News release prepared by: Natalie Blair, 785-826-2642, nblair@k-state.edu

Tuesday, Oct. 26, 2010

K-STATE SALINA FLIGHT TEAM HEADED TO NATIONAL COMPETITION

SALINA -- Kansas State University at Salina's Flight Team is headed to the national SAFECON competition in May 2011 after taking second place at the Region VI competition, Oct. 18-22, in Salina.

K-State Salina won several other awards, including the Safety Award, which is given to one team that demonstrates safety in all aspects of the competition. The team also placed first overall in flying events and fifth overall in ground events.

SAFECON competitions feature flight events and ground events that test the teams' abilities in all aspects of flight. Contestants placing in the top 20 in each event earn points for their team. The results of each event contribute to the teams' overall scores.

Region VI includes teams from Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Texas.

K-State Salina team members earning individual awards, include:

Brycen Scholz, sophomore in professional pilot, Atchison, 12th in message drop and 15th in aircraft recognition; Theron Craig Harper, sophomore in professional pilot, Eudora, third in message drop and eighth in short-field landing; Ian Lewis, junior in professional pilot, Kansas City, Kan., second in aircraft recognition and 14th in aircraft preflight inspection; Grant Swinehart, senior in professional pilot, Norwich, 12th in message drop; Joe Englert, junior in professional pilot, Syracuse, third in message drop, 11th in navigation, 15th in short-field landing and 20th in ground trainer; Dash Tsao, junior in professional pilot, Wichita, fifth in message drop, 10th in manual flight computer accuracy, 13th in aircraft recognition and 19th in navigation.

From out of state:

Zach Powell, senior in professional pilot, Colorado Springs, Colo., first in short-field landing, second in top pilot, second in aircraft preflight inspection, fourth in top-scoring contestant, fourth in top-scoring male contestant, fourth in power-off landing, seventh in message drop and 12th in navigation; Mike Potts, sophomore in professional pilot, Highlands Ranch, Colo., seventh in message drop; Matthew Pennell, freshman in professional pilot, Jacksonville, Ill., 19th in navigation; Gabe Lenz, senior in professional pilot, Liberty, Iowa, eighth in simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation and 13th in manual flight computer accuracy; Colton Daum, sophomore in professional pilot, Dix, Neb., third in ground trainer, fifth in message drop, 10th in short-field landing, 11th in navigation, 18th in top scoring contestant and 18th in top scoring male contestant; and Ryan Enebo, sophomore in professional pilot, Sanger, Texas, first in power-off landing, fifth in top pilot, seventh in short-field landing, 10th in top scoring contestant, 10th in top scoring male contestant, 11th in ground trainer, 12th in navigation and 16th in message drop.