Skyhawks Take Flight in Competition

The Quincy University Skyhawks Flight Team recently completed its third year of competition after a ten-year hiatus. The Skyhawks competed at SAFECON, a weeklong series of skill and knowledge-based aviation competitions, this past October and placed fourth in the competition overall.

QU competed against Lewis University, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Purdue University and Indiana State University. The competition rotates between the different universities, with Indiana State hosting this year. QU is scheduled to host the competition next year.

This year the Skyhawks had eight competitors, each competed in at least two events per competition. Co-Captains, Michael Carpenter and Alex Tedrow lead the flight team. Other team members include Aaron Weber, Josh Hernandez, Jake Williams, Kimberly Bukowski, Taylor Wade and Gabriel Hanafin.

“Our team is stronger than ever, and we hope to win that coveted spot,” Carpenter said. “Competing in this competition has been a fantastic experience for everyone involved, and we look forward to keeping the team a permanent part of the Quincy University Aviation Program.”

The Flight Team did not advance to the national competition. However, they earned several individual awards, including several Top Five individual finishes in the events and coach Andrew Dow being named Coach of the Year.