Flight Team Advances to Nationals, Soars Past Four Other Teams in Regionals

MELBOURNE, FLA.—Florida Institute of Technology’s Precision Flight Team, the Falcons, advanced to the national conference after a stellar performance in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s regional Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) Region IX competition hosted recently by Florida Tech. Competing against six other college teams from Florida and Alabama, the Falcons won third place overall in the region. This earned the team a position at the May 2012 national competition to be held at Kansas State University, Salina.

Participating students were Anthony Ferendo, captain; Nick Blouin, Jack McCormack, Brendan Newcott, Chris Sailer, Ryan Warner, Brandon Bourne, Matt McGill, Ben Remy, Connor Shea, Lucas Worthen, Austin Catherman, Timothy Moriarty, Brian Ruh and Emily Siggins. Their adviser is Victoria Dunbar, instructor, College of Aeronautics, and their coaches are College of Aeronautics Associate Professors Steve Cusick and Donna Wilt, and Francine Kelly, instructor, FIT Aviation.

Florida Tech also won several major awards at the competition. Bourne, a junior majoring in aviation management with flight, was the overall top pilot and top scoring contestant. He also took first place in the power-off precision landing and short-field approach landing categories. Ferendo, a senior in aviation management with flight, placed second in the power-off precision landing.
Freshman Matt McGill and junior Austin Catherman, both aviation management with flight majors, took second place in the message drop ranking.

The Florida Tech College of Aeronautics offers a world-class flight training environment and a variety of undergraduate and graduate degrees in the aeronautical sciences. These programs lead to flight and non-flight aviation careers. For more information, visit the college’s website at http://coa.fit.edu or call (321) 674-8120.