Ilaria knows she can fly and does it. Interview with aerospace engineer Ilaria Sanna

It is said that the bumblebee cannot fly, but he does not know this and does. It is a persistent false myth about the impossible flight of the bumblebee, which was then a bumblebee. He actually flies very well and not because he does not know, but simply because he can. His tiny wings are an aerodynamic marvel, with ripples on the surface and capable of moving rapidly in a figure eight in the air, generating enough lift to allow him to do what rumour has it he is precluded from doing because he is too heavy. It is the kind of curiosity that young aerospace engineer and content creator Ilaria Sanna illustrates on its profiles.

Ilaria is the star of a recent collaboration by Accademia del Lavoro, the one with Stem Generation, the community for fighting the gender gap in economics, mathematics and science. A cultural problem that also affects the airport world, despite the fact that our national airports and the classrooms of our professional courses are full of women. Think of the names of our airports, those that come to mind. How many are dedicated to a woman? None. Whether the inspiration comes from politics or art, a male model has always been chosen. So much for the 20th-century female aviator Rosina Ferrario, who was even forbidden to help the Red Cross in the First World War just because she was a woman.

Ilaria knows she can fly, but she does better. She studies flight, sends rockets into orbit, helps students and especially female students not to be held back by their fears and fears of taking paths that seem too big for them. Taking a break from her master's studies in aeronautical engineering and her outreach activities, Ilaria met our students at the Linate Centre and on that occasion we caught up with her to ask her about her journey.

Good morning and welcome to the track Ilaria. You are here today despite a thousand commitments. You leave behind you a three-year degree in aerospace engineering, now your master's degree in aeronautics, for many female students you are the big sister of social in the guise of ila.instem. And you are only 20 years old. Where does your passion for these fields come from?

I owe it to one of my high school physics teachers. He came in the third year, the penultimate year for me because I went to the four-year language course. He was very good, he made me passionate about how things work. Theoretical physics, however, seemed too abstract, I was interested in concrete applications. So, when the time came to choose a university path, I opted for engineering.

I have never been a fanatic on the subject. I know people who know everything about every aircraft in existence. I was simply curious about everything, I was passionate about space missions, I watched the launches of NASA and SpaceX. And then the world of aviation in general, how aircraft work.

And linguistics hasn't done you any harm, given the results. Knowing English, Spanish and Chinese will certainly serve you well in life. And from being a spectator of launches, today in your own way you project.

Are you talking about EuRoC? Yes, I belong to this student association at the Milan Polytechnic called Skyward Experimental Rocketry. As you can guess from the name, we build experimental sounding rockets every year. One we launch in Roccaraso as a dress rehearsal, the twin we launch in this European competition, the European Rocketry Challenge, in which many universities on the continent participate.

How does the competition work?

There are two main categories based on the apogee, i.e. the height you have to reach. We have always participated in the 3000m category, where the objective is not to exceed that height, but to get as close to it as possible. Then there are other sub-categories, depending on the engine.

In your videos you say that one of the most common misconceptions surrounding your path is thinking that it could send you to the Moon. Instead you choose to stay on Earth, at least in its skies. You are now attending a master's degree in aeronautics. Why this choice?

I had originally chosen to do a three-year aerospace degree and then specialise in aerospace. During the three-year course, however, we dealt more specifically with aeronautics. Particularly in the Elements of Aerospace Engineering I and II exams, we talk a lot about notions such as flight mechanics. So I got much more into that. 

A very demanding course, however, with which you associate many extracurricular activities. Do you play any kind of sport?

I change practically every year. I currently do calisthenics and pilates, two classes that take place at Poli twice a week.

How do you do it all? Is there a formula, a balance you can suggest to others?

If this formula were invented it would be the turning point. I always say I don't know, but the secret is all in the organisation. I have a calendar in which I mark everything down as soon as I make a commitment of any kind, whether it's simply answering messages on Instagram. Then I always try to have a routine: I know when there is sport, I know when there is class, only events are left out. Then there are also things I don't schedule, like creating content for social. Those I try to do when I have free time. 

