Various aviation businesses are very successfully developed in Bulgaria, where students from the Technical University are realized, said Assoc. Prof. Christian Panayotov

Various aviation businesses are developing very successfully in Bulgaria, some of which are related to the technical operation and servicing of aircraft, as well as production. This was said at the presentation of LIK magazine – “The Bulgarian Track in Space” at the National Press Club of BTA in Plovdiv, Assoc. Dr. Eng. Christian Panayotov, Deputy Director of the Technical University (TU) – Sofia, Plovdiv branch and lecturer in the department “Transport and aviation equipment and technologies”. The new issue of the magazine is dedicated to the 45th anniversary of the flight into Earth orbit of the first Bulgarian cosmonaut Georgi Ivanov and the contribution of Bulgarian science to space research.

Given the increased demand for personnel, the interest in the “Aviation Engineering and Technologies” specialty is growing, and its graduates are successfully realized all over the world thanks to the internationally recognized diploma they receive. “Lufthansa Technik Sofia” (Lufthansa Technik Sofia), for example, has an extremely large base, with a need for many personnel, and provides an opportunity for TU students to do their internship or internship, the associate professor pointed out. Thus, they can touch in real conditions aircraft such as Airbus A320 (Airbus A320), Boeing 737 (Boeing 737) and participate in the real maintenance process. Panayotov commented that the French aviation company “Latecoere” for the production of aircraft parts is developing very successfully in Plovdiv and doors, the nose part, parts of the cabinets for the computers in the planes are produced in the city. A large number of TU engineers work there. “It’s safe to say that if you’ve flown in recent years, most likely the plane you’ve flown has been serviced or parts made by university students,” said the associate professor.

The university is proud of a large number of students realized in Europe, America and the whole world. The aeronautical engineer Alexander Marinosyan, who is a very successful designer and is actively involved in the construction of light, two-seater aircraft, is also a graduate of TU.

Aerodynamics of aircraft, engines, flight dynamics are studied in the “Aviation Technology and Technologies” specialty. Upon completion of this specialty, the diploma is internationally recognized and specialists can work anywhere in the world. In recent years, various projects have been successfully completed at the university, including a Competence Center project. “Many of our laboratories were equipped with modern equipment. We have an aerodynamics laboratory that allows us to carry out all types of measurements, to look into the hidden side of aerodynamics and see what is invisible – the air currents or how the lift of the plane,” said Panayotov. The university also has a flight simulator lab and metal 3D printer labs.

Last year, more than 90 percent of the places in the TU branch in Plovdiv were filled by the state order. Indicators for this year show that interest is growing, the associate professor said. About 15 specialists graduate annually in the “Aviation Engineering and Technologies” specialty. The specialty is of a boutique nature, we are developing in a more specialized field, but there is interest, Panayotov pointed out. According to him, applicants are often involved in aviation modeling clubs or their parents are part of the sector.