Flying Aggies soar to Regional title

Thursday, November 7, 2024

Media Contact: Christy Lang | Director, Marketing and Communications | 405-744-9740 | christy.lang@okstate.edu

Oklahoma State University's Flying Aggies flight team soared to victory at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association Region 4 SAFECON championship, held Oct. 14-18 at TSTC Waco Airport.

With a 122-point margin, the Flying Aggies secured their first regional title since 2016 and will move on to compete at the national competition in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, next spring.

The OSU flight team accumulated 656 points to clinch the overall championship, outpacing second-place Southeastern Oklahoma State University's 534 points. LeTourneau University (third place), the University of Oklahoma (fourth place) and Louisiana Tech University (fifth place) rounded out the top 5. The Flying Aggies demonstrated exceptional skill by capturing first place in the Ground Events Championship while placing second in Flight Events.

The victory was achieved under the guidance of coach Branden Adams, an OSU graduate and flight instructor who volunteered his expertise to lead the team. 

“Competitors engage in a series of rigorous ground events, which include comprehensive paper exams that assess their aeronautical expertise,” Adams said. “Additionally, the regional competitions feature a simulator event where pilots must adhere strictly to a predetermined flight path established by judges. The flight events present a new set of challenges, including a landing competition where the objective is to land precisely on a designated line while incurring minimal penalties.”

The Flying Aggies demonstrated exceptional skills in the following events: aviation maintenance test, simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation, message drop, aircraft recognition, unlimited navigation, computer accuracy, preflight, shortfield landings, ground trainer and power-off landings. 

“While these competitions are certainly demanding, they also foster an atmosphere of camaraderie and sportsmanship, displaying the shared passion for aviation that unites all participants,” Adams said.

The championship marks a triumphant return to regional dominance for OSU's aviation program, which won three straight titles from 2014 to 2016. 

“This victory highlights the relentless hard work and commitment of our team members, and we take immense pride in representing OSU at such a prestigious event,” Adams said. 

Securing first place not only illustrates the team’s diligent efforts, but also guarantees a bid for the national competition in May. 

“While we celebrate this impressive achievement, we understand that our journey is far from over,” Adams said. “As the spring semester approaches, we stand fully committed to facing our next challenge: competing against approximately 30 of the nation’s most prestigious collegiate teams. We are prepared to rise to the occasion and pursue excellence with the same determination that brought us to this point.”

 

SAFECON Championship (Rank, Team, Points)

1. Oklahoma State University 656.00
2. Southeastern Oklahoma State University 534.50
3. LeTourneau University 404.00
4. University of Oklahoma 324.00
5. Louisiana Tech University 255.50
6. Texas State Technical College 243.50
7. Stephen F. Austin State University 178.50

 

Individual Event Results:

Aviation Maintenance Test (Ground Event):

• Thomas Kinser - 2nd place
• Christopher Foster - 4th place

Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation (Ground Event):

• Zach Cohen - 1st place
• Macy Newman - 3rd place
• Olivia Lassman - 5th place

Message Drop (Flight Event):

• Zach Cohen/Kai Davis - 2nd place

Aircraft Recognition:

• Thomas Kinser - 3rd place
• Nathan Leech - 4th place
• Kaylin Klein - 5th place
• John Hogg - 7th place
• Dayon Wong - 8th place

Unlimited Navigation:

• Michael Kelly/Macy Newman - 2nd place
• Dash Ahlstrom/Zach Puhala - 3rd place
• Christopher Hutchins/Micah Berger - 5th place

Computer Accuracy (E6B):

• Dash Ahlstrom - 1st place
• Abby Yates - 7th place
• Colton Williams - 8th place
• Christopher Foster - 9th place

Preflight:

• Christopher Foster - 1st place
• Nathan Leech - 6th place

Short Field Landings:

• Dash Ahlstrom - 1st place
• Michael Kelly - 2nd place
• Christopher Foster - 9th place

Ground Trainer:

• Michael Kelly - 3rd place

Power-Off Landings:

• Michael Kelly - 1st place
• Kaylin Klein - 8th place
• Christopher Foster - 9th place
• Dash Ahlstrom - 10th place

Top Pilot:

• Michael Kelly - 2nd place

Story By: Jillian Walker | jillian.walker@okstate.edu