Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus Golden Eagles Flight Team captured its 11th national championship title May 9-14 at the 2017 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) competition. A consistent powerhouse at the competition, the team placed first in 2016 as well, making this year’s win a back-to-back success.
Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach Campus Eagles Flight Team placed sixth.
The NIFA SAFECON competition brings together collegiate aviation teams from around the United States to compete in flight and ground events such as navigation, computer accuracy, preflight inspection and more. Four out of the top 10 scorers in the individual category were students from Embry-Riddle’s two teams – more than any other students from 27 competing universities.
Prescott’s Golden Eagles finished with 500 points, the highest in the team’s history — and 100 points above second-place finisher, University of North Dakota. The Golden Eagles won multiple team-based honors, including the coveted Judges Championship Trophy, Flight Events Championship Trophy and the Ground Events Championship Trophy.
Team captain Nick Moore dominated individual events as No. 1 in Top Scoring Contestants and Short-Field Landing categories and earned the Top Pilot Award, placing in the top 10 in seven categories.
“The success of the Golden Eagles and Eagles flight teams reflects our institution’s commitment to excellence in aviation,” says P. Barry Butler, president of Embry-Riddle. “These competitors have inspired us to pursue even greater heights.”
With the 2017 top title, Prescott’s Golden Eagles have now won the NIFA SAFECON National Championship 11 times since 1993. The team also has an unbroken 33-year record as regional champion.
The Daytona Beach team won the national championship in 1992, which was the first national title for the university.