November 2024 – The RAeS Toulouse Lecture on “Highlights of the Airbus A220 from a Pilot’s Perspective” was presented by Jens Rücker, Airline Pilot & Flight Instructor – A220 & A320.

A220 joined Airbus as the smallest single aisle aircraft in 2018, having been produced by Bombardier in Canada some 25 years after the Airbus A320 was created so inevitably has some different systems.

Jens Rücker’s life has been steeped in aviation, starting when 16 years old with internships at Airbus, Lufthansa Technick, Air Berlin Technik and other companies continuing over several years. In 2020 when 20, Jens started flying many types of light aircraft in the US and Germany, served 8 months as a paramedic them completed a BSc in Aircraft & Engineering in Osnabruck in 2014. Jens then moved to Bristol in the UK to complete the theory for an ATPL/Ailine Transport Pilots Licence, and remained in Bristol for a Masters Degree in AeroSpace Systems Engineering, while also instructing on light aircraft at The Bristol Aero Club. In 2015 Jens carrieded out his aircraft training for a Commercial Licence with Aerotours, Strausburg, then for 2 years worked as a Research Engineer in Flight Test with German Aerospace Centre, Manching on the Airbus A400M/EF2000. Eurofighter. In 2017 Jens completed the rest of his training for a Multicrew Commercial pilot, obtained an A320 Type Rating with TFC Kaufer, Essen, and flew as First Officer/copilot with Niki Luftfart and and Laudamtion, Vienna.
In 2019 Jens converted to the A220 with a type rating at Lufthansa Flight Training, Frankfurt and joined AirBaltic, in Riga, Latvia, ro fly for a year as FO on the A220 while also being trained as an Flight Simulator Instructor.
From 2020 to 2022, Jens completed an MBA in Consulting and Aviation before returning to AirBaltic where he continues to fly as an A200 FO and instructor. Over this period Jens has also performed other functions including as a paramedic, light aircraft instructor in the UK and Germany, project management, managing FSTD/Flight Simulation Training Devices, Dangerous Goods instructor, etc.