TSTC receives recognitions at NIFA Region 4 SAFECON 2024 held in Waco

(WACO, Texas) - Texas State Technical College hosted the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region 4 SAFECON (Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference)2024 from Oct. 14-18 at the Col. James T. Connally Aerospace Center and TSTC Airport in Waco.

Competing in a series of ground and flying competitions were the Texas State Technical College Lonestars flight team along with the LeTourneau University Sting Precision Flight Team of Longview, Texas; Louisiana Tech University Precision Flight Team of Ruston, Louisiana; Oklahoma State University Flying Aggies of Stillwater, Oklahoma; Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjacks Flight Team of Nacogdoches, Texas; Southeast Oklahoma State University Flight Team of Durant, Oklahoma; and University of Oklahoma Flying Sooners of Norman, Oklahoma.

"NIFA allows that space for the student to be better," said Phillip Roberts, NIFA Region 4 representative and LeTourneau University's dispatch manager and flight team advisor.

Stephen F. Austin State University was participating in its first NIFA competition. The university's flight team is led by Jack Gainer, who once worked in TSTC's Aircraft Pilot Training Technology program.

Amielia Beam, of Tyler, Texas, is a first-year member of Stephen F. Austin's flight team. Beam, a junior Aviation Sciences major, said she liked learning about other institution's flight programs.

"Our goal is to observe and take notes and bring it all back to school," she said. "We are building our practices on what we do here."

Joaquinn Lopez, of Orange Grove, Texas, is a fourth-semester Aircraft Pilot Training Technology student at TSTC who participated in the Landings: Power Off and Landings: Short Field flying contests.

"It was challenging," he said. "There was a bit of turbulence and headwind. Our training enables us to maneuver the aircrafts like we want."

Lopez, who competed in welding in high school, became interested in flying when a friend's uncle took him on a discovery flight in Corpus Christi.

"School comes first, because if we don't pass, we can't fly," Lopez said. "It is a privilege to be able to fly. I am focused on my career and what I want to do in my life."

Diego Valdes, of Georgetown, Texas, is a fourth-semester Aircraft Pilot Training Technology student at TSTC. During the week, he competed in the Aviation Maintenance Test, Aircraft Identification, Landings: Short Field and Message Drop contest. Valdes was also the team's safety officer.

"It's long days, but with the camaraderie, you feel it there," he said.

Valdes and the rest of TSTC's flight team prepared for the NIFA regional contest by flying on weekends and meeting for study groups during the week. All this was done as students kept up with classwork and flew required flight hours.

"It all depends on you," Valdes said. "You learn from your bad days. We have home field advantage here."

Some flight teams outside Texas had members with ties to the state.

Micah Koen, of Woodway, Texas, is a graduate of Midway High School and is now a senior Aviation - Professional Pilot student at Southeastern Oklahoma State University.

"It's good to be home," he said. "The TSTC facilities are really nice. It's nice operating out of a larger airport."

Koen took part in four contests during the week.

"I am trying to learn to make myself better at the events I am doing," he said.

Koen said his favorite part of the week has been seeing the enthusiasm his teammates have when they know they did well flying or in ground events.

Leading a group of volunteer contest judges was Jonathan Reigle, a LeTourneau University graduate and now a first officer at Southwest Airlines.

"There are so many aspects that make this fun for me," Reigle said. "College is the best place to learn to fly."

Reigle said students putting their NIFA involvement on resumes is sure to garner attention when being interviewed for jobs.

"The industry knows the students are spending the money and time to be better pilots," he said.

The week-long conference ended with an awards banquet on Friday, Oct. 18. TSTC's Precision Machining Technology created many of the awards given to students.

The top three overall event teams were Oklahoma State University, Southeastern Oklahoma State University and LeTourneau University.

TSTC received the Safety Award and Sportsmanship Award, and had students place in the top 10 in the Aircraft Preflight Inspection, Ground Trainer, Landings: Short Field, Message Drop, and Navigation: Traditional contests. TSTC won the Safety Award for the third year in a row at NIFA's regional level.

"I feel privileged to be part of the TSTC flight team as we grow," said Elaine Porterfield, an instructor in TSTC's Aircraft Pilot Training Technology program and Lonestars flight team advisor. "I am very satisfied with how we did."

Roberts said most likely the top teams from Region 4 will move on to the NIFA National SAFECON 2025 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. He said the slate of nationwide competitors will not be finalized until all nine regions have held contests.

For more information on NIFA, go to nifa.aero.

For more information on TSTC, go to tstc.edu.

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