Excursions
FLURUS organizes excursions several times a year to companies in the aerospace industry and to the two well-known air shows in Berlin and Paris.
To register for one of these excursions, you will receive an email via the semester mailing list a few weeks beforehand.
Note for students without EU citizenship: Selected excursions are only possible with EU citizenship or permissible citizenship. The companies/institutions decide on a case-by-case basis whether participation is possible. You can find a list of countries (as of August 2023) with citizenships that are not permitted for certain excursions here.
Major Excursions:
Nordfahrt
The Nordfahrt takes us to Hamburg, the German center of aircraft construction. During a guided tour at Airbus in Finkenwerder, we get to see the modern series production of the A320 family. Accompanied by lectures, this provides a unique insight into aircraft manufacturing. And if you’re lucky, you can also admire the Belugas during takeoff and landing.
One day later, a visit to Lufthansa Technik follows, offering a good insight into aircraft maintenance and equipping. Here, aircraft are adapted to special customer wishes, or commercial aircraft and their engines are disassembled, serviced, and reassembled. In addition, LHT offers an interesting case study, lectures, and a tour of the simulators.
The beautiful Hanseatic city not only offers technology. Since you have a full day for sightseeing, you can also view the gigantic container ships in the port, the Michels, or the historical and modern architecture of the harbor city.
Contact: nordfahrt@flurus.de
Cost: approx. €100
Duration: approx. 4 days (one day travel, two days at the companies, one day free time)
Südfahrt
Munich is one of the most important locations of the German aerospace industry and has a particular focus on propulsion. In addition, numerous exciting start-ups have settled in Munich, which are also part of the Südfahrt.
At Airbus Defence & Space, we get an insight into satellite component manufacturing, and at Ariane Group into the development and production of thrust chambers for Europe’s launch vehicles. Bauhaus Luftfahrt presents exciting concepts for the future of flying. At Isar Aerospace, participants get a direct insight into rocket manufacturing. Other companies are Blackwave and IABG.
Contact: suedfahrt@flurus.de
Cost: approx. €60 to €100
Duration: approx. 2 days (two days at the companies), one overnight stay
Spacefahrt
It will definitely be space-related in Bremen. The Hanseatic city offers many different institutions and companies that bring people into space.
The DLR Institute of Space Systems provides insight into the research and development of space missions. Be it a test facility to simulate landing behavior on foreign celestial bodies or the behavior of liquid oxygen. Many missions have already been developed here that are floating throughout space.
The ZARM (Center of Applied Space Technology and Microgravity) is easily recognizable from afar. In the drop tower, which remotely resembles a rocket, experiments are brought into weightlessness for a few valuable seconds. Whether mechanisms for space missions, physical experiments for atomic recognition, or student projects, ZARM offers an interesting opportunity to make them float.
If you want to go into space, you first have to reach great heights. Ariane Group builds the upper stage of the Ariane 5 and future Ariane 6 in Bremen for this purpose. In addition, Airbus Defence & Space supplies the service module for the American Orion spacecraft. If you’ve always wanted to see manufacturing through windows into the cleanroom, you’re in the right place. You can’t get any closer. Furthermore, a 1:1 model of the ISS and the Spacelab can be visited.
OHB builds and develops many satellites for numerous missions in Bremen. Whether it’s the Galileo GNS satellites or a carrier for a Mars mission, OHB shows the diversity of satellite missions in lectures and a tour of the showrooms in the cleanroom.
Premium Aerotec at the site does not manufacture anything for space, but also offers cutting-edge technology for the aviation industry. The tour provides a great insight into modern series production of sheet metal forming components as well as modern thermoplastic forming.
Contact: spacefahrt@flurus.de
Cost: approx. €100
Duration: approx. 3 days
ILA Berlin / Paris Air Show
Every year, the ILA and Le Bourget air shows take place alternately in Berlin and Paris, to which we always offer an excursion with about 80 participants. Usually, you travel to the city on the trade visitor days, spend two days at the trade fair, and give participants one day of free time before heading back to Stuttgart (usually as a night trip).
