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4 Jun, 2023

Brustem Pilot Association organized maiden flights for pediatric cancer patients at DronePort

A number of pilots from the Brustem Pilot Association (BPA) are joining forces with Fighters Against Cancer. From Droneport in Sint-Truiden, the pilots are offering a free flight to 17 young patients. TUKI vzw takes care of allocating the seats and coordinating with the patients and parents.

Helicopters and airplanes

Rudi Claes is one of the pilots/initiators. “I came into contact with Fighters Against Cancer by chance and thought it was such a great initiative that I immediately called up the other pilots of our Brustem Pilot Association. That’s how we came up with the idea of organizing free maiden flights for the young patients.” For those in the know, the pilots flew 2 Helicopters (OO-HCP and F-HFAL), 1 Cirrus (N200EU), 3 Tecnam’s (OO-DNG, OO-MTR and OO-H46) and 3 Pilatus P-3’s from 1959 (OO-PIL, OO-RDS and D-EPCI).

The pilots’ base of operations is DronePort. Nore Dykmans, Campus Coordinator Droneport: “We enjoy giving wings to such wonderful initiatives. For example, the pilots got a discount on the fuel they consume during the air baptism. And we liked spoiling the kids with some goodies after landing.”

Just a start

Possibly these maiden flights are just the start. “We are looking at whether, at a future event, we and the Brustem Pilot Association can not only offer free flights to the patients, but also raise money for Fighters Against Cancer,” says Rudi Claes. “There is no concrete idea yet, but the intention is definitely there!”

20230603 - Fighters Against Cancer

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Aidoptation Raises EUR 20 Million to Scale Dual-Use AI and Autonomous Systems from DronePort

Aidoptation Raises EUR 20 Million to Scale Dual-Use AI and Autonomous Systems from DronePort

dec 19, 2025 |

Aidoptation, a Belgian-American technology company and resident at DronePort since early 2025, has successfully secured EUR 20 million in additional financing to accelerate the development and industrialization of advanced AI-driven autonomous systems. The funding round reinforces DronePort’s role as a strategic hub for high-value, dual-use innovation at the intersection of mobility, security, and defence.

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