UNO's Flight Team, Back in the Air and Heading to Nationals

The Flying Mavs, the University of Nebraska at Omaha’s student flight team, returned to competition October 20, 2021 – October 23, 2021, in Mankato, MN. The 2021 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Region VI Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) was hosted by Minnesota State University Mankato.

The Flying Mavs took 15 competitors to this year’s competition lead by Captains Mitch Scott (junior from Papillion LaVista South High School) and Josh Wordekemper (senior from Guardian Angels Central Catholic in Templeton, NE). Overall, the Flying Mavs placed behind the University of North Dakota, which won the 2019 National and Region VI championships. The Flying Mavs are coached by Skip Bailey and Scott Vlasek, who also serves as the team’s faculty advisor.

COVID-19 canceled the 2020 National SAFECON which was to be held in Oshkosh, WI to celebrate the 100^th Anniversary of Collegiate Aviation Competition. The 2021 Regional and National SAFECONS were held virtually for the first time in NIFA’s history.

Captain Josh Wordekemper said, "I am very impressed with the team's commitment to success. This team has put in countless hours of preparation and endured long days of competition in Mankato. It was great to see our hard work pay off with a great placement at the Region VI SAFECON.”

According to Scott Vlasek, “the team came to Mankato ready to compete, they put in a lot of work over the past 10 months to get ready for this event and it paid off.” The Flying Mavs practice ground events on campus every Monday and Wednesday from 8:00 AM until 10:00 AM. On Fridays they take evaluations to track their progress and qualify for the travel team. Additionally on Friday you will find the Flying Mavs at the Council Bluffs Airport practice for the landing events and navigation event from noon until 4:00 PM.

The rigorous practice schedule paid off as 21 Flying Mavs placed in the top 10 in the regional competition’s different events. Vlasek also noted, “we excelled in the Aircraft Preflight Inspection and Unlimited Navigation events placing 2^nd, 3^rd, and 6^th in Preflight and 2^nd, 4^th, and 5^th in the Navigation event. To have all three of your team’s competitors place within the top 6 in these events helped us a lot.”

The Flying Mavs were 32 points shy of beating the Fighting Hawks of North Dakota in the Flying Events. Overall, however the Flying Mavs came up 215 points short to North Dakota in the SAFECON Region VI Championship.

Coach Bailey talked about how impressed he was with the team’s commitment to the hard work and preparation. He stated, “they showed up at 8am three days a week over the last few months when most college students would rather be sleeping. It was a great feeling as a coach to hear their names called at the banquet and watch the looks on their faces as they received their medals, certificates, and plaques. The early mornings and hard work paid off.”

The second-place finish extends the Flying Mavs’ thirteen-year streak of earning a bid to the National SAFECON which will be held in May 2022 at Ohio State University.

Captain Mitch Scott said, “Since competing two years ago, all the work we’ve done has truly paid off. I couldn’t be prouder of this group and the success that we’ve achieved. It’s a setting where piloting skills are cultivated and shared, and I get to be a part of it. From the juniors and seniors that have been at it for years, to the freshmen who placed after two months of practice, this team has shown up and proven that we’re ready for the national level of competition.”

A complete list of the results from the Region VI SAFECON can be found at https://nifa.aero/2021-region-vi-safecon-official-results/ and a list of the University of Nebraska Omaha Flight Team results is listed below.

For additional questions or comments please feel free to reach out to Scott Vlasek at svlasek@unomaha.edu 402-554-3785 or Skip Bailey at lbaileyjr@unomaha.edu 402-554-6722.

