SAFECON Region VI Competition in St. Louis: Navigation and Instrument Flying Events

By Carmelo Turdo

St. Louis University's Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology is proud to host SAFECON Region VI competition this week at St. Louis Downtown Airport.  The week-long event is sponsored by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) to encourage college student aviators to interact with fellow students at other institutions while sharpening their flying skills and aviation knowledge.  Today's activities included the Navigation Event and the Ground Trainer Event (instrument flight) - getting the contestants back in the cockpit and proving their flying skills.

Following yesterday's visit to the St. Louis University main campus, the SAFECON Region VI competition returned to St. Louis Downtown Airport.  The Aero Experience coverage began early in order to take advantage of the mild autumn weather and the image of the sunrise behind the numerous aircraft on the Ideal Aviation apron.  It was the start of another wonderful day in Midwest Aviation:



Rachel Munger and Creedance Chambers

The flying events began early as well, with much of the day spent cycling three crews from each college through the Navigation Event, during which competitors must plan and fly a route ranging from 70-120 miles using three to five separate flight legs.  One of the crews participating in the Navigation Event from the St. Louis University Flying Billikens consisted of Rachel Munger and Creedance Chambers.  They were given a flight plan with chosen waypoints, and they were tasked with plotting their course, projecting times over each waypoint and total flight time, and calculating fuel consumption.  Munger and Chambers were tracked by the judges using a GPS device as they flew their route and were graded on their performance.  They were very confident in their abilities prior to takeoff, and felt that the flight went well upon their return.  Munger did comment that winds aloft were stronger than forecast, and may have affected ground speed and thus the times projected for each leg of the flight.  We will not know the Navigation Event flight scores until the final results are announced on Friday.  Here are some scenes from their departure and later return to the staging area, along with some views of other teams as they flew the event as well:

As with their military pilot brethren, sometimes the teams' flying activities are accompanied by a lot of "hurry up and wait" time between flights.  Some crews visited with the Trans States Airlines representatives or tossed bean bags to pass the time.

      


















Later in the day, team pilots participated in the Ground Trainer Event that tests the ability to fly in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions in the Frasca simulators.  Accuracy in maintaining altitude, airspeed and heading without ground references were evaluated.  Yesterday, competitors were given a series of flight maneuvers they were required to demonstrate in the simulator and they were given a limited amount of time to practice their maneuvers.  Earlier in the day, we saw two pilots from Oklahoma State University, Paul Downing and Rachel Earnhardt, practicing the maneuvers by walking them on the apron outside of the Parks College hangar in the same way that airshow pilots walk their airshow prior to a performance.  Later we met Kolton Slater, a 200-hour instrument rated pilot from the University of Central Missouri, who explained the many variables involved with performing the required 10-minute "flight" before he was called to the simulator.  Achieving the required speed, rate of climb and course change requirements of the assignment were very challenging, Slater told The Aero Experience.  We will find out more about how challenging it was on Friday.

Wednesday's events, the Short Field Landing and Power Off Landing, will include a full day of flying.  A visit by a Trans States jet and crew is planned for tomorrow, and following the flying events, the teams and other visitors will gather at the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum.  Check back with The Aero Experience for more coverage of the SAFECON Region VI competition the rest of this week. 

SAFECON Region VI Competition in St. Louis: Opening Briefing and Written Exams

By Carmelo Turdo

St. Louis University's Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology is proud to host SAFECON Region VI competition this week at St. Louis Downtown Airport.  The week-long event is sponsored by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) to encourage college student aviators to interact with fellow students at other institutions while sharpening their flying skills and aviation knowledge. The pace of today's activities is very different from that of the previous weekend - Monday's events take place at the beautiful Parks College St. Louis University campus in midtown St. Louis, away from the bustle of actual flying.  Following the opening welcome and contestant briefing from the contest judges, there were three written examinations to test the team members on their computation and navigation skills as well as their aircraft recognition knowledge.

The Saint Louis University Flying Billikens gather at the clock tower

Monday's opening welcome and team briefing were held at the Center for Global Citizenship at St. Louis University's main academic campus.  The newly renovated interior is in what was previously the 1920's era West Pine Gym and later the Bauman-Eberhardt Center.  The 70,000 square foot facility has found new life in its role of hosting events and activities that enhance the university's international education role.        

