1. K-State home
  2. »DCM
  3. »K-State News
  4. »News
  5. »

K-State News

K-State News
Kansas State University
128 Dole Hall
1525 Mid-Campus Dr North
Manhattan, KS 66506

785-532-2535
media@k-state.edu

Media advisory: Collegiate aviation competition at Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus Oct. 14-17

Thursday, Oct. 11, 2018

Flight Team

The Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus in Salina is hosting the National Intercollegiate Flying Association SAFECON competition for regions V and VI Oct. 14-17. Kansas State Polytechnic's flight team is one of 11 universities participating. Team members are, bottom row from left: Logan Klein, Maddie Perry, Marc Hinnen, Jacob Hecker, Charles Weeks, Grant Weldon and Joshua Solomon; and top row from left: Conrad Giebler, Garrett Handley, Logan Ragsdale, Caleb Strahm, Robert Weesner, Brent Koenigsman, Satoru Okada, Cole Thornberry and Brandon Vu. | Download this photo.

 

SALINA — The Kansas State University Polytechnic Campus is hosting an aviation competition for college students and the media is invited to experience the action.

The National Intercollegiate Flying Association Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, also known as NIFA SAFECON, regionals will be Oct. 14-17 at Kansas State Polytechnic with students competing in nine events taking place both on the ground and in the air. A total of 11 universities from eight states are participating and represent two different regions: Minnesota State University-Mankato, University of Dubuque, University of North Dakota and University of Wisconsin are from Region V; and Kansas State Polytechnic, Oklahoma State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, St. Louis University-Parks College, University of Central Missouri, University of Nebraska Omaha and University of Oklahoma make up Region VI. The top three schools from each region will go on to compete at nationals in May 2019.

Members of the media are welcome to attend certain NIFA SAFECON events scheduled for Monday, Oct. 15, and Tuesday, Oct. 16:

• Power-off Landings, an event in which contestants are scored based on how close they land their airplane to a "zero line" painted on the runway, starts at 9:30 a.m. Oct. 15 and will run for several hours.

• Also Oct. 15, students will compete in Aircraft Recognition at 4 p.m., a ground event in which participants are shown images of various aircraft and the manufacturer, number designation and official name must be determined. Media members are asked not to show the aircraft photos as they will be used for other regionals.

• On Oct. 16, Message Drop launches at 2:30 p.m. and consists of a pilot and drop master releasing two containers from their plane and attempting to get them as close as possible to two targets. If inclement weather occurs, the schedule of events could change.

Media should check in at Hangar 600, 2720 Arnold Court, to receive a credential and instructions for the flying events; parking is free. Those interested in covering the ground event should go to Kansas State Polytechnic's College Center, which is accessible from the campus's main drive off of Centennial Road. Troy Brockway, aviation professor at Kansas State Polytechnic and advisor to the school's flight team, and Madison Perry, Kansas State Polytechnic's flight team captain, will be available for interviews. Opportunities to interview students from competing schools between events may also be available.

Media inquiries leading up to the NIFA SAFECON regionals should be directed to Heather Wagoner, director of communications and marketing at Kansas State Polytechnic, at 785-826-2917 or hwagoner@k-state.edu. The media contact during the competition is Julee Cobb, communications and social media specialist at Kansas State Polytechnic, who can be reached at 785-826-2642 or julee@k-state.edu.



Websites

nifa.aero/

polytechnic.k-state.edu/academics/degree-options/pilot/

Note to editors

Leading up to the NIFA SAFECON regionals, media inquiries should be directed to Heather Wagoner, director of communications and marketing at Kansas State Polytechnic, at 785-826-2917 or hwagoner@k-state.edu. Media contact during the competition is Julee Cobb, communications and social media specialist at Kansas State Polytechnic, who can be reached at 785-826-2642 or julee@k-state.edu.


Written by

Julee Cobb
785-826-2642_
julee@k-state.edu