ClubHistory
ClubHistory
StanfordFlightClubwasfoundedin2014(originallycalledSUAVE)byeight aerospaceundergraduates,graduates,andalumniseeingtheneedforhands-on, appliedaerospaceengineeringoncampus.Sincethen,theprogramhas expandedintoamuchbroaderscope.StanfordFlightClubwelcomesstudents fromanymajorwithinterestinaviation,engineering,oradesiretotry somethingnew.Throughstudentleadprojectteams,memberslearncrucial skillsforacademiaandindustry.Activitiesincludeparticipationinintercollegiate competitions,providingfundingandtoolsforstudentleadprojects,and providingpartnershipswithresearchlabsandaerospacecompanies.
ProjectTeams
Design,BuildFly(DBF)
•THEintercollegiateaircraftdesigncompetition
•Design,manufacture,andflyanunmannedelectricaircraftagainst100 otheruniversityteams
SolarPlane
•Design,build,andflytheworld’slongestflyingsolarpoweredunmanned aircraft
•Autonomouscoast-to-coastflightwithtravelfortesting
Balloonerang
•CollaborationbetweenSSIBalloonsandFlightClub
•Designanautonomousballoonpayloadrecoverysystemleveragingflight autonomy,parachuteejectionsystems,andlongrangeradio
AUVSI
•Competeinthe2023AUVSISUAScompetitionwithinternationalteams
•Theaircraftwillperformautonomouspathfinding,obstacleavoidance, imagedetectionandclassification,localizationandmapping,packagedrop, takeoffandlanding
HumanAviation
•Providessupporttoprospectiveandlicensedpilotswithflyingevents, groundschoolstudying,mentorship,andflighttrainingsupport
•Acommunityforpilotstosharetheirloveofflying
GettingInvolved
StanfordFlightClubisproudtobeopentoallstudents, withoutrequiringanapplication,dues,orminimumtime commitment.Allprojectsaredesignedtobeinclusiveof membersregardlessofpreviousexperience.
ThebestwaytogetinvolvedinFlightClubistojoinoneofourprojects.Todo so,checkourcalendarformeetingtimes,seeusataFlyDay,andjoinuson Slack.Visit flightclub.stanford.eduforinstructionsandlinks.
Design,Build,Fly
Design-Build-Fly(DBF)isanexciting intercollegiatecompetitionwhere teamsfromallovertheworlddesign, build,and(youguessedit!)fly unmannedelectricaircraftinanoholds-barredcontestofengineering prowess,ingenuity,andnot-crashingability.RunningfromOctoberthrough April,theDesign-Build-Flycompetition seesover100universityteamscreate high-performanceaircraftdesigned fromthegrounduptotacklerealworldchallenges–fromremotevaccine deliveriestoaerialreconnaissanceand surveillance.

