Congratulations are in order for the 91²Ö¿â Precision Flight Team for another successful appearance at the , hosted by the . The team competed from May 8th through May 13th in Oshkosh, Wisconsin.
Teams compete in regional SAFECON events throughout the year to qualify for the National competition. This year’s team previously competed in the Region III competition in October, and their invitation to the national competition was announced in January. The qualifying competition was held at Bowling Green State University, at the Wood County Regional Airport. 91²Ö¿â competes in Region III, which includes flight schools from Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. Two other Region III schools received National SAFECON invitations: Western Michigan University and Ohio State University.
NIFA serves as an organization to bring college aviators together competitively and non-competitively. NIFA hosts 10 Regional SAFECONs in the fall annually. Teams competing at SAFECON compete in a variety of different events, including simulated flights, navigation, and flying competitions. SAFECON also includes a variety of individual awards for certified flight instructors, coach of the year, and individual achievement awards. Winners from the top three universities at each regional competition qualify for the National SAFECON competition held in the spring. At the national event, top winners from each region compete against those top performers across the entire nation. At the 2023 competition, the 91²Ö¿â Precision Flight Team placed 9th in the nation, earning the individual and team awards listed below.
Team Awards:
Ground Events: 7th place
Judges Trophy: 8th place
Flight Events: 9th place
SAFECON Championship: 9th place
Individual Awards:
Holly Csaszar - 1st place, Certified Flight Instructor
Caleb Seymour - Outstanding Team Member
Samuel Legarth - 7th place, Top Pilot
Samuel Legarth - 10th place, Top Scoring Contestant
Ground Events:
Cole Hebbard - 5th place, Ground Trainer
Caleb Seymour - 13th place, Aircraft Preflight Inspection
Jeff McCabe - 14th place, Aircraft Preflight Inspection
Frederick Stamper - 14th place, Aircraft Recognition
Victoria Lorenzon - 15th place, Ground Trainer
Flight Events:
Samuel Legarth - 2nd place, Short Field Landing
Cole Hebbard - 6th place, Instrument Simulated Flight
Nicholas Krentz and Jeff McCabe - 7th place, Message Drop
Samuel Legarth - 9th place, Power-Off Landing
Samuel Legarth and Victoria Lorenzon - 11th place, CRM/LOFT
Takashi Kunu and Andrew McKinley - 13th place, Unlimited Navigation
Holly Csaszar, who earned first place in the Certified Flight Instructor individual category, strengthened her passion for flight instruction. "Working as a flight instructor means blending your duties as pilot in command of an aircraft with those of a mentor for your students. The time I spent with Carlo, the CFI Judge at SAFECON, taught me that amidst all the technical skills and knowledge of flying, at the center of instruction is the student.†Csaszar calls joining the Precision Flight Team “the most important decision I made in my college career…It has changed the way I fly, evolved my decision-making process, taught me leadership, and introduced me to the profound community that exists in aviation. I love my team, I love the community, and I will continue to seek out the same sense of camaraderie for the rest of my career.â€
Throughout the academic year, the Precision Flight Team participates in competitions and conferences dedicated to improving skills and increasing safety. In April, the team hosted the annual Safety Conference at 91²Ö¿â which brings together aviation professionals from throughout the region for lectures and panel discussions about aviation safety. To keep up with the Precision Flight Team, follow them on Instagram at .