The Department of Aeronautics is an organizational unit of the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences, University of Zagreb, which carries out the Aeronautics university study programme. In addition to teaching activities, the Department conducts scientific research and professional work in the field of aeronautics. Today, it consists of a team of 20 teachers and experts who represent the multidisciplinary character of the field of aeronautics.
This academic year we are celebrating 30 years of the Aeronautics university study programme at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences and in the Republic of Croatia. The anniversary will be marked with different activities organized throughout the year.
HISTORY
The university study programme of aeronautics was established in 1992 by the decision of the government of the Republic of Croatia and was comprised of two study programmes at the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences. The first programme was a university undergraduate study programme of aeronautics, military pilot specialization (VII. level), while the second one was a vocational study programme of aeronautics, civil pilot and air traffic control specialization. (VI. level).
By adopting the Bologna Declaration in 2005 and implementing the Bologna process in the higher education system in Croatia, the aeronautics study programme was organized into a 3+2 structure, that is, three years of undergraduate study programme with civil pilot, military pilot and air traffic controller modules and two years of graduate study programme with three elective modules, civil module, military flight training module and military science module. Upon completion of study programmes students acquire the qualification of university bachelor of science in aeronautics and university master of science in aeronautics.
CERTIFICATION
Given that our study programme provides education for future engineers whose work will directly affect flight safety, our programme is strictly regulated by international aviation regulations and professional requirements. Consequently, our undergraduate study programme is certified by the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency because it comprises the training content for obtaining pilot and air traffic controller licenses, in accordance with European regulations and the requirements of the European Aviation Safety Agency.
HUSK and HZNS
The Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences established two special organizational units authorized by the Croatian Civil Aviation Agency to carry out professional training for pilots and air traffic controllers – Croatian Aviation Training Center (HZNS) and Croatian Air Traffic Control Training Center (HUSK). The Faculty owns a fleet of 5 aircraft and a sophisticated flight simulator for practical training of pilots, located at the Lučko airport, and an advanced radar simulator for air traffic control, located at the University Campus Borongaj.
MILITARY PILOT MODULE
The special value of the study programme is the military pilot module at the undergraduate level and the military module at the graduate level of study, both of which are conducted with the support of the Ministry of Defense and the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia. Only students who have been accepted into cadet service and given a scholarship by the Ministry of Defense can enroll in this module at the undergraduate level. They continue their education at the graduate level following the mandatory 3+2 model for Croatian Air Force officers. Flight training and military-professional courses for our students of the military pilot module are conducted at the Rudolf Perešin Air Force Training Center in Zadar with the support of the Croatian Military Academy.
AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS
30th anniversary of the Aeronautics study programme brings us excellent results in scientific research. We would like to mention that two members of the Department of Aeronautics are this year’s recipients of the Dean’s award for exceptional achievements. Postdoctoral candidate Bruno Antulov-Fantulin for exceptional scientific contribution for obtaining a patent for the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences for his invention „Air Traffic Control System Operation Procedure“ and Assistent Professor Tomislav Radišić for exceptional scientific contribution in managing five competitive scientific projects financed by H2020 and Horizon Europe programs, European Fund for Regional Development and Croatian Science Foundation’s Young researchers’ career development program.
Additionally, the Faculty of Transport and Traffic Sciences has during the years been a recipient of the following awards and distinctions for its achievements in military pilot training:
1. Charter of the Republic of Croatia awarded by the President of Croatia
2. Award of the Croatian Armed Forces General Staff
3. Croatian Air Force Directorate’s Certificate of Recognition to the Head of the Department of Aeronautics for his contribution to the training of military pilots – a ceremonial officer’s dagger
4. Croatian Air Force Command’s Certificate of Appreciation to the Department of Aeronautics
5. Croatian Air Force Command’s Certificate of Appreciation for 30 years of cooperation in military pilot training
SCIENTIFIC COOPERATION
We carry out scientific and research activities in 5 laboratories equipped with flight simulators, air traffic control simulators, wind tunnels, unmanned aerial vehicles, phonometers, etc. We actively cooperate with a number of foreign universities in research and development of innovative solutions for problems in the field of aeronautics and we participate in the research of air traffic management systems through Horizon 2020 SESAR and Horizon Europe projects. We especially want to highlight the AISA project, in which the Faculty is the main coordinator and which deals with the development and application of artificial intelligence in air traffic control. At the Department of Aeronautics we continuously involve students in scientific research and project work.
ALUMNI
Our alumni are extremely important for the future of the Department of Aeronautics because they represent a live link between the faculty and the professional world. Their experiences and knowledge help us develop the Department of Aeronautics and improve the quality of education for future generations of students. In this video, we introduce some of our alumni who have built successful careers in aviation industry.