Daher Aircraft/GAMA 2026 internship prepares tomorrow's aerospace leaders through international experience

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Daher Aircraft/GAMA 2026 internship prepares tomorrow's aerospace leaders through international experience
Daher Aircraft/GAMA 2026 internship prepares tomorrow's aerospace leaders through international experience
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Daher Aircraft/GAMA 2026 internship prepares tomorrow's aerospace leaders through international experience

EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA, July 20, 2026 – Four aerospace students from North America and France are concluding their international summer internships this week at EAA AirVenture, following hands-on assignments in production, industrialization, ergonomics and maintenance through a collaborative program of Daher Aircraft and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Now in its fourth year, this program enables university students to work alongside Daher Aircraft teams and specialists while gaining firsthand experience in a different cultural and operational environment.

Participants in the 2026 exchange were Isabella Chiavettone and Rowan Tetrault from North America, based at Daher Aircraft's headquarters and the TBM airplane final assembly facility in Tarbes, France; along with Jules Peter and Julie Serafin from France, located at the U.S. Kodiak airplane production and assembly site in Sandpoint, Idaho. 

The internship reflects Daher's commitment to cultivating emerging aerospace talent, providing students with opportunities that contribute to meaningful projects in an international environment. It concludes with the participants joining Daher Aircraft at the EAA AirVenture fly-in for customer engagement activities during one of aviation's premier events.

"Again this year, these internships have been much more than just a learning experience," said Nicolas Chabbert, Daher Aircraft's CEO. "The 2026 interns worked on projects that created real value for our teams, while giving the students direct exposure to today's aerospace industry. The combination of responsibility and mentorship is what makes this program so rewarding for everyone involved." 
 

GAMA President and CEO James Viola added: "One of the most rewarding aspects of this program is seeing how internships can evolve into professions. Previous participants have launched careers at Daher Aircraft and elsewhere in the aerospace industry, demonstrating how meaningful hands-on experience can inspire students to build their futures in general aviation. This is exactly the type of industry partnership that GAMA strives to encourage."

At Tarbes, Isabella Chiavettone, a recent graduate of California’s San Jose State University –who will begin doctoral studies in Human Factors at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University this fall – conducted ergonomic assessments across multiple TBM manufacturing workstations. She evaluated manufacturing processes in maintenance, pre-final assembly and final assembly to identify opportunities for improving workplace ergonomics, production efficiency and employee safety.

"Human Factors is about optimizing the interaction among people, technology and their environment," Isabella explained. "At Daher Aircraft, I was able to apply what I've learned academically, while contributing to improvements that support those who build the TBM."

Also based at Tarbes for his internship, Rowan Tetrault – an Integrated Engineering student at the University of British Columbia, Canada – worked on a sealing tool for fuel tank pressure testing, with the design completed and awaiting manufacture. He also was involved in developing a precision measurement tool to verify a landing gear’s correct positioning before flight; this project currently is under design review. Additionally, Rowan translated assembly documentation to improve consistency across Daher Aircraft’s international production sites.

"The projects I worked on will have a meaningful impact," he said. "It's been rewarding to contribute to enhancing production quality while learning from experienced engineers."

In Sandpoint, Jules Peter, an engineering student at France’s ICAM Lille engineering school, joined Kodiak Aircraft's Electrical Engineering team, where he was involved in developing a new production test device for the Kodiak 900's Power Distribution and Protection System (PDP).

Working from aircraft electrical schematics, Jules designed and built an LED-based continuity test box that enables technicians to quickly verify electrical connections before installation, helping improve manufacturing quality and reducing wiring errors.

"I learned about this internship from a close friend who participated in the 2025 program and spoke very highly of it," Jules said. "This year's internship allowed me to apply engineering theory in an aircraft production environment. Knowing that something I designed may become part of the production process is incredibly motivating."

Julie Serafin, an aerospace engineering student at the University of Bordeaux’s Evering Institute, collaborated with Kodiak's maintenance and customer support organization at Sandpoint. Her primary project was focused on engineering an upgrade kit to transition older Kodiak aircraft interior panels from Kydex material to composite construction in order to reduce aircraft weight and create an enhanced cabin environment.

She also completed a Kodiak 900 maintenance training course, gaining detailed knowledge of the aircraft's systems before beginning her engineering assignment.

"The internship has allowed me to better understand how engineering decisions directly support maintenance and aircraft operations," she said. "Working alongside experienced professionals in an international environment has been an invaluable experience."

Beyond their technical assignments, the participants benefitted from living and working abroad – collaborating with multicultural teams and developing professional skills that will assist them throughout their careers. By combining international exchange with meaningful engineering and manufacturing experience, the Daher Aircraft/GAMA internship program continues to cultivate the talent that will define the future of general aviation.

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