Byjoiningthisprojectteam,students willexperiencetheentireaircraft developmentlifecyclefrom requirementsandinitialconcept throughflighttestandoperation.Ever wonderwhysomeplanesutilizealowwingconfigurationwhileothersfavora high-wingsetup?Learnabout aerodynamicsandaircraft configurationsaswemakethesesame decisionsdevelopingourownaircraft. Interestedinworkingwithcarbon fibercomposites,CNCmachines,3D
printers,andotherindustrymaterials andequipment?DBFhasitall.Maybe youjustwanttoseesomethingyou builtwithyourownhandstake gracefullytotheskies.Well,wefeelthe exactsameway!Nomatteryour interests,thereisaplaceforyouin DBF.
Beyondjustthereal-worldexperience, thisprojectwillalsohelpcatapultyour engineeringcareerlikeanF-18offan aircraftcarrier.Design-Build-Flyis organizedbytheAmericanInstituteof AeronauticsandAstronautics(AIAA), thenation’sdefinitiveaerospace professionalorganization.Assuch,itis recognizedandrespectedbyschools, companies,andaerospaceprofessionals allovertheworldandiscontestedby universitiesrangingfromMITtoEmbry RiddletotheUniversityofNewSouth Wales.DBFisafantasticwayto networkwithfellowengineering studentsandexpertsalike,buildup yourresume,andflycirclesaroundthe competition!
We’llseeyouattheflightline.
SolarPlane
Theneedforsustainableaviationis greaterthanever.TheStanfordSolar AirplaneProjectgivesstudentshandsonexperiencebuildingarecord breakingsolarpoweredelectric airplanewiththeeventualgoalofflying, continuouslyandautonomously,coast tocoastintheUS.Thisambitiousgoal willrequireambitiousstudentsto design,prototype,andtestmultiple prototypesatmultiplestagesofthe engineeringprocess.
Theprojectisdividedintothree milestones:avionicstestbed, aerodynamicscalemodel,andfinalfullscalemodel.Thecurrent,ambitious, timelineistoflytheavionicsand aerodynamicmodelsinwinter2023, andtoflythefinalfull-scalemodelat theendofspring2023.Thisisavery shorttimelineforaverycomplex problem.Studentswillneedtobe highlymotivated,organized,decisive, deliberate,andexecuting.
Thefinalairplanewillbeentirelysolar powered,fullyautonomous,andhighly robust.Apreliminaryestimate indicatesawingspanof200inches. Theaircraftwillbedesignedfrom scratchbystudents.Thehighaspect ratiowingswillbemadeofcarbon fiberlaminates.
Theavionicswillbetightlyintegrated withtheairframeandcomprehensive, recordingandsubmittingtelemetryvia satellite,4G,orlongrangeradio.The controlsystemwillbeadvanced, allowingcrewstooperatetheaircraft safelyforlongperiodsoftime.Mission Controldisplayswillshowtelemetry data,controls,weather,andother missiondata.Thesesystemsand otherswillbedesignedbystudents andreviewedbyprofessorsandother industryleaders.
Studentswillhavetheopportunityto undergoarigorousengineering programexperiencefromideationto designreviewtoconstructionand testing.Theprocesswillbethoroughly reviewedanddocumentedgiving studentscriticalskillsinacademic writingandpresentation.Itis expectedthatstudentswhoparticipate intheprogramwillbeacquaintedwith andeducatedonalargenumberof skillsrequiredforworkinthe aerospaceandotherrelatedindustries.
Studentswillnetworkwithprofessors, companies,andotherengineersmaking importantconnectionsand contributionswiththisresearch.
Studentswillhavemadeameaningful impactonthefutureofaviationand sustainability.

Balloonerang
Balloonerangisajointproject betweenSSIBalloonsandtheFlight Clubthataddressestheproblemof balloonpayloadrecovery.Most balloonpayloadsthatSSIlaunches arelostwhentheballoonburstsand fallsbacktotheground.Theselosses canbecostlygiventhevarious sensorsandradiosthatusuallymake upastandardballoonpayload.
Balloonerangaimstoaddressthis challengebycreatingagliderto housethepayloadandautonomously landitinapredefined,accessible location–usuallyneararoador town.Thisgliderwillautomatically cut-downfromtheballoonbeforeit burstsandthennavigatetoalanding site.Real-timetelemetrydatacanbe receivedusinganonboardradio communicatingwiththeIridium
ProjectGrants
Projectgrantssupportmembers pursuinginterestsnotalready coveredbyoneofFlightClub’s projects.Inthepastthesehave includedbuyingdrones,buildingan RCplanekits,anddesigninga massivecardboardairplane.Grants canbeappliedforanytime,andare awardedyearround.Projectscanbe forindividualsorgroupsofanysize, andmembersnotalreadyinFlight Clubarewelcometojoinonthe project.

