What does the journey from a first idea to a glider that can actually take flight look like?
Participants of the first edition of the Next Engineers: Engineering Academy in Warsaw have been developing their own glider projects, learning in practice how the process of designing, building, and preparing aircraft for flight really works. Their work on the constructions began with a special meeting with Łukasz Grabowski – glider pilot, member of the Polish national team, and current World and European Champion in the 15-meter class.
Łukasz, a graduate of the Faculty of Power and Aeronautical Engineering at Warsaw University of Technology and an engineer at GE Aerospace, introduced participants to the fundamentals of aerodynamics, aircraft design, and glider construction. The meeting became the starting point for further work on the participants’ own projects, which they continued to develop throughout the program.
Learning from a Gliding Champion
During the session, participants discussed aerodynamics, decision-making during flight, and how engineering solutions influence the behavior of a glider in the air. It was an opportunity to connect topics explored in the program with the real-life experience of someone who combines competitive aviation with modern engineering on a daily basis.
Engineering in Practice
The workshops showed participants that engineering is, above all, a process built on experimentation, analysis, and continuous improvement. By working on their own constructions, students developed technical skills, learned teamwork, and discovered how important precision, collaboration, and testing are in real engineering environments.
The meeting with Łukasz Grabowski also showed participants that passion for aviation and technology can lead to extraordinary achievements – both in sports and in the world of advanced engineering and innovation.
Final Testing and Project Showcase
Today, participants have already completed their glider constructions and recently tested the final versions of their projects. Soon, they will present the results of their work and the solutions they developed throughout the program.
