LETU FLIGHT TEAM WINS COMPETITION SAFETY AWARD AT NIFA NATIONALS

            Longview — LeTourneau University’s “Sting” Precision Flight Team was awarded the Competition Safety Award at the 2012 National Intercollegiate Flight Association SAFECON flight competition hosted by Kansas State University, in Salina, Kansas.  The LETU flight team placed 17th overall in the nation at the competition that attracted over 400 competitors on 28 teams from universities all over the country.  LETU placed 15^th in Flight Events and 15^th in Ground Events.

Flight students Sam Myers (pilot) and Justin Sutton (co-pilot) were LETU’s highest placing competitors, placing first in the Crew Resource Management event. LETU also won the CRM event in 2010. 2010 was the first year LETU had ever had a 1st place ranking in an event at the National level. Outstanding team member award went to Sam Myers.

“I am really excited about our team winning the Safety Award especially due to the high winds and difficult flying conditions we had throughout the week at K-State,” said coach Brad Wooden. “And this year is the second time for us to have a first place in the CRM event at the national level.”

Team members of the 2012 Sting Flight Team competing at nationals included Captains Patrick Harney, Luke Sjoblom, and Sam Myers and competitors Whitney Brouwer, Nathan Moses, Jessie Robinson, Erica Smith, Justin Sutton and Trent Wiens. Coaches were Brad Wooden, Chad Mertz, and Andrew Robinson.

Rankings in other events were as follows:  

Certified Flight Instructor

            7 Patrick Harney

Short-field Landings

            14 Trent Wiens

            41 Patrick Harney

Navigation

27 Luke Sjoblom (pilot), Sam Myers (observer)

Aircraft Preflight Inspection

            19 Patrick Harney

            33 Jessie Robinson

Power Off Landings

            76 Patrick Harney

            122 Luke Sjoblom

Computer Accuracy

            66 Patrick Harney

            72 Trent Wiens

            75 Whitney Brouwer

            129 Sam Myers

Aircraft Recognition

            22 Sam Myers

            41 Justin Sutton

            97 Nathan Moses

            100 Luke Sjoblom

            102 Patrick Harney

Ground Trainer

            17 Justin Sutton

            47 Nathan Moses

IFR Simulated flight

            26 Nathan Moses

Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation

            17 Patrick Harney

            54 Nathan Moses

            91 Luke Sjoblom

            95 Jessie Robinson

            123 Erica Smith

Top Scoring Pilots

            62 Trent Wiens

            62 Justin Sutton

            76 Sam Myers

            105 Patrick Harney

 

LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christ-centered university located in Longview, Texas, offering academic majors in aviation, business, criminal justice, education, engineering, health science-nursing, human services, liberal arts, science and psychology. LeTourneau University also offers graduate degrees in business administration, counseling, education, engineering, psychology and strategic leadership. In addition to its residential campus in Longview, the university offers undergraduate and graduate programs online and at educational centers in Athens, Austin, Baytown, Bedford, Dallas, Harlingen, Houston, and Tyler.                                               

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