One hundred years ago, Felix Pawlowski taught the first aeronautical engineering class at U-M, kicking off the nation’s first bachelor’s program in the subject. The university awarded the first aeronautical engineering degrees in 1917.

On Thursday through Saturday, the Department of Aerospace Engineering celebrated a century of teaching and studying flight at U-M with a series of tours and panel discussions, an award ceremony and a tailgate.

“The panels brought leaders from academia, industry and government together, many of whom are Michigan alums,” said Daniel Inman, the Clarence “Kelly” Johnson Professor of Aerospace Engineering and department chair. “It was an exercise in understanding the aerospace enterprise as it is today, with some predictions about the future.”

The panels explored the future of aerospace academics and research, women in aerospace, the future of the aircraft industry, space travel and exploration, and green aviation.

Participants included vice presidents and executives from American Airlines and top aerospace manufacturers such as Boeing, Pratt & Whitney, Ball Aerospace and GE Aviation, chairs of aerospace engineering departments at peer institutions, and representatives from space heavyweights such as NASA, SpaceX and Orbital Sciences.

The keynote talk by Al Romig, vice president of Lockheed Martin’s Skunk Works, told the story of the legendary Kelly Johnson, founder of the Skunk Works and likely the most famous alum of U-M’s Aerospace Engineering program. Kelly’s vision for innovation and project management continues to shape the Skunk Works today.

At a reception Friday evening, the department recognized important contributors to its recent history. Countess Albina du Boisrouvray played a major role in funding the construction of the department’s present home. The François-Xavier Bagnoud Building is named for her son, an aero alum who died while serving as a rescue helicopter pilot at the age of 24.

Alumni Jim McDivitt and John LaFond, a former astronaut and retired Ford engineer with a history of service to the university, respectively, were also honored.

Interactive opportunities for visitors included a tour of the Peach Mountain Radio Telescope facility, a student poster session and tours of the aerospace labs. Also, with Lockheed Martin’s immersive F-35 flight simulator set up in FXB, students had the chance to try their skills piloting a fighter jet.

Following a tailgate at the U-M Golf Course on Saturday, many alumni and visitors attended the Michigan-Utah football game, which opened with a flyover by 15 planes and helicopters that showcase the evolution of aviation.