St. Louis University Flying Billikens Advance to National Intercollegiate Flying Association Competition - Expanded Edition

By Carmelo Turdo

The St. Louis University Flying Billikens are heading to the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Competition to be held May 18-23, 2026, at Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, IL. The team earned their overall fourth place along with several first and second place individual scores during the recent NIFA Region VI and Region VIII competition hosted by St. Louis University on October 13-17 at St. Louis Downtown Airport. This marks the third consecutive year that the Flying Billikens have competed at the national level. 

During last fall's regionals, aircraft from the NIFA Region VI and VIII collegiate flying teams could be seen on the west apron, a short walk from the Flying Billikens operations facility. The map below, provided by NIFA, shows the regional divisions across the country with Regions VI and VIII across the Midwest. 

Participating colleges and universities include:

Region VI: St. Louis University Parks College, University of Central Missouri, Kansas State University - Salina, University of Nebraska - Omaha, University of North Dakota, University of Dubuque, Minnesota State University - Mankato and Hesston College.

Region VIII: Southern Illinois University - Carbondale, Indiana State University, Purdue University and Lewis University.

The results from the regional competition: 

Region VI Overall
1 University of North Dakota
2 University of Nebraska - Omaha
3 Kansas State University - Salina
4 Saint Louis University 
5 Minnesota State University - Mankato
6 University of Central Missouri
7 University of Dubuque

Region VIII Overall
1 Southern Illinois University - Carbondale
2 Purdue University
3 Lewis University 

The Aero Experience was on site for the regional competition flying events in October. Here we feature the landing zone distance marker preparations and the teams competing in the power off landing and message drop events at St. Louis Downtown Airport. For each competition, flights of three aircraft each launched and made their passes before recovering. 

The St. Louis University Flying Billikens can still make the claim, "We are Number One," regardless of the results from next month's NIFA national competition. The university's flight program is an outgrowth of the original Parks Air College, founded by Oliver L. Parks, in 1927. Parks Air College became the first federally certificated flight training school in 1929, and thereafter added a student-run airline, trained cadets at four airfields during World War II and later was gifted to St. Louis University. Parks College operated on its own campus in Cahokia, IL until being absorbed into St. Louis University in 1997. Currently, Parks College is known as the Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science, and flight operations continue at St. Louis Downtown Airport.

The Aero Experience thanks the St. Louis University Flying Billikens for hosting our coverage of the Region VI and VIII regional competition, and we wish them well at the nationals.