From BGSU OFFICE OF MARKETING & BRAND STRATEGY
Building off a top-20 finish in 2024, the Bowling Green State University Falcon Flight Team secured a spot at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) competition for the second consecutive year.
The team’s solid performance at this year’s regional competition qualified them for a spot on the national stage.
“The Falcon Flight Team competed in both ground and flight events this fall, placing 4th in the region and scoring top-10 finishes in six out of nine events,” said Catherine Smith ’98, ’08, chief flight instructor at the BG Flight Center and interim director of the School of Aviation. “The students are incredibly excited to compete alongside other aviation programs on the national stage for the second year in a row.”
This year’s national team includes 14 BGSU students, who will compete in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, from May 12-17. Students will compete in more than a dozen air and ground events during the six-day NIFA Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference – or SAFECON – competition.
Among those competing is third-year aviation major Cayden Smith, who is specializing in flight technology and operations. He and his teammates will apply skills learned at BGSU, demonstrating the University’s aviation program’s strength and legacy of safety.
“The competition is intense, and the standard is set high,” Cayden Smith said. “It’s incredibly rewarