We took a quick train ride today to the charming city of Delft. Delft lived up to its reputation as a smaller equivalent of Amsterdam, as it is often termed. Its tightly packed buildings, elaborate churches, and quaint canals gave off a feeling reminiscent of Amsterdam, which we all love so much.
But our primary reason for going to Delft was to investigate InHolland Delft, which is a division of InHolland University. It was fun to explore the subject of aviation engineering here. Learning about such a distinct and specialized field was incredibly fascinating. The fact that just 5–10% of their students are female really surprised me – that’s unheard of to me as a girl in the United States. We also had the chance to speak with two enthusiastic students (both female), who provided us with insightful information about both their experiences and the program overall, including their student run flight simulation.
InHolland’s Delft campus focuses on applied sciences, with a particular emphasis on Aeronautical Engineering. Our day began with a series of captivating presentations, the highlight of which traced the rich history, cultural significance, and technological advancements of aviation over the past 120 years. Humanity’s desire to “fly like a bird” and the freedoms that are associated with it gave rise to aviation. The goal of the field developed was to create quicker planes because of the military’s need during the two World Wars. In the end, we learned that the concept and curiosity of flying turned into the more consumer heavy end of comfortability and traveling around the world. As the industry matured, the focus shifted towards meeting the demands of commercial flights, and now, in the present, our attention is mainly on building more efficient and environmentally sustainable aircrafts. This led to the second half of our day, which was dedicated to a workshop where we were divided into our teams. Our task was to design, test, redesign, and fly model airplanes constructed from foam board, tape, and improvised weights. I found myself observing the design process, as I wasn’t exactly sure of what I was doing.
The hands-on nature of the project provided real-time feedback, allowing us to refine our design based on test runs, repairs, and alterations. Achieving the correct balance was crucial for stability, height and distance. Our ultimate challenge was to compete against other teams based on the distance flown and the precision of our gliders’ paths. This exercise not only tested our engineering/team-working skills but also immersed us in the mindset of taking a concept from ideation to execution, with the judges’ criteria mirroring real-world customer expectations. As a business/accounting major with no engineering or technical background I was surprised we came in third!
Once our planes had been tested and scored, the Bursic’s so kindly treated us to a delightful sweet treat. We indulged in delicious milkshakes topped with donuts, all while surprisingly experiencing our first rainfall in the Netherlands. Afterward, we embarked on a charming canal tour of Delft, where we delved into the city’s rich architectural history and learned about its iconic bridges.