And on social media you are very active. What advice would you give to other students, present or future? Being organised seems to me to be the first one. Is there anything else?

The most important thing is to be aware of your own path with your own capabilities and not to compare yourself to the paths of others. I come from a quite different path from the typical engineering student, who perhaps comes from the sciences. Then everyone has their own times and their own strengths and weaknesses. Weaknesses are then elements to work on to improve, there is no shame in that.

Every effort always pays off, even if this often does not happen in the short term. It happened to me many times that I studied so hard for exams that I did not pass, neither at the first nor at the second appeal. I was convinced that studying was useless, that I would never succeed. Obviously this is not true and by persevering I have always arrived at the result. There must be passion, that's true. Because if something turns you off and only wears you down, there is no point.

Which exam did you struggle with the most?

Many. Most recently structural mechanics, because it's one of those where if you didn't do everything really perfectly you automatically failed. I'm human, I used to make distracting mistakes so I failed three times. Then trying to be more and more precise and focused, I succeeded.

It can be discouraging, but these are the professors who help engineers acquire the right working method. They help you find the determination and put your soul into what you do. Then it depends a lot on each case. Structural mechanics is a particular exam, if you get something wrong the plane falls, for example. When you come out of engineering, you know how to reason and solve problems even in life. 

The integration of psychological support into university circuits, which can help confused, unmotivated, frustrated students to regain balance and direction when they lose it, was very important. What advice would you give to any reader who might feel too small compared to the challenges they are facing?

It can happen to anyone. I would recommend taking a break. I did it myself because there were times when I felt stuck. I couldn't do anything and I felt that everything was too big for me. I then started a therapeutic course two years ago, which taught me to carve out some space for reflection and put in order all the emotions that can get tangled up in certain periods. 

These are breaks that go beyond studying and include putting your phone away and getting away from social media. That world is made up of positive examples, as I hope to be, but also of bad role models. And focusing too much on other people's lives prevents us from living our own to the full. 

Contrary to common narratives in these cases, one thing that shines through in your social media is precisely your fallibility. Despite your successes and your many commitments, one does not think one is dealing with an enfant prodige, but with a very normal girl who has managed to make her way.

Absolutely. I am anything but a genius. I have met people who are much more prepared than I am for the path I have chosen, much better at maths and physics. Although I already have a Bachelor's degree, now that I'm in the Master's programme there are still things I don't understand. The social activity then is a pleasure for me. I share what I feel, without pretending to teach anything. 

Let's come to what brought you to us, the world of aviation. Team Airbus or Team Boeing?

Airbus.

Your favourite trip by plane?

I like intercontinental trips. I recently took an eleven-hour one in March to Mauritius. I enjoyed it very much. I was close to the window, so I could see everything. In front of me was a screen to which two cameras were connected, one placed under the plane and one placed at the front. So we can say that, one way or another, I spent all the hours looking out. 

What are three truths about the world of aviation that people normally ignore?

Turbulence does not make planes crash. Not only because airliners are stressed and subjected to much greater forces, but also because pilots are trained to handle them. The most delicate phases are landing and take-off, not cruise. Then I would say why you have to turn off electronic devices or put them in aeroplane mode: not because they crash the plane, but because they can disrupt communication between the pilot and the tower. And proper communication between them is crucial.

Is Ilaria afraid of flying?

Fear no. But I admit that I get that little anxiety that I think everyone gets. Knowing the subject matter doesn't erase that feeling, because I know the good things and also the things that can go wrong. I normally take the window seat, wing view, so I control what happens. Then however I like to observe what the pilot does in all phases of the flight, for example the opening of the control surfaces to increase both lift and drag.

Congratulations indeed, Ilaria. Enjoy your studies. We know you will aim high.