Aeronautics & Engineering Expo

Admission

• Walk-Up: $5 per person | Max $20 per family
• Parking On-Site: $20 per car - cash only
  *parking will be on grass

College of Aeronautics & Engineering Activities and Displays

Airport Building Tours 9am-3pm

• Airport tours will start at the top of each hour starting at 9am - sign up at the reception desk
   

Airplane Rides 9:30am-3:30pm

• $65 per person | $95 party of 2 | $125 party of 3 | FREE 5 and under (must be accompanied by an adult
   

Simulator Rides 9:30am-3:30pm

• $20 for 15 minutes
   

Take to the skies without leaving the ground!

The Aeronautics & Engineering Expo is packed with exciting drone activities for all ages:

Mobile Command and Control Center (MCCC): Step inside this state-of-the-art mobile facility designed for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations. Learn how advanced technologies like cellular command and control, intelligent flight logic, and collision-avoidance systems keep unmanned aerial vehicles flying safely beyond the pilot’s line of sight.

Drone Tent: Head into the hangar and try your hand at flying a drone yourself! Our interactive drone station lets you pilot smaller drones in a safe, indoor environment.

Drone Demonstrations: Watch our Alta X, Event 38 E455 and Sentaro V drones take flight during live demo sessions at 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, 1:30, 2:30, and 3:30. Each 15-minute flight showcases the skill, precision, and technology behind professional UAV operations.

Robot Dog

Meet Yimo, our robot dog from the Cognitive Robotics and AI Lab! Designed to push the boundaries of human-robot interaction, Yimo showcases advanced AI and cognitive modeling that help robots understand their environment, work alongside humans, and perform complex tasks. At the Expo, watch Yimo in action as he performs tricks and demonstrations—showing off the future of robotics with a playful twist! 

Zero Emissions Vehicle (ZEV)

Check out the future of clean transportation with our Zero Emission Vehicle (ZEV)! Designed in our Sustainable Energy Lab, ZEV is the first golf cart powered by three sources—fuel cell, solar panel, and batteries. Complete with a built-in audio system for streaming music, this innovative project showcases how our students are driving forward breakthroughs in sustainable energy and fuel cell technology.

3D Printing Station

We’re bringing a small snapshot of our campus Makerspace Lab to the Expo! Watch a 3D printer in action and see how ideas take shape using the same innovative technology found in our lab. Attendees can take home a custom Aeronautics & Engineering Expo keychain, crafted right here in our Makerspace.
 

FANUC Robots

Step up and meet one of our FANUC robots! At the Expo, our industrial robots—just like the ones in our state-of-the-art Industrial Robotics Lab—will be handing out College of Aeronautics and Engineering pens to attendees. Our lab, a certified FANUC Authorized Education Training Facility, gives students and industry professionals hands-on experience with advanced robotics. Now’s your chance to interact with the technology shaping the future of automation!

External Exhibitors

Maps Air Museum

The MAPS Air Museum (Military Aviation Preservation Society) is an internationally known museum of aviation and serves as a center of aviation history for Northeast Ohio. The museum features exciting educational displays of its collection of acquired artifacts, interactive exhibits and historical archives in its own library.

Take your family’s love of aviation to new heights! Visit our table to pick up Family Discount Tickets you can use later to explore the full museum – $10 for adults ($5 off) and $6 for kids ages 6–12 ($2 off)!

Displays will include:

• 

  ¼ scale J-57 engine

• 

  F-86D Sabre Cockpit

• 

  Douglas A-4 Skyhawk Cockpit

FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) Robotics

Step onto the field with the FIRST® Tech Challenge display! Students design, build, and code robots using a reusable platform powered by Android technology and Java-based programming. At the Expo, you can watch live demos and even take the controls to try driving a competition robot yourself—experience the excitement of engineering in action!

Props-4-Paws

Jim Sebastian, a Kent State adjunct professor/check instructor and Southwest Airlines Captain, and David Poluga, Kent State airport manager, have turned their passion for aviation into a mission of compassion. In 2012, they founded Props-4-Paws, a charitable organization dedicated to supporting local animal shelters. At this event, Props-4-Paws sets up a donation booth in the hangar, accepting pet food, supplies, and monetary contributions. They also sell branded merchandise, with all proceeds going directly to shelter animals.

Portage County Amateur Radio Service

Discover the world of amateur radio with the Portage County Amateur Radio Service (PCARS)! This passionate group of radio hobbyists is all about having fun while exploring the airwaves. At their Expo table, you can see ham radio equipment in action, check out inexpensive software-defined radios that let anyone pick up hundreds of signals without a license, and even try your hand at locating hidden transmitters around the area. Whether you're new to radio or a seasoned pro, PCARS has something exciting to share!

BETA Technologies

Explore the future of flight with BETA Technologies! This cutting-edge electric aerospace company is pioneering the development of electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) and electric conventional takeoff and landing (eCTOL) aircraft. BETA is also building the charging infrastructure needed to power a cleaner, more sustainable future in aviation.

KSU Softball Team

U.S. Marine Corps

Portage County Veterans Association

Food and Vendors

All Day 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Travlin' Tom's Coffee Truck: Delicious, customizable beverages made fresh
• Black Sheep Baking Co.: Indulge in homemade, from-scratch treats, including soft-baked cookies, rich brownies, and delicious hand pies

Pancake Breakfast 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

• Hosted by Scout Troop 177
• Cash Only: $8 adults (12 and up) | $5 kids (5-11) | FREE 5 and under | $1 drinks
  All proceeds benefit Scout Troop 177; Cash Only

Food Truck Vendors 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

• Top Dawg: Gourmet hotdogs served with fries, Polish Sausage served with sloppy fries, lemonade, boba, iced tea & water
• Sticks: Corn Dogs, Fried Cheese & Fresh Squeezed Lemonade
• Stoddard's: Frozen Custard and Ice Cream
• Summer Fest Food Tent: Texas Steak Burgers, Dirusso's Italian Sausage & Grilled Chicken Pitas
• Funnel Cake: Gourmet funnels, deep fried oreos, fresh squeezed lemonade
• Eb's Soda Shop: Classic Milkshakes, Sundaes, Ice Cream Cones & Old Fashion Soda

Volunteer at the A&E Expo!

Be part of the action at the A&E Expo by joining our volunteer team! Volunteers help make this exciting event possible while enjoying great perks — free admission to explore activities before or after your shift, opportunities to network with industry professionals, and a chance to earn community service hours. Whether you’re greeting guests, assisting with hands-on activities, or supporting exhibitors, your help makes a difference.

Register to Volunteer at the A&E Expo

Become a vendor!

You can become a vendor at this event by sponsoring a booth!

Sponsorship Opportunities at the A&E Expo

Sponsorship Contact

Event Contact