The Kent State University Precision Flight Team recently placed 12th in a national competition of the 28 largest University flight programs in the United States.
This highly competitive National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s (NIFA) 2022 SAFECON featured twenty-eight university teams with almost 500 students who competed in 12 events to test their aviation knowledge and skills. SAFECON 2022 was held 9 - 14 May 2022 at the Ohio State University Airport, hosted by the Ohio State University. The judging was led by Chief Judge Greg Weseman, Associate Chief Judge Steve Halcomb, and Senior Chief Judge Ryan Perrin.
This was the first national in-person competition since 2019 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I am so grateful that I had the privilege to see our Kent State Precision Flight Team students in action!” said Dean Christina L. Bloebaum, College of Aeronautics and Engineering at Kent State University. Dean Bloebaum was able to fly from the Kent State Airport (1G3) to the Ohio State Airport (KOSU) with Professor Jason Lorenzon to see the team compete in the Message Drop event and make it back to Kent State before lunch.
“Our students are fantastic! By time I left, I felt their passion and excitement infused into me! The best part about it was I felt I had a first-hand experience in the students becoming the teacher! They were excited to walk me around and tell me everything they knew! Then, I got to see them in action! They were DARING MIGHTY THINGS!”
Kent State University is proud of the educational opportunities we provide our students both in – and out – of the classroom. Our students are able to apply the technical knowledge learned in the classroom (on the ground and in the sky) and couple it with critical thinking and problem-solving skills to make calculated decisions in real-time situations.
Notable Accomplishments from SAFECON 2022
Victoria Lorenzon, senior Aeronautics - Professional Pilot major, received two 1st place awards. Victoria was the proud recipient of the Women’s Achievement Award, where female competitors are interviewed by a board that examines their academic accomplishments, community service, and aviation involvement, as well as the Certified Flight Instructor Award, a teaching competition starting with preparing a lesson on a predetermined subject and teaching it.
Samuel Legarth, senior Aeronautics - Flight Technology (Professional Pilot) major, placed Top 20 in the category of Top Scoring Contestant. The Top Scoring Contestant category recognizes the contestants that accumulate the highest number of points in all the competitive events that count towards the National Championship Trophy. Samuel placed 13th.
Following were the top finishers from Kent State University:
Top 10:
- 1st Place, Women’s Achievement Award: Victoria Lorenzon
- 1st Place, Certified Flight Instructor: Victoria Lorenzon
- 6th Place, Short Field Landing: Samuel Legarth
- 7th Place, Ground Trainer: Cole Hebbard
- 8th Place, Power-Off Landing: Samuel Legarth
- 9th Place, Ground Events Championship: Kent State University
Top 20:
- 11th Place, Ground Trainer: Joe Conrad
- 11th Place, Judges Trophy: Kent State University
- 13th Place, CRM/LOFT: Joe Conrad and Mario Gioiello
- 13th Place, Flight Events Championship: Kent State University
- 13th Place, Instrument Simulated Flight: John Arata
- 13th Place, Top Scoring Contestant: Samuel Legarth
For more information about the SAFECON 2022 Official Results, please visit: https://nifa.aero/safecon-2022-official-results/