For more than a century, the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) has inspired collegiate aviators to strive for excellence through competition. NIFA’s history stretches back to post-World War I, when collegiate flying clubs organized their first intercollegiate competition in 1920.
Some of the current coaches and judges had their own experience with the annual Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) as early as the 1950’s. By the 1970s, growth led to the establishment of regional competitions with a singular focus: making it to the national championship.
This year, 28 teams representing nine regional competitions competed in the annual SAFECON National Championship in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Team members put their skills to the test in flying, navigation, knowledge, and mathematical computation—all while knowing their school’s legacy was on the line.
FLYING was there to capture the excitement and bring the inspiring stories of competitors and volunteers to light.
Who qualified? Watch “Episode 2: Who’s Attending Nationals”, the second in our six-part series documenting SAFECON 2023 as we reveal who were the best of the best. Look for a new episode every week through the end of July.
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Editor’s Note: This story originally appeared on flyingmag.com.
To watch episode one: FLYING Launches SAFECON Docuseries