Colorado Design Build Fly is a student-run engineering team at the University of Colorado Boulder. Each year, we design, build, and fly a remote-controlled aircraft to compete in the AIAA Design-Build-Fly competition. Since the competition’s inception 29 years ago, our team has participated every single year, earning multiple top-five finishes, including third place in 2012.
While competition motivates us, our mission goes beyond just building a winning plane. We aim to bridge the gap between classroom learning and real-world engineering by creating a hands-on environment where students can apply what they learn, work in teams, and solve practical challenges together. Design Build Fly is where engineering theory meets real design, real deadlines, and real teamwork.