We launched the National Flying Laboratory Centre (NFLC) fundraising campaign in April 2019, and we pushed ourselves to raise £3 million to purchase and modify a new Saab 340B to become the new flying classroom. Since then, our community of alumni and friends have shown us tremendous support and we are hugely grateful to everyone who has supported the campaign.
Attending a class in an aircraft in flight is an unforgettable experience and our flying classroom offers this chance. It is a one-of-a-kind experience as we are the only university in Europe to offer this opportunity.
As one of our alumni explains, “You can’t overstate the value of this flight experience to many generations of new aeronautical engineers. I still remember details of those flights, and their impressions on me, so many years and flying hours later.”
In the video below Akshaya and Callum share what the support of Cranfield alumni and friends does every day.
The support of Cranfield alumni and friends has made a difference to thousands of young people
With their help, we’ve purchased the new Saab 340B, replacing the ageing Jetstream 31, and in our first full year of flying, we’ve boosted flight capacity - giving many more students from Cranfield and around the UK first-hand experience of different flight regimes.
The NFLC has the potential to inspire young people to imagine a future in aviation and aerospace. We plan to develop our STEM outreach activity and take the aircraft to school children living in disadvantaged areas around the UK.
We still need to raise the funds required to finalise the installation of the satellite communications and to help us to cover the costs of the STEM outreach activities, so that we can create unique learning opportunities for school children in the UK and beyond. In doing so, we can improve and transform the lives of young people by inspiring them and sparking their interest in careers in aviation and aerospace.
The NFLC is just one area of our work in aerospace and aviation. Last year we achieved a milestone with the first flight ever by a British-designed and built, all-electric conventional aeroplane. After taxi tests and “low hops”, the single-seat Sherwood eKub made its first flight of 10 minutes and then a second flight later in the day of 22 minutes.
Every day we’re working to find solutions to challenges we face. From research into sustainable and digital aviation to supporting female talent, we’re changing the world for the better.
Want to know more?
If you would like to help us, please consider making a . You could also sponsor a part of the Saab 340B. Every gift, no matter the size, gets us closer to our goal and by supporting us, you join our global community of donors.
Finally, whether you make a gift or share our story we couldn’t do it without you, thank you!