Low-orbitsatellitenetworkwhich SSI’sserverscanbelinkedto.Asthe gliderapproachesitsdestination,an altitude-triggeredparachutewill deploytoslowthedescentrate. Thisisahighlyambitiousproject. Currentlytheprogramisfocusingon developingarobustparachute deploymentsystemaswellasa gliderfuselage.Prototypingthese componentswillnotonlybenefit Balloonerang,butwillbeauseful technologyforotherSSIBalloons andFlightClubprojects.The programwelcomesanyone interestedinthefieldsofelectrical engineering,computerscience,and aerospace/mechanicalengineeringto takeonakeyroleinthisendeavor. Ouronboardingwillfocusonthe gliderdesignprocess.Noprior experienceisrequired.
Toapply,filloutaformwithafew questionsontheproject.The leadershipteamwillreviewand awardresearchgrantstopursuethe project.Therearenolimitsonthe amountoffundingstudentscan requestorwhatonecanpurchase, solongasit’sinsupportofFlight Club’sgoalofsupportingaerospace andaviation.
AUVSI
“Thecompetitionrequiresstudentstodesign, integrate,reporton,anddemonstrateaUAS capableofautonomousflightandnavigation, remotesensingviaonboardpayloadsensors,and executionofaspecificsetoftasks.The competitionhasbeenheldannuallysince2002. ThecompetitionfocusesonUnmannedAerial Systems(UAS)performingautonomous missions.Manyofthetasksrequireautonomyto beeligible,andothersreceivemorepointsfor autonomy.”

Studentswilldevelopanaircraftto competeinthe2023AUVSISUASCompetition, whichdrawsteamsfromallovertheworld. Studentswillgainexperiencefollowingahighly rigorousdevelopmentscheduleandprocess. Skillssoughtafterareleadership,teamwork, projectmanagementoflargescaleprojects, fundraising,CAD,CAM,programming, electronicssystemsdesign,flighttesting,radio engineering,soldering,machining,composites layup,andmanymore.Itisexpectedthat studentswhoparticipateintheprogramwillbe acquaintedwithandeducatedonalargenumber ofskillsrequiredforworkintheaerospaceand otherrelatedindustries.Studentswillnetwork withprofessors,companies,andotherengineers makingimportantconnectionsandcontributions withthisresearch.Studentswillhavemadea meaningfulimpactonthefutureofautonomous flight.
Aviation
StanfordFlightClubseekstopromotegeneral aviationinterestwithintheStanfordcommunity. Studentsinterestedinpursuingprivatepilots licensesaswellasexistinglicensedpilotsofall levelscanconnectandformacommunity.We providesupporttopilotsofalllevelssuchas studysessions,mentors,discoveryflights, guidanceinone’straining,andmore.This includeseventssuchasfly-ins,groupflights, airshows,andmuseumvisits.
Workspace
Ourworkspaceisopentoallsafety-trainedFlightClubmembers!Locatedin Stanford’sCedarHallneartheengineeringquad,FlightClub'shomebaseis heretohelpstudentsturnyourideasintoreality.Equipmentincludes3D printers,rawmaterials,planeparts,andalasercutter.

AllStanfordstudentsarewelcometovisitcedarhallduringteammeetings. Membersactiveonaprojectcanget24houraccessbycompletingthe following:
1.Completethesafetytour.Thisisusuallydoneduringyourfirstvisit,justa briefwalkthroughofhowtoworksafely
2.CompleteEHS-4200andEHS-1900STARStraining(sendamessagein slackforassistancefindingandcompletingtheserequiredtrainings)
3.Completetheformonflightclub.sites.stanford.edu/cedar
4.ReceivetheCedarHallaccesscodeviaslackonceallthepaperworkis complete
5.Additionaltrainingisavailabletograntusetospecializedequipmentand processessuchasCNCmachinesandcompositesprocessing.
FlyDays
Flydaysareagreatwaytodestressafterabusyweek,soakupsomeSaturday sun,socializewithotherstudents,andhoneyourskillsasamodelaircraftpilot. They'realsowhenprojectteamsandexperimentaldesignerscometotesttheir aircrafts,occasionallyaccompaniedbyaspectacularcrash.Allstudents, regardlessofaffiliationwithFlightClub,arewelcometoattendFlyDaysand learntoflywiththeassistanceofanexperiencedpilot.FlydaysareheldbiweeklyonSaturdaysat10amandarepostedonthecalendarontheFlightClub website.