Contact: lebourget@flurus.de or ila@flurus.de
Cost: approx. €180
Duration: approx. 4 days (one day travel, two days at the fair, one day free time)
Additional Excursions:
In addition to our 4 or 5 major excursions, you also have the opportunity to join day excursions. The dates are usually set only a few weeks in advance and will be communicated to you by email.
Airbus Helicopters
The excursion to Airbus Helicopters takes place every year in the middle/end of the lecture period of the summer semester. We travel as a group in private cars to Donauwörth and get a factory tour of the site and through the halls, where we will see the production of military and civilian helicopters, as well as the production of doors for Airbus aircraft. After lunch, there is an interesting technical lecture with varying content on the topic of helicopters.
Apart from a contribution towards fuel costs for the driver of the car you are traveling in, the excursion is free. Usually, you start early in the morning at the university and return there in the afternoon/evening.
Wehrtechnische Diensstelle 61 (WTD 61)
WTD 61 is the Bundeswehr’s technical center for aircraft and aviation equipment, which deals with the qualification and technical assessment of all newly developed and flying systems from industry. This includes conducting flight tests and ground trials to evaluate airworthiness and participation in air traffic.
The excursion takes place irregularly in coordination with the German Air Force. Participants can expect exciting tours directly at military aircraft and lectures on career opportunities at the Bundeswehr. Travel to Manching (near Ingolstadt) is by Bundeswehr bus. Participation is free.
MTU Aero Engines AG (Munich)
Once a year, in addition to the Südfahrt, we offer an excursion to MTU Aero Engines AG in Munich. Since the number of participants is limited to 20 by MTU, MTU cannot be visited as part of the Südfahrt. Participants can expect an exciting tour of the MTU Museum and selected departments on the factory premises, as well as technical lectures. The excursion lasts one day, and travel is by participants’ own cars.
European Transonic Windtunnel (Cologne) + Airbus Bremen
The excursion to the European Transonic Windtunnel (ETW) is organized in cooperation with IAG and Airbus. On the first day, the ETW in Cologne is visited. There, the functional principle of the tunnel is explained, and the most important components are seen during the tour. Afterwards, the journey continues to Bremen, where a stop is made at Airbus the next day. Participants can expect exciting tours and technical lectures. At the Airbus site, there are insights into the Ariane program and wing assembly. The journey was last made by train. The excursion is largely financed by IAG and Airbus; only a small participation fee of approx. €10 is charged.
Lufthansa Technik AG (suspended until further notice)
The excursion to Lufthansa Technik always takes place in spring and goes to the base in Frankfurt, right at the airport. There is a factory tour where it is possible to view the aircraft up close and also take a look into the cockpit. Afterwards, there are some interesting lectures on the topic ‘Working at Lufthansa Technik’. Among other things, these also cover internship opportunities and thesis projects. In between, there is lunch in the company’s own canteen.
The entire trip to Frankfurt and the factory visit are free. Usually, the bus starts early in the morning and returns to Stuttgart in the late afternoon.
Propulsion Excursion (Berlin)
In cooperation with the Institute of Aerospace Propulsion of the University of Stuttgart (ILA), this is an excursion for 20 students to the greater Berlin area. Visited companies include Rolls-Royce Deutschland at the Dahlewitz/Blankenfelde-Mahlow site, MTU Maintenance Berlin-Brandenburg in Ludwigsfelde, and AneCom AeroTest in Wildau. The excursion lasts 2 days and travel is by train and bus, possibly in the future also by car.
Diehl Aerospace (Frankfurt)
Visit to Diehl Aerospace in Frankfurt. It is a day excursion and travel is by carpool.
Further day excursions of recent years:
- Liebherr-Aerospace Lindenberg GmbH (Lindenberg, Bodensee)
- Spacetech and Airbus Defense & Space (Immenstaad, Bodensee)
- Collins Aerospace (Heidelberg)
If you have further ideas or even contacts, feel free to come by. You are welcome to organize an excursion yourself or help us with our current work. Or, of course, simply provide input.