From Classroom to Centerpiece: Plane Soars in CCIC 2.0 Expansion
Walls of the Cherry Creek Innovation Campus (CCIC) 2.0 are being put up as the building is expanding and the additional Pathways are taking shape. GH Phipps Construction hoisted one of CCIC’s decommissioned planes into the air on Thursday, January 8 where it then was hung in the new space. The ceremony was celebrated by Board of Education directors Angela Garland and Mike Hamrick, members of the district leadership team, students, and staff.
The plane was a Mooney aircraft that has been part of the aviation program at CCIC since the school first opened in 2019. Before arriving on campus, the aircraft had suffered a tail strike that caused significant damage to both the tail section and the belly of the fuselage. CCIC students began working extensively on the body work and removing parts inside the aircraft in late October 2025 in preparation for the plane to one day be on display.
“The aircraft transformation was truly a team effort, showcasing the skills students developed at every level of the program,” Principal Steve Day said. “The finished aircraft stands as a point of pride for everyone involved and a powerful example of hands-on learning in action.”
The aircraft became a long-term, hands-on project involving several CCIC classes with a total of more than 30 students. First-year general aviation students supported the process by taping and masking the aircraft in preparation for painting, along with assisting on smaller tasks. The second-year airframe class took on the major structural repairs, straightening and restoring the damaged tail while also stripping out the interior and removing outdated electronics. The third-year powerplant class then fabricated and formed new panels to repair the aircraft’s belly, completing the fuselage restoration. Once the structural work was finished, airframe and powerplant students collaborated to repaint the entire aircraft, bringing the project full circle. The plane will be a feature in the new part of the school and will look like it is taking off – just as our students’ futures are taking flight.
