Christman Airfield Fly-In
With its first flights in 1928, Christman Field is one of Colorado’s oldest airports. Originally Fort Collins Municipal Airport, it became a WWII pilot training facility in 1941 as the United States entered the war. In 1943, after Fort Collins aviator Lt. Col. Bert Christman was shot down in Burma flying with the Flying Tigers, the airport was named Christman Field in his honor. Later, the airfield became home to manufacturing of Luscombe and Forney aircraft in the 1950s and 1960s. By 1965, Fort Collins Downtown Airport opened and Christman Field reverted to university use.
On April 26th, 2025, Christman Field opens to general aviation and the public for a fly-in from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm. For some, this is a chance for pilots to return to their original training ground. For others, this is an opportunity to experience Colorado history. For spectators, this is a great way to learn more about aviation and getting involved in flying.
Christman Fly-in Site Map
About Rams Aviation
Rams Aviation is a student-led organization dedicated to building a community around aviation. Our club brings together students, faculty, and staff who share a passion for flight, offering opportunities for hands-on learning, pilot training, industry connections, and more. Whether you’re interested in engineering, piloting, drone technology, or simply have a curiosity about aviation, Rams Aviation has something for you.
Our Mission
To create a supportive environment for aviation learning, education, and career development at CSU. We aim to inspire the next generation of aviators across both crewed and uncrewed fields, fostering growth in areas such as engineering, design, piloting, and aviation administration.
What We Do
Build an Experimental Aircraft
Our flagship project involves building a kit-based aircraft from the ground up. Members would get the chance to learn about aircraft design, manufacturing, project management, and fundraising all while building a plane they will get the opportunity to fly themselves.Pilot Training
We offer resources and support for members interested in earning their pilot’s license, whether for crewed or uncrewed aviation. From partnerships with local flight schools to CSU-hosted ground school and drone flight programs, we help aspiring pilots take their first steps—or next leaps—in aviation.- Drones
We have plenty of hands-on opportunities to learn about aviation at a smaller scale as well! The club has access to a large fleet of multirotor and fixed wing UAVs that can be used to teach people to fly drones. We also have plans for drone building workshops and FPV drone racing events for the future.
Industry Engagement
Rams Aviation provides opportunities to interact with the broader aviation industry. We host guest speakers, arrange tours of aviation companies, and organize fly-ins and other events. We also participate in UAS (Uncrewed Aerial Systems) events such as FPV racing and RC airplane activities.Club-Owned Aircraft
Our goal is to purchase and maintain an airworthy aircraft that club members can use for flight training and recreational flying, making aviation more accessible to the CSU community.
Meetings & Events
Club Informational Meetings
Our club typically meets on a biweekly basis in the CSU Engineering building. This is the place to be if you want to be kept up to date on club events, activities, and interact with guest speakers and other club members.
As a club, we get the opportunity to tour the United Airlines Flight Training Center in Denver. This is the world’s largest flight training center, with 46 full motion airline simulators. This is a great experience for anyone curious about the process of becoming an airline pilot at one of the world’s largest airlines.
This will be a regular occurrence for the club and this page will be updated once a date for the next tour has been finalized.
On March 8th, 2025, the club got the opportunity to tour Scion Aviation.
Scion Aviation is an aerospace composites and helicopter company nearby in Loveland, CO. They are very involved in the local aviation and aerospace engineering community, and graciously gave us the opportunity to tour their manufacturing facilities.
Want to get certified as a commercial drone pilot or get your private pilot’s license but don’t know where to start?
We are planning on hosting ground school sessions to help teach you everything you will need to know to pass your Remote Drone Pilot or Private Pilot written exam!
Details coming soon.
We host fly-ins and field days at Christman Field, CSU’s very own airfield.
Our most recent fly-in was the Cockpit Cookout in September, where four planes and several drones were at Christman Field to educate future aviators and teach them to fly.
Our next fly-in at Christman Airfield will be on April 26th from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.
If you are a pilot wanting to fly-in to Christman Airfield on April 26th, RSVP Here!
Meeting & Event Schedule
March 8th, 1:00 pm – Scion Aviation Tour
March 24th, 6:00 pm, Engineering E105 – Informational Meeting
April 7th, 6:00 pm, Engineering 100 – Informational Meeting
April 21st, 6:00 pm, Engineering E105 – Informational Meeting
April 26th, 8:00 am – Christman Airfield Fly-in
May 5th, 6:00 pm, Engineering 100 – Informational Meeting
Membership
If you are interested in becoming a member of the Rams Aviation Club, dues are 30$ for the academic year and will include a Rams Aviation T-Shirt.
How To Pay Dues:
- Go to the SLiCE office in the LSC (Room 210) with either CASH or CHECK.
- Tell the SLiCE employee you are paying your dues for Rams Aviation Club
- Wait to receive an email receipt from SLiCE
- Email a copy of your receipt to csuramsaviation@gmail.com with the Subject “Your Name, Dues Reciept”
- Include your t-shirt size in the body of the email
Contact Information
Fort Collins, CO 80523-1301
United States
Current Officers
President – Kaelyn McMahon
Vice President – Sudhish Raghupatruni
Secretary – Jack Gottschalk
Advisors
James Tillotson – EMEC Director
Christopher Robertson – CSU Drone Center Director
If you are not sure who to contact or have questions about getting involved with the club, contact csuramsaviation@gmail.com
Sponsors
Sponsorships and donations are vital to keep a club like ours in the air. If you are interested in supporting our efforts, please email csuramsaviation@gmail.com