The association Neues Fliegen e.V. organized the NFC from August 18–23, 2025, an international student competition held every two years, in which student teams can compare themselves with self-designed and built aircraft.
The competition task, ranging from design to flight challenges, are created by Neues Fliegen e.V. focusing on practical problems in aviation. This year, the competition focused on efficient electric flight and maximizing cargo capacity. The goal of maximizing cargo capacity involves exploring alternative propulsion systems including hydrogen.
The following teams came to Hamburg:
- Hermes NTUA from Greece (National Technical University of Athens)
- JetStream from Poland (Wrocław University of Science and Technology)
- NPU Innovation from China (Northwestern Polytechnical University)
- HeliosAerodesign from Mexico (National Technological Institute of Mexico)
- ITU ATA from Turkey (Istanbul Technical University)
- Monash AUS from Australia (Monash University)
- BeoAvia from Serbia (University of Belgrade)
- UGAeronautics from Scotland (University of Glasgow)
After a welcome and safety check at HAW Hamburg, the three days of flight began on Wednesday. Each aircraft, with a maximum takeoff weight of 15 kg, was equipped with a data logger provided by Neues Fliegen e.V., enabling precise measurement for the final evaluation. The teams’ final design reports were also considered in the scoring process.
For the first time, the competition was to be evaluated against a reference aircraft from Neues Fliegen e.V. However, the reference plane suffered damage shortly before the competition, and the team couldn't repair it due to competition preparation. In consultation with all team leaders and pilots, it was decided to evaluate the competition using the averages of all recorded flight data.
The first two flight days focused on a maneuver flight, during which minimum and maximum speeds as well as gliding performance were measured. To successfully complete the maneuver flight and qualify for the endurance flight on Friday, teams also had to fly a full circle to the right and left, and the aircraft had to withstand at least 3g in a loop or sinusoidal flight. Each team had two attempts for the maneuver flight; due to crashes and incomplete maneuver flights, only four teams qualified for the endurance flight.
Weather conditions proved challenging, with intermittent rain and wind gusts exceeding 30 km/h on all three days. Pilots had to navigate within a restricted flight box of 600 × 150 meters and a height limit of 120 meters, making precision flying critical and contributing to several crashes. One side of the flight box was next to an active runway and the other side next to a military area.
For the endurance flight, 3 teams (NPU Innovation, Hermes NTUA, ITU ATA) stayed in the air for about 20–25 minutes, while the Polish team JetStream, with the largest cargo volume, flew for 45 minutes. The Polish pilot improvised by using a chair during the flight.
Throughout the competition week, new friendships were formed. Feedback from the teams showed that it was a fair, respectful competition in which everyone helped each other—not only at the airfield but also, for example, at night in the HAW team room of Neues Fliegen e.V., repairing crashed aircraft. There was no prize money, yet the jury was impressed by the passion, dedication, and perseverance with which the teams pursued the competition.
The competition concluded on Saturday with the award ceremony and the following team rankings:
1. JetStream
2. NPU Innovation
3. Hermes NTUA
4. ITU ATA Istanbul
5. Helios Aerodesign
6. Monash UAS
7. UGAeronautics
8. BeoAvia
The New Flying Competition 2025 highlighted not only innovation in student aviation but also the global spirit of collaboration, ingenuity, and determination.