Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus Golden Eagles Flight Team bested more than three dozen university competitors to capture its 10th championship at the 2016 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) competition.
Held May 9-14 this year at The Ohio State University, the 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.
Prescott’s Golden Eagles also won the coveted Judges Championship Trophy and the Ground Events Championship Trophy. Overall, the Golden Eagles and individual team members finished in the top 10 in 17 categories.
“Embry-Riddle is very proud of our Golden Eagles Flight Team,” says Prescott Campus Chancellor Frank Ayers. “Competing against the top 40 collegiate aviation programs in the country, these amazing young men and women cemented their record as the winningest flight team in the nation over the last 20 years [since 1993].”
The Golden Eagles team is led by Coach Bertil Aagesen, Assistant Coach Alex Johnson (’15, PC), team captains Victor Griffin (’16, PC) and Sam Morris, and mechanic Farrell Harris. The team is also supported by a host of donors, who contribute to the maintenance and enhancement of its competition aircraft, two Cessna 150s: Eagle One and Eagle Two. These include Frank Mayne, Greg and Christina Fisher, John and Lynne Thelan with matching gifts from Costco Wholesale Corp., and Diane McClelland.
Also competing at this year’s event was the Embry-Riddle Daytona Beach Campus Eagles Flight Team, which placed sixth overall. The Eagles team earned the Competition Safety Award, and placed in the top 10 in 15 categories, including the top spot in Women’s Achievement Award for team captain Emmy Dillon. In June, Dillon earned first place in the collegiate division and first overall in the 2016 all-women, cross-country Air Race Classic along with co-pilot Abbie Pasmore (’15, DB).