Are you a Penn student passionate about flying things and loves to build? If so, PennAiR could be the perfect place for you.
The Fall 2024 Application has opened (Link below)! The application consists of a general questionnaire and team-specific technical challenges. The technical challenges are designed to be difficult, so all we are looking for is your best effort. You do not have to get everything correct to get into the club. We also have info sessions and office hours in place to help. Ask us lots of questions!
The meeting schedule for this year will consist of a mandatory weekend team-specific meeting and a more optional technical build session. Team members are expected to contribute 6 hours per week across mandatory meetings and working on projects outside of meetings. Please take note of the tentative meeting times below when applying:
Mechanical: Saturdays 3-6 pm | Software: Saturdays 1-4 pm | Operations: TBD (More flexible)
Regular build sessions are expected to be held on Wednesday nights (not strictly required)
Important Dates:
September 2nd @ 2 pm – Come learn more about the club at our info session in Wu & Chen Auditorium (Levine Hall). You’ll also get to meet some existing members and subteam leads.
September 4th & 5th @ 12-3 pm – We’ll be at the ESAC Fair in Levine Hall Lobby, similar in style to the SAC fair.
September 5th & 18th, 7-9 pm – Office hours for the technical challenges in Towne M81. (More details in the technical challenge documents)
September 7th @ 11:59 pm EST – Priority Application Deadline
September 20th @ 11:59 pm EST – Regular Application Deadline
Common Q & A:
What does the club do?
We design and build at least one new electric airplane from scratch every year. The software team programs controls and autonomous capability of the airplane. The goal is to provide members with valuable hands-on experience and direct industry connections to jumpstart their careers.
Do you need any prior experience/knowledge?
No experience is required! We provide workshops to help train members and get everyone up to speed. Some basic knowledge in coding could be useful for software, but if you are willing to put in the work you could learn everything from scratch.
What are some advantages of joining the club?
Great community; Invaluable hands-on experience; Direct industry connections to top companies (Tesla, Leonardo Helicopters, etc); Social events with free-ish food; Fun to see things fly (and sometimes crash)
What’s the time commitment like?
~6 hours per week; 3 hours in mandatory weekend team meetings, 3 hours of tasks more flexible spread throughout the week
Can I apply to multiple teams?
Yes, but be mindful of the extra time commitment required. You are of course welcome to apply to multiple teams and choose one to join upon acceptance. Just fill out the application multiple times.
