Early Bird

The sky’s the limit

Aviation and Aerospace students tap world-class technology to practice landing planes with blown engines, operating satellites and more.

By Doug McPherson

May 12, 2021

It was a horrifying sight: Flames were shooting from an engine on United Flight 328 just minutes after takeoff in February in the sky above Broomfield. Imagine if you were a passenger.  

As terrifying as that thought is, you can at least take comfort in knowing that future pilots are getting world-class, high-tech training for those worst-case scenarios.

Case in point: Just days after that event, Steven Starkebaum, a Metropolitan State University of Denver senior in Aviation and Aerospace Science, was sitting in an L3Harris simulator practicing how to safely land an airplane facing that same problem.

In the simulator, Starkebaum calmly moved through the motions to bring the aircraft back to Denver International Airport, just like the pilots did that day in February.

For Jeff Forrest, Ph.D., (right) chair of the Aviation and Aerospace Science Department, it was just another day at the office and in the classroom.

“In our flight simulators, what we try to instill in our students is the ability to manage stress and fear and continue to fly the airplane and remain aware of all the threats to safety,” Forrest says. “The truth is, panic and fear are very common. There was never a flight I piloted that I was not nervous or fearful – most experienced pilots are.”

Forrest says simulation training is critical in prepping students for success in aviation and aerospace careers. That’s why he’s especially proud of his department – it offers a long list of state-of-the-art simulation labs across many disciplines, such as advanced avionics, air-traffic control, satellite missions, aerospace physics, astronautics, unmanned aerial systems, and aeronautics and aerospace data analysis.

And he says simulation is just one of many other offerings for students since Aviation and Aerospace Science began at MSU Denver in 1967.

“We’ve grown to become one of the largest and most advanced collegiate aviation programs in the country because we have access to many valuable resources that are instrumental to students’ success,” Forrest says. “And we have several program options leading to careers in aviation or aerospace, including the rapidly expanding commercial aerospace industry and the unmanned-aeronautical-vehicle industry.”

Forrest believes all the options help his department fit with MSU Denver’s overall strategic plan and the Colorado Department of Higher Education’s goals of focusing on high-quality and relevant education that prepares graduates for success.

“It’s all about being dedicated to developing graduates with pertinent curricula and practical skills they need to compete and succeed in their chosen professions,” he says.

That’s one of the reasons Dagmar Kress (right), an Aeronautics instructor at MSU Denver and flight-team coach, says she likes teaching at the University. Kress, who helped lead the Aviation and Aerospace Science aerobatics team to national championships in 2017 and 2019, says that while the team’s success is a source of personal pride, she’s particularly proud because she’s seen firsthand how the Aviation and Aerospace Science program leads to aviation and aerospace careers that students are seeking.   

“I really like that (Aviation and Aerospace Science) allows students to customize their education,” Kress says. “They’re able to choose between many degree options in both aviation and aerospace. We also offer degrees beyond just flying. Students can study airport management, air-traffic control, aerospace physics, aerospace-systems engineering and technology, and space commercialization.”

Kress adds that students who need to log cockpit hours can do that because the department has partnered with several vendors such as flight schools at many Denver-area airports and at market prices driven by competition.

“Plus, students have outstanding internship opportunities with renowned companies such as United Airlines, Lockheed Martin and many others in Colorado, which is one of the leading states for aerospace in the nation,” she says.

On the Aerospace side, Jose Lopez (right), a retired colonel in the U.S. Air Force and aerospace-systems engineer in the department, says MSU Denver’s class offerings are practical and unique.

“In the course Introduction to Space, students work in teams to design experiments that are placed on a high-altitude balloon simulating a space launch,” Lopez says. “It allows students to take part in the flight’s launch and recovery.”

In another class, Lopez says students learn about space modeling with software that analyzes orbits. “Students are able to start working the first day with minimum training to create custom orbits and even design trajectories to the moon and Mars,” he says.

And this August, Lopez says Aerospace students working with Aviation and Aerospace Science’s ground station will capture a satellite launched from Interamerican University of Puerto Rico.

“When the satellite leaves Puerto Rico’s visibility zone, our students in Denver will be able to acquire it,” he says. “It’s this kind of experience that makes our Aerospace program stand out from the crowd.”

Forrest agrees and adds that it’s important to note that aerospace and aeronautics are part of “the U.S. critical infrastructure, not to mention strategic industries for Colorado.”

“And we’re working to launch educational programing that focuses on aerospace cybersecurity along with MSU Denver’s Cybersecurity program,” he says. “Cybersecurity is an umbrella over aerospace – from the ground up to interplanetary space.”

All the work and success in Aviation and Aerospace Science is garnering attention and accolades.

Forrest says the City of Denver and the Colorado legislature have recognized the department as an official State of Colorado educational asset for its strong academics, community involvement, skills development, safety and student success in the aviation industry.

“And (Aviation and Aerospace Science) has won the Loening Trophy, the oldest and most prestigious award given for collegiate aviation programming,” Forrest says. “It’s nice to get this kind of validation, not just for our faculty and staff but especially for all of the students who go to work in the industry – that’s what it’s all about.”