Falcons Take Home National Safety Award
Florida Tech’s Falcons flight team earned first place for Safety at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation
Conference, held in Dublin, Ohio, the week of May 8. Additionally, the team was awarded the Red Baron Team Sportsmanship Award. This is earned by members
from all teams voting as to which team displayed the best sportsmanship.
“The American Airlines Safety Award is a tremendous honor. The award is presented to the team that has demonstrated the safest practices and procedures for
the past year.” said Dr. Donna Wilt, associate professor of aeronautics and Falcons advisor.
William McTaggart, Florida Tech Falcons team member, holds the American Airlines Safety Award.
Jeff McDivitt, the team safety officer, and the entire team work hard to promote aviation safety at Florida Tech and in the local aviation community. He
said, “I am extremely proud of all our members’ efforts this year. This is the first national safety award that the Falcons have taken home, ever. The team
was extremely deserving.”
Overall, the team moved up 10 places to 17th place nationally at the conference. The team captain, senior Ryan Plumeau, earned third place in men’s
achievement. Members Nick Mitrani and William McTaggart placed in the Message Drop event and Sean Gavin placed in the Simulated Flight event. The NIFA is
an organization of colleges and universities who are either directly involved in one of the many forms of aviation education or who have a student group on
campus with aviation interests. Their primary activity is to conduct regional and national safety and flight evaluation conferences called SAFECON.
Aviation-related undergraduate degrees in the Florida Tech College of Aeronautics currently include seven bachelor of
science degrees. Three of the bachelor’s degrees have a flight option. The university also offers three aviation-related master’s degrees and a doctoral
degree in science education with a concentration in aeronautics.
