Aeronautics students win regional honors

The Liberty University School of Aeronautics competition team won the National Intercollegiate Flying Association regional competition for the fifth consecutive year in late October.

The event, hosted by Averett University at Danville Regional Airport in Danville, Va., featured 89 students, representing seven colleges from Virginia and North Carolina.

“We will now compete in the national competition in Terre Haute, Ind., hosted by Indiana State University in May 2010,” said David L. Young, dean of LU’s School of Aeronautics. “This is the best team we have ever fielded and they dominated the regional competition.”

The competition included landing and simulator practice, aircraft recognition, preflight and power off landing.

One LU team member, John Iazzi, won the Top Pilot award and will be recognized at the national competition.

“Our coach, Josh Stadtlander, a 2009 graduate of the School of Aeronautics, did an outstanding job of preparing the team for the regional competition and will do the same for the national level,” Young said.