Purdue to hold, compete in regional flight competition

The Purdue Flight Team, which consists of about 30 aviation technology students, will compete during the event and have a chance to test its skills in a dozen events that judge flight, navigation and other skills needed to pilot an aircraft. The three teams that score highest overall from each of the 11 regions advance to the nationals, which will take place in the spring.

A maximum of 30 colleges and universities are invited to compete in the national contest. The event, sponsored by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association, involves more than 70 colleges and universities each year.

Patti Keen, the coach of this year's Purdue team, said the university has a long history with the competition.

"Purdue has a wonderful connection to this program and even hosted the first collegiate competition through the National Intercollegiate Flying Association back in the 1930s," Keen said. "We've been involved regularly in this event since the 1950s and have placed highly through the years, going to nationals many times, including five out of the last six years."

Purdue won the regional competition and placed sixth in the national competition last year.

Purdue is a member of Region VIII, along with seven other universities: University of Illinois, Southern Illinois University, Indiana State University, Middle Tennessee State University and Lewis University. Quincy University and Eastern Kentucky University also are members, but do not normally compete, Keen said.

The events for the October contest include both ground and flight events. The ground events will take place Oct. 11-12 at Stewart Center, and the flight events will take place Oct. 12-13 at the Purdue Airport.

Among the ground events are:

• A computer accuracy event and a simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation event, both of which involve written exams.

• A flight planning competition, which is a written exam that asks questions on weight and balance, aircraft performance, federal aviation regulations, aeronautical charts and weather interpretation, and fuel management.

• An aircraft recognition event, in which contestants must identify aircraft from all over the world from both the past and present.

Among the flying events to be judged are:

• A message-drop event, in which contestants try to hit a target on the ground with a message container dropped from an aircraft.

• A short-field landing event designed to test the pilot's skill at maneuvering and manipulating the aircraft. The pilot tries to land as close to the target line as possible.

• A power-off landing event, which is similar to the short-field landing event except the aircraft engine must be reduced to, and remain at, idle on the downwind leg approaching the target line.

Keen said the Purdue team will fly Cessna 150s for the message-drop event and Piper Warriors for landing events.

She said this year's team is a younger group than in past years; eight members of last year's flight team have graduated. The team's captain is senior Mike Friedlund and Katie Sparrow, a junior who competed last summer with Katherine Conrad in the Air Race Classic, is among the team members. Sparrow and Conrad's team placed first in the collegiate division and third overall in the June Air Race Classic.

Larry Gross, an associate professor of aviation technology, is the Purdue Flight Team's faculty adviser.

"We're in a region that has proven to be tough in the past, and we have a young team," Keen said. "But they have been putting in a lot of hours practicing, and we're confident that all that hard work will pay off."

She said future pilots hone more than just their technical abilities at the event.

"Not only are they able to practice their flight skills, but they also have a chance to network with many in the industry who attend these events. Students put a lot of work into preparing for this competition, but they also get a lot in return."

Purdue's Department of Aviation Technology, part of the College of Technology, serves more than 600 students at the West Lafayette campus and 95 undergraduate students at the College of Technology's Indianapolis statewide location. Graduates enter careers with airlines, airport authorities, aerospace manufacturers, corporate aviation and government agencies. Purdue became the first university to offer pilots a four-year bachelor's degree in aviation in 1964.

Writer: Kim Medaris, (765) 494-6998, kmedaris@purdue.edu

Sources: Larry Gross, (765) 494-9971, lwgross@purdue.edu

Patti Keen, (765) 494-6330, keenp@purdue.edu

Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu

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