi drones have been in test operation since 2018, and flights from prototypes by German manufacturers are already manned. In 2020, more and more car manufacturers will take part in urban air mobility projects. Several flight taxis are already being tested.
The Lindbergh e-flight rally, which takes place for the first time directly in front of the AERO in Friedrichshafen, underlines the steadily growing importance of electric flight within aviation. Aerodrones / UAS Expo Civil drones play an increasingly important role in aviation, be it for aerial photography, surveillance or special tasks. This is reflected by a steadily growing participation in the special show Aerodrones / UAS Expo, which deals with the topic of “Drones in BOS use” on the first two days of the fair. Both manned and unmanned aircraft equipped with the latest sensor and measurement technology will be exhibited at AERO. These can also be experienced live in the Inflight Airfield for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS).
For the third time there is the Flight Simulator Area at AERO. The focus here is on flight simulation. This includes both pilot training and offers for anyone interested in piloting an aircraft or helicopter. This can be tried out live at numerous exhibitors. However, the Flight Simulator Area offers experienced VFR or IFR pilots training opportunities for further development as well as the opportunity to control a wide variety of aircraft on the simulator. The helicopter hangar will once again have its own hangar available to the rotary wing aircraft. You can see helicopters with piston engines or turbines from the areas of training, air rescue, work flights or police tasks. The first ultra-light helicopters in training have made it easier for aspiring helicopter pilots to get started in 2019, and at the same time also cheaper.
The successful special exhibition continues with “Be a Pilot 2020”. Both pilots and those interested in flight training meet here at a convenient time: pilots are currently being sought for steadily growing airline fleets in many parts of the world. The current increasing demand for training aircraft by flight schools underlines this development. “Be a Pilot” offers information and offers from both aviation and universities as well as from authorities and associations.
As part of the AERO Conferences in 2020 there will be more than 200 lectures, conferences and workshops on aviation topics. Interest groups such as AOPA, approval authorities such as EASA and FAA as well as the manufacturers’ associations GAMA and LAMA are present. Experts from the entire spectrum of general aviation inform and discuss at the AERO Conferences about current topics in aviation. The umbrella organisation for the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle with its symposium AERODrones is also involved here.
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