An intensive course that introduces first-year students to an entire flight system is described. The course consists of four parallel and synergistically interwoven activities. These include (1) a sequence of team design-build-test projects, supported by (2) lectures and activities on scientific principles and engineering practice, (3) lectures and activities on technical communications and teamwork, and (4) individual labs on instrumentation and fabrication techniques. The final project involves the fabrication, testing and a competition of a lighter-than-air remote controlled vehicle that is designed for Martian operation but scaled to function in a terrestrial environment, accompanied by oral presentations and written reports on the blimp design, construction, and performance. The course is scheduled to have 6 contact hours per week over a 14-week term. Given its rigor and extensive time commitment, the course is unusually popular and has led to some desirable behavior in subsequent independent student projects.