2021 University of Nebraska Omaha Flight Team Results

Aircraft Preflight Inspection

Owen Brennan – 2^nd Place

Danielle Jacobson – 3^rd Place

Hunter Pehrson – 6^th Place

Aircraft Recognition

Kenneth Thomason – 5^th Place

Sidnee Fuller – 9^th Place

Jonathan Corey – 12^th Place

Tyler Haney – 27^th Place

Cole Dostal – 28^th Place

Computer Accuracy

Tomas Kathol – 4^th Place

Owen Brennan – 6^th Place

Marcus Gross – 18^th Place

Edgar Gaspar-Francisco – 29^th Place

Cole Dostal – 31^st Place

Ground Trainer

Josh Wordekemper – 7^th Place

Tomas Kathol – 12^th Place

Tyler Haney – 19^th Place

Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation

Mitch Scott – 9^th Place

Josh Wordekemper – 10^th Place

Hunter Pehrson – 15^th Place

Garrett Ferguson – 16^th Place

David Wellnitz – 24^th Place

Unlimited Navigation

Garrett Ferguson and Kenneth Thomason – 2^nd Place

Owen Brennan and Cole Dostal – 4^th Place

Josh Wordekemper and Hunter Pehrson – 5^th Place

Short Field Landing

Mitch Scott – 4^th Place

Garrett Ferguson – 8^th Place

Hunter Pehrson – 9^th Place

Owen Brennan – 12^th Place

Josh Wordekemper – 20^th Place

Power Off Landing

Garett Ferguson – 4^th Place

Owen Brennan – 6^th Place

Mitch Scott – 13^th Place

Jonathan Corey – 19^th Place

Josh Wordekemper – 26^th Place

Message Drop

Owen Brennan and Tyler Haney – 5^th place

Jonathan Corey and Josh Wordekemper – 6^th Place

Josh Wordekemper and Jonathan Corey – 7^th Place

Mitch Scott and Danielle Jacobson – 11^th Place

Danielle Jacobson and Mitch Scott – 12^th Place

SAFECON Regional Championship

1^st Place – University of North Dakota

2^nd Place – University of Nebraska Omaha

3^rd Place – Kansas State University Polytechnic

4^th Place – Minnesota State University Mankato

5^th Place – St. Louis University – Parks College

6^th Place – University of Central Missouri

7^th Place – University of Dubuque

8^th Place – Hesston College

Flight Event Champions

1^st Place – University of North Dakota

2^nd Place – University of Nebraska Omaha

3^rd Place – Kansas State University Polytechnic

4^th Place – Minnesota State University Mankato

5^th Place – St. Louis University – Parks College

6^th Place – University of Central Missouri

7^th Place – University of Dubuque

8^th Place – Hesston College

Ground Event Champions

1^st Place – University of North Dakota

2^nd Place – University of Nebraska Omaha

3^rd Place – Minnesota State University Mankato

4^th Place – St. Louis University – Parks College

5^th Place – University of Central Missouri

6^th Place – Kansas State University Polytechnic

7^th Place – Hesston College

8^th Place – University of Dubuque

Top Pilot

3^rd Garrett Ferguson

4^th Owen Brennan

10^th Mitch Scott

11^th Josh Wordekemper

Top Scoring Contestant

2^nd – Owen Brennan

4^th – Garrett Ferguson

13^th – Josh Wordekemper

14^th – Mitch Scott

21^st – Hunter Pehrson

30^th – Jonathan Corey

32^nd – Danielle Jacobson

33 – Tomas Kathol

46^th – Kenneth Thomason

54^th – Sidnee Fuller

71^st – Marcus Gross

72^nd – Tyler Haney

2021 UNO Flight Team Competitors

Mitch Scott – Junior from Papillion LaVista South High School

Josh Wordekemper – Senior from Templeton, NE Guardian Angels Central Catholic HS

Owen Brennan – Sophomore from Skutt Catholic High School

Jonathan Corey – Freshman from Elkhorn South High School

Cole Dostal – Sophomore from Gretna High School

Garrett Ferguson – Junior from Lincoln, NE Lincoln North Star High School

Sidnee Fuller – Senior from Hastings, NE Adams Central High School

Edgar Gaspar-Francisco – Senior from Omaha Burke High School

Marcus Gross – Freshman from Harlan, IA Harlan Community High School

Tyler Haney – Junior from Bellevue East High School

Danielle Jacobson – Junior from Overland Park, KS Mother of Divine Grace School

Tomas Kathol – Junior from Hartington, NE Cedar Catholic High School

Hunter Pehrson – Junior from Laurel, NE Laurel-Concord-Coleridge High School

Kenneth Thomason – Junior from Greenwood, NE Ashland Greenwood High School

David Wellnitz – Freshman from North Platte, NE North Platte High School