First look

Airplane Helps Aerobatics Team Soar To New Heights

Metropolitan State University of Denver’s championship-winning aerobatics team spent the summer showing off its skills in contests around the country. Thanks to an anonymous donor, the team did so in style in a brand-new GameBird aerobatics plane, a highly maneuverable two-seater with a carbon-fiber airframe. “It’s a beautiful airplane,” said Dagmar Kress, the team’s coach and a lecturer in the University’s Aviation and Aerospace Science Department. “It’s a new design. They don’t break, and they don’t quit.” The new plane is helping young pilots hone their flying skills and preparing them for success in a high-demand field. The plane was officially unveiled Sept. 12 at Wings Over the Rockies at Centennial Airport.