Southeastern flight team earns honors
Press Release Date: 10-26-2011
Team members, left to right, are Nikola Topalovic, Alec Maloy, Alex Bourquardez, Kyle Thomas (advisor), Shane Welsch, Zac Morgan, Robert Jacobs, Michael O'Dea, Jordan Powell, Nathan Alcantara, Austin McCann, and Ping Cheng.
DURANT, Okla. – The Southeastern Oklahoma State University Flight team brought home honors from the National Intercollegiate Flying Association's Region VI SAFECON, hosted by the University of Nebraska in Omaha.
Southeastern was the top school from Oklahoma and placed third overall, competing against the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, the University of Nebraska in Omaha, the University of Central Missouri, Kansas State University in Salina, Parks College of St. Louis University, and Spartan College of Aeronautic and Technology.
The strong finish qualified Southeastern for the National competition next spring, which will be hosted by Kansas State University in Salina.
The week-long competition included flying events such as Power Off landings, Short Field Approach and Landings, Navigation and Message Drop, and also ground events such as Aircraft Preflight Inspection, Flight Computer Accuracy, Ground Trainer and Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation.
Highlights for the Southeastern Flight Team included a first-place finish in Power Off landings.
Southeastern finished second in ground events, E6b and Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation. There was a third-place finish in Preflight and a fourth in flying events.
Team members are Michael O'Dea, Alex Bourquardez, Austin McCann, Alec Maloy, Jordan Powell, Jon Cobb, Robert Jacobs, Nathan Alcantara, Nikola Topalovic, Zachary Morgan, Ping Cheng, and Shane Welsch. Jacobs, Powell, and McCann serve as captains.
"The young men on this team worked very hard all summer and this fall, raising funds and preparing for this competition," said Kyle Thomas, flight team advisor and Chief Flight Instructor of the Southeastern Aviation Sciences Institute. "They set and accomplished their goals. Most of all, they took complete ownership of the entire process. The faculty of the Aviation Sciences Institute could not be more proud. The team would like to thank those whose generous contributions helped make this all possible."