SLU's Flying Billikens Taking Off for 2025 National Intercollegiate Flying Competition
ST. LOUIS - A team of aviation science students from Saint Louis University’s School of Science and Engineering are heading to Oshkosh, Wisconsin this weekend for the 2025 National Intercollegiate Flying Association Competition.
The 2025 Flying Billikens team will compete in the National Intercollegiate Flying Association competition. Submitted photo.
The Flying Billikens from SLU’s Oliver L. Parks Department of Aviation Science secured their national spot last fall in the Region VI SAFECON event.
“We’re very excited to have earned an invitation back to the national competition for another year in a row,” said coach Jack Schwarz. “This team loves the opportunity to develop their knowledge and skills, motivated by their competitive spirit, year-round — and this provides such a great opportunity for just that. We are proud to represent SLU at the highest level of collegiate aviation competition.”
SLU will be one of 30 teams competing in various aviation exercises. The nearly 400 competitors will be challenged in navigation, short-field landing, power-off landing, message drop, ground training, aircraft recognition, computer accuracy, and instrument flight rule events.
The Flying Billikens are led by executive board members Brendan Stoll, Sydney Nimerick and Sehwan Park. Additional competitors include Peter Belmonte, Finn Ceyssens, Harman Chauhan, Troy Ettenson, Jack Ingebretsen, Gavin Monthye, Gavin Nieters, Timothy Pipal and Xavier Supersad.
The National Intercollegiate Flying Association was formed to develop and advance aviation education; promote, encourage and foster aviation safety; promote and foster communications and cooperation between aviation students, educators, educational institutions and the aviation industry; and provide an arena for collegiate aviation competition.
The national competition will begin Monday, May 12, and run through Saturday, May 17.
About the School of Science and Engineering
Saint Louis University formed the School of Science and Engineering in 2022 to better meet the future needs of its students and faculty. The school brings together select departments from the College of Arts and Sciences — chemistry, computer science, earth and atmospheric sciences, and physics — with the former Parks College of Engineering, Aviation and Technology. To learn more about the School of Science and Engineering, visit slu.edu/science-and-engineering.
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