The PACA Regional Microlight Committee, partner of the Lycée Jean Perrin since 2009

The ULM PACA Regional Committee is a partner of the Lycée Jean Perrin in Marseille, BTS Industrial Products section

Our collaboration began when we started sitting on the CIRAS and became partners of the Campus des Métiers de l'Aéronautique Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur. We are delighted to be working together.

How far we have come since 2009!!

At the Lycée Jean Perrin in Marseille we have proposed and support two projects:

• Building a hand-control stick for disabled pilots on a 3-axis microlight
• Seaplane floats with retractable undercarriage

The aim of these BTS students is to rise to a real challenge, as there are enormous constraints, notably the weight of the floats for a minimum total weight.

As for the hand-control stick, it has to be adapted to the microlight's airframe, with the constraint that it can be adapted to other airframes.

The presence of the committee provides technical support during the design of the components, notably with the know-how of Stéphane Morosini for the floats and of Michel Gentilini.

Every three months a defence is scheduled, which Michel Gentilini or I attend for a whole day.

We are proud to see the interest that teachers and above all students take in microlights, which helps dispel prejudices.

The huge appeal of these very motivating projects for young people is the design work using CATIA software from Dassault Systèmes, which allows 3D modelling and calculates stresses, but above all allows the necessary tests on the microlight, something that has so far been impossible with certified aviation.

An additional advantage: design and manufacture with a view to possible industrialisation and marketing, with the bonus of a reduced production cost for sale to private individuals.

3D design of the floats

Animated rendering of the hand-control stick movements

The students Nicolas Giraud, Alexis Nourian and Benjamin Buccellato are supervised by Véronique Ouvra and Philippe Couny for the hand-control stick. For the floats: Romain Dayez, Tom Granier, Arnaud Le Cocquen and Jordan Verret.

This practical collaboration fits fully with our federal policy and the new CNDS guidelines, which we anticipated long ago. It is a policy of reaching out to young people in disadvantaged areas and rural communities to give meaning to their learning and give them responsibility for a project carried through from design to production.

The committee also proposes to offer the most motivated students 5 hours of training for those who want to learn to fly, and introductory flights for the others.

By being partners and present in schools and universities, we will encourage young people's access to aeronautics - our kind of aeronautics, a popular aeronautics with six classes of microlight, giving them access to federal and regional support.

We want to develop and multiply these activities in our region and hope that they will give ideas to others.

Christian PICCIOLI

President of the Provence Alpes Côte d'Azur ULM Regional Committee