Why choose this specialty?
The material base for training students in the "Aviation Technology and Engineering" specialization is at a high European level. The teaching laboratories are equipped with specialized models and stands, computer equipment, and laboratory installations and apparatus for laboratory exercises, developed in-house or delivered within the last 5–10 years. They also allow for conducting some practical exercises related to the disassembly of engines, aggregates, and other components. For the needs of the educational process, a MiG-21U aircraft, provided free of charge by the Ministry of Defense, is also used.
The laboratory for automated design is at a high level, equipped with state-of-the-art computer equipment, proprietary software products, and software such as NX4, Solid Edge, SolidWorks, etc. In 2005, the pneumatics laboratory also came into operation, created with material support from "SMC Industrial Automation" EOOD – Sofia, equipped with a pneumatic trainer and 8 boards with functioning pneumatic elements and automated pneumatic systems.
Since 1990, the department has had the unique in the country educational-laboratory aerodynamic complex "ULAK-1", which allows for conducting laboratory exercises and scientific research in the field of aerodynamics of aircraft. Over the last two years, the complex has been enriched with systems developed by the department for studying the vortex wake of the body in flow, for flow visualization, and for determining the aerodynamic characteristics of models.
Students have access to a computer classroom furnished with eight Dell Pentium IV PCs connected to the branch server, high-speed internet (internal network speed - 100 Mbps, BG connectivity at 4 Mbps, international connectivity at 2 Mbps). The room housing the computer classroom is equipped with a portable multimedia system. It is primarily used for conducting laboratory sessions, coursework, and projects, as well as for electronic ongoing and final assessment of students' knowledge. A large part of the sessions requiring computer use are also conducted in the general branch computer rooms.
To maintain high academic standards in the educational process, for some specialized disciplines, lecturers who are distinguished and recognized experts in their field are invited – from TU – Sofia, from the Institute of Space Research of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, from the Aviation Faculty of the National Military University "V. Levski", and others.
In addition to the university library, students of the "Aviation Technology and Engineering" specialization also have access to the department's information center, where specialized and other aviation literature is stored on paper and optical media. Currently, there are approximately 1,000 titles on paper media alone.
For the training of students, the bases of "TEREM – G. Benkovski" OOD – Plovdiv, "Lufthansa Technik" – Sofia, Plovdiv Airport Complex, Graf Ignatievo Air Base, Krumovo Air Base, RVD Sofia base, and others are used.
It is of exceptional importance to conduct training in smaller groups, which allows instructors to continuously monitor each student's preparation throughout the training period, while also overseeing their quality, interests, and challenges.