Aviation NIFA Region 7 Competition

From 23-26 Oct., the Army West Point Aviation club travelled to Fairhaven, MA, to compete in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region 7 Competition. This marked the first time USCGA competed in a NIFA-sanctioned event as well as the team’s first time using cadets to help deploy aircraft to the event; in the past all aircraft were flown to and from the events by the OIC’s, this time the flights were OIC supervised, but cadet flown. Team members CDT Brian O’Connor and CDT Derek Powers took third place overall in the Navigation event; CDT Patrick Williams took 7th out of a field of almost 50 competitors in the Short Field Landings event; CDT Nick Ives and CDT Patrick Williams placed 5th and 6th respectively, out of a field of 40 in computer accuracy. CDT Virginia Brawley took 5th place out of 40 competitors in the Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation (SCAN) event; also CDT Brawley earned 3rd overall in the Top Scoring Female category. The Army West Point Aviation club beat USCGA in the overall rankings, and look forward to facing them again during an inter-academy competition in April 2016 at Duchess County Airport.