Show-Me State Times

The Flying Billikens from Saint Louis University's Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science are preparing to compete in the 2024 National Intercollegiate Flying Competition. The team secured their spot last fall at the Region VI SAFECON event, which was hosted by SLU at the St. Louis Downtown Airport. In that competition, they ranked third overall and also took third place in both ground and flight events.

Coach Jack Schwarz expressed pride in the team's achievements, stating, "It’s incredibly important for the team this year to have been rewarded with their invite to the national competition." He noted their hard work in organizing and planning the regional event as well as their efforts in fundraising for future benefits. Schwarz added, "I’m thrilled that they’ll be able to carry the achievement of competing at the National SAFECON with them into their future careers."

SLU is among 30 teams participating in various aviation exercises during this national event. Nearly 400 competitors will face challenges such as navigation, short-field landing, power-off landing, message drop, ground training, aircraft recognition, computer accuracy, and instrument flight rule events.

The Flying Billikens team members include Hudson Pettit, Sebastian Valenzuela, Darren Mushkin, Troy Ettenson, Harman Chauhan, Gavin Monthye, Timothy Pipal, Jongchan Park, Santino Sartoris, Woo Cheon Park, Raleigh Fisher and Bryce Waldron. The coaching staff comprises Schwarz along with Andre Santa Maria and David Albright.

The National Intercollegiate Flying Association aims to develop and advance aviation education while promoting safety and cooperation between students and professionals within the industry. The upcoming national competition is scheduled to begin on Monday, May 13th and will conclude on Saturday, May 18th.