By Josh Holderbaum
Western Herald
Amidst the cold weather last week, aviation students from across the Midwest competed to see who can fly the safest.
Western Michigan University’s College of Aviation hosted the National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference annual Region III competition that lasted from Tuesday to Saturday, won by the WMU Sky Broncos.
Kent State University came in second and Ohio State University finished third.
The competition served as the first step in a national aviation safety competition.
“The entire purpose of NIFA is to take knowledge beyond the classroom and become the best in aviation,” said Adam Stiffler, a NIFA Region III representative.
NIFA Region III includes Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, with the host school rotating each year.
Five schools competed at the College of Aviation: the WMU Sky Broncos, Kent State University Precision Flight Team, Ohio University Flying Bobcats, Ohio State University Flight Team and the University of Cincinnati Precision Flight Team.
“Region III is a pretty strong region, we have five schools that consistently show up,” Stiffler said. “Fortunately, most of these schools are good. There are regions where three schools might show up and one’s really good. So there’s good competition here.”
The Sky Broncos will join the winners from NIFA’s 10 other regions for the national championship May 17 to 22 at Terra Haute International Hulman Field in Terra Haute, Ind., where each team competes in expanded versions of each event.
The winners were announced at a NIFA banquet Saturday at the Robin’s Nest in Battle Creek.
Even when the weather behaves, the regional event, called SAFECON, has numerous events that are not that exciting to watch.
“SAFECONs aren’t really a spectator sport,” Stiffler said.
“It’s hard to get parents or the public involved because there isn’t much to see. It’s sort of an underground thing.”
Teams score points in several ground and flight events from a team of judges consisting of former competitors, pilots and airline administrators.
Ground events vary from recognizing the make and model of aircrafts, performing pre-flight inspections and the Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation that serves as a mock flight, with teams discussing the pros and cons of everything they would do in a given situation.
Flight events include flying using only the instrument panel for guidance, landing planes between two markers with the engines off, dropping messages on a target and landing using the shortest amount of runway.
While ground events never face interference from the weather, NIFA’s rules state that at least part of each flight event must be attempted.
Having last hosted a SAFECON in 2005, the College of Aviation knows how to prepare for one.
“We usually start preparing around three or four months in advance,” said Tom Grossman, College of Aviation chief flight instructor.
“The biggest thing is making sure we have banquet facilities arranged for the banquet. Otherwise we make sure it has little impact on our usual classes.”
For all the work put into it, Grossman hopes the event helped the teams.
“We’re not looking to benefit the college, we’re looking to benefit the teams,” Grossman said.
“It’s a great way to give the contestants skills for their profession, and it’s an honor for WMU to hold it. It’s an opportunity for students in the region to see the benefits College of Aviation students enjoy.”
Unfortunately, students had to contend with the “NIFA Front,” a pattern of bad weather that always comes in when NIFA starts, Sky Broncos captain Kyle Johnson said.
“The weather isn’t really perfect,” Johnson said.
“Pretty much anything goes with the weather. The winds are right on the cusp. Other times it goes very, very smoothly. But NIFA’s good about getting everything in and keeping the spirit of competition alive.”
The Sky Broncos won many of the past Region III SAFECONs, but Kent State University picked up the win last year.
Johnson hoped that would change with the College of Aviation as home base.
“There’s a home ice advantage here,” Johnson said.
“We’re more comfortable here, but we treat it the same as anywhere else. There’s a comfort level with knowing the lay of the land.”
No matter the result, Johnson saw the event as positive for everyone involved.
“You make friends for life and make connections in the industries here. In aviation, it’s not about what you know, it’s about who you know,” Johnson said.
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