 

 

Chief Judge Erich Hess

NIFA Region VI Representative Scott Vlasek began the opening welcome by thanking the teams for arriving early, allowing the following written exams to begin an hour earlier than scheduled the rest of the day.  "I am here for all of you," he told the team members assembled in the auditorium.  "This is a competition - you are here to compete," he continued.  "But we want to do so in a professional manner, and with respect...Also remember that safety comes first and foremost throughout the week."  No doubt the teams have prepared to meet these expectations, and it was reassuring to hear the message again from NIFA.  The bulk of the briefing was conducted by the Chief Judge, Erich Hess, who also reached out to the team members to maintain open communication with him regarding any competition issues.  He then went into detail about the rules for each event and best practices for the flight operations.  

 

Following the briefing and lunch, the teams gathered at nearby Tegeler Hall for the written exams, the first scored events of the competition.  In the Computer Accuracy event, team members must solve aircraft performance and navigation computation problems using a manual flight computer in a given time period.  The Aircraft Recognition Event tests the team member's ability to identify an aircraft manufacturer, model and name after viewing an image for only three-seconds.  Lastly, the Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation Event is a written exam that tests the team member's ability to solve problems related to planning a cross-country flight.  



The Aero Experience was welcomed by the NIFA officials to attend the briefing, though we were understandably not allowed into the examination rooms.  A visit to the Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology in McDonnell Douglas Hall was a great alternative:

 

The lobby of McDonnell Douglas Hall

Statue of astronaut Jack Swigert of Apollo 13

Portrait of Oliver Parks



"Aviator - Portrait of Elrey B. Jeppesen" 1997

by George Lundeen 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cessna 310 on display outside McDonnell Douglas Hall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday's events will include a mix of flying and simulator time back at the Parks College facility at St. Louis Downtown Airport.  In the Navigation Event, competitors must plan and fly a route ranging from 70-120 miles using three to five separate flight legs.  Following the flight in the team's aircraft, crews will be graded on accuracy for time of each flight leg, total flight time, and fuel consumption. St. Louis University Flying Billikens Coach Jack Schwarz emphasized the importance of precision flying in this event: "Competitors will be scored based on how well they plan their route and also fly it as close as they can to their planning, including time to point, ground track to point, fuel burn during flight, etc."  Later in the day, pilots will participate in the Ground Trainer Event that tests their ability to fly in Instrument Flight Rules (IFR) conditions in the Frasca simulators.  Accuracy in maintaining altitude, airspeed and heading without ground references will be evaluated.

 

The Aero Experience will again be at St. Louis Downtown Airport to report on the progress of the St. Louis University Flying Billikens and the visiting teams as they progress through the Tuesday events.  Also, The Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum will be open to receive visitors during special SAFECON Region VI competition hours: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday this week 10am-4pm, with additional Wednesday evening hours 4pm-8pm during the fly-in and social event at the museum.  

 

Special thanks to NIFA SAFECON Region VI competition officials and St. Louis University for their hospitality during Monday's visit.  

SAFECON Region VI Competition in St. Louis: Arrivals and Practice Day Two

By Carmelo Turdo

St. Louis University's Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology is proud to host SAFECON Region VI competition next week at St. Louis Downtown Airport.  The week-long event is sponsored by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) to encourage college student aviators to interact with fellow students at other institutions while sharpening their flying skills and aviation knowledge.   Teams from other college aviation programs were given a day to practice their precision landings and ground handling techniques all day Sunday.

The day's activities were like a "dress rehearsal" for the flying competition that will be held later in the week.  Collegiate team pilots flew their precision landing practice flights in groups of four aircraft, each one from a different school.  According to the competition rules, the aircraft are manually placed in the starting box marked on the apron by ground crews.  The pilots start, taxi out to the runway, fly their landing patterns and precision landings, and taxi back to a marked receiving box.  The aircraft are again manually placed in the parking area or starting box by ground crews.  After a few cycles, the pilots and ground crews achieved quick turnaround times, enabling more pilots to get landing practice flights.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The pace of the competition will change on Monday as the teams gather at the St. Louis University academic campus for a comprehensive briefing and several intensive contests.  In the Computer Accuracy event, team members must solve aircraft performance and navigation computation problems using a manual flight computer in a given time period.  The Aircraft Recognition Event tests the team member's ability to identify an aircraft manufacturer, model and name after viewing an image for only three-seconds.  Lastly, the Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation Event is a written exam that tests the team member's ability to solve problems related to planning a cross-country flight.  

 

Look for more of The Aero Experience coverage of the SAFECON Region VI competition this week.  We again thank St. Louis University and the Parks College Flying Billikens, FBO host Ideal Aviation, the Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum, the visiting collegiate flying teams and everyone who has contributed to planning this great Midwest Aviation event.