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Highlights from the 2026 competition are available below.

2026 Competition Summary

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American Institute of Aeronautics & Astronautics — Headquartered in Reston, VA. — #DBF #AIAADBF #DesignBuildFly #DesignBuildFlyCompetition

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Oct 19

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✈️ The Design/Build/Fly proposal submission window is OPEN!

100+ teams. 4 missions. 1 shot to prove your design on the flight line in Tucson🏜️

Ready to take your team from campus to the 31st Annual DBF Fly-Off? It starts with your proposal. Submit by 31 October, 5 p.m. ET.

Submit your proposal and get all the details at the link in our bio 🔗📋

#AIAADBF #DesignBuildFly #AIAA

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Sep 3

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2027 DBF MISSION AND RULES ARE LIVE 🚨

New mission. New challenge.

This year's Design/Build/Fly Competition asks teams to design, build & fly a UAV with a towed sensor ✈️

The missions:
📦 Deliver the UAV
📮 Transport sensors in shipping containers
🎯 Deploy, operate & recover a towed sensor for surveillance

📅 Mark your calendars: Rosters & proposals open 15 Oct., Deadline 31 Oct.

👉 Read more: https://bit.ly/4iLfTJF

#AIAADBF

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May 29

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The ducks were warned about potential turbulence. 🦆

Check out the biggest mishaps from this year's competition 💥

#DBF2026 #DesignBuildFly #AIAA

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May 12

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Over 1,200 students. 12 countries. One runway. This year's DBF Flyoff proved that the future of aerospace is bright, collaborative, and global. 197 flights completed. 26,000 live viewers watching history take shape.

Thank you to every team, volunteer, and fan who made it possible. 🌍✈️

#AIAA #DesignBuildFly

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Apr 21

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Day 4 on the flight line was everything we imagined, and more! ✈️

The final day of the 30th annual #AIAADBF flyoff brought it all home. Teams pushed through Mission 1 test flights as well as Mission 2 cargo and passenger runs right down to the wire. Mission 3 banner deployment flights wowed the crowd, putting aircraft stability and precision to the ultimate test.

But just as memorable as the flying? The people. Teammates losing their minds on the sidelines and competitors from across the globe supporting each other like long time friends. True camaraderie and sportsmanship on display. That's the magic of DBF. 🪄

Be sure to check out our Flickr album from the competition 📸: https://bit.ly/4cUGQXT

Read more from @aerospaceamerica 📚: https://bit.ly/41KwSSU

See you next year!

#AIAADBF

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Apr 20

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🏆 The results are in! Congratulations to the winners of the 30th Annual AIAA Design/Build/Fly Competition!

After months of late nights, countless design iterations, and an incredible flyoff weekend in Wichita, here are this year's top teams:

🥇 1st Place: University of Ljubljana (@dbf_edvardrusjan)
🥈 2nd Place: University of Washington-Seattle (@dbf_uw)
🥉 3rd Place: University of California, Los Angeles (@dbf_ucla)
📄 Best Report Award: University of Southern California (@uscadt)
🔧 Stan Powell Award for Lessons Learned: Washington University in St. Louis (@washudbf)

This milestone 30th anniversary competition challenged teams to design, build, and fly a banner towing bush plane, including a flight with passengers (ducks) and cargo (pucks). These future aerospace leaders delivered. A huge thank you to our host, @textronaviation, all the dedicated volunteers, and every team that competed this year.

The sky is just the beginning. 🛩️

#AIAADBF

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Apr 18

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DBF day 2 recap:
🛫 Planes in the air
🔎 More tech inspections
✅ Ground missions

And we powered through a weather delay to get it all done! These teams are not here to wait around.

See you on Day 3!

#AIAADBF

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Apr 15

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We have a winner! ✈️🏆

After an incredible response from the aerospace community, we're thrilled to announce the winner of the AIAA Design/Build/Fly 30th Anniversary T-Shirt Design Contest! Thirty years of innovation, competition, and aviation excellence, and YOU helped us celebrate it in style. 🎉

A massive congratulations to our talented winner, M Sadaath 24, your design perfectly captures the spirit, legacy, and excitement of three decades of DBF.

#AIAA #DesignBuildFly

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