The Daher Aircraft/GAMA internship program offers industry experience to promising students in the U.S. and Europe

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Turboprop Aircraft - DAHER TBM 960, TBM 910

The Daher Aircraft/GAMA internship program offers industry experience to promising students in the U.S. and Europe
The Daher Aircraft/GAMA internship program offers industry experience to promising students in the U.S. and Europe
2025 Published on 
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The Daher Aircraft/GAMA internship program offers industry experience to promising students in the U.S. and Europe

July 21, 2025, EAA AirVenture, Oshkosh, Wisconsin – Four aerospace engineering students from the U.S. and Europe are completing their international internships this week in a joint program sponsored by Daher Aircraft and the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA).

Wrapping up their internship experience by working alongside the Daher Aircraft team during the EAA AirVenture air show and fly-in at Oshkosh, Wisconsin are two Americans: Oliver Rosewell from Purdue University in Indiana, and Michael Novak who is attending the University of Virginia; along with Olivier Legrand, a French student at ICAM (Institut Catholique d'Arts et Métiers) in Lille, and Joël Schlüter, a German national pursuing his studies at the Evering Institute – Bordeaux . 

Rosewell and Novak spent their summer at Daher Aircraft’s headquarters and TBM airplane family production/final assembly facility in Tarbes, France; while Legrand and Schlüter were based at the company’s Kodiak airplane family’s production site and final assembly line in Sandpoint, Idaho. 

This annual internship program – now in its third year – underscores the shared commitment of Daher and GAMA to identify and motivate the next generation of aviation leaders. It enables selected students to gain hands-on experience in international aerospace environments and encourages global collaboration for a deeper understanding of the general aviation sector on a global scale. “Our internship is much more than a transatlantic exchange,” said Nicolas Chabbert, the CEO of Daher Aircraft. “It’s about providing an immersive real-world experience for students, underscoring how innovation, quality, and teamwork translate across cultures. As with the previous year’s interns, we look forward to seeing how these four young talents grow into tomorrow’s aviation leaders.”

GAMA President and CEO James Viola added: “The Daher/GAMA internship program exemplifies our industry’s dedication to talent development. By enabling students to work side-by-side with engineers and managers on two continents, we are fostering the advancement of their careers while also strengthening the foundation of the global aerospace community.” 

Meaningful contributions on both sides of the Atlantic 

At Daher Aircraft’s Tarbes facility in France, Oliver Rosewell worked with the TBM paint department to refine 3D paint modeling and projection techniques, helping to document and optimize a process that eventually could be adapted for use in the newer paint facility created at Sandpoint for Kodiak. 

Michael Novak focused on flight physics, combining semi-empirical and computational methods to explore two related questions: How could reducing the wing area of a TBM-category aircraft increase its maximum speed? And, given the reduced wing area and higher speed, how could double slotted flaps improve the aircraft’s stall performance? During Olivier Legrand’s assignment to Daher Aircraft’s Sandpoint site, he supported both the Customer Service and Engineering Departments, developing Field Service Instructions for the integration of upgraded USB ports in the Kodiak 100 airplane – a task that required coordination with technicians and the understanding of detailed installation requirements. Joël Schlüter focused on avionics, working on the Kodiak aircraft’s test bench for the autopilot, as well as learning about the processes to test and improve avionics software and hardware on the test bench.

 A shared international experience 

The four interns have come together this week at Oshkosh, where they are assisting the Daher Aircraft team in logistics and event activity during EAA AirVenture – which is one of the world’s largest aviation events. 

This opportunity also enables them to share their related internship experiences from both sides of the Atlantic. “For me, the Daher/GAMA internship was a bridge – connecting my academic studies with real-world aerospace challenges in a truly international setting,” said Legrand. Schlüter added, “It confirmed for me that avionics and hands-on systems work is what I want to pursue. It’s been enriching, challenging, and incredibly rewarding.” Reflecting on his internship, Novak noted, “This was a powerful experience that gave me a global perspective on how engineering and design decisions are made in the aerospace industry.” For Rosewell, who first visited the Tarbes aircraft facility with his father at age 12: “It was a full-circle moment. This internship allowed me to contribute to real projects and it reaffirmed my passion for aviation.” The Daher Aircraft/GAMA International Internship Started in 2007 – and re-energized with GAMA in 2023 – the internship assigns American and European students to Daher Aircraft’s facilities in Tarbes, France, and Sandpoint, Idaho. Interns are selected based on academic performance, career aspirations and interest in global aviation careers.

The program emphasizes practical experience in engineering, manufacturing, product support and other disciplines, along with cross-cultural collaboration.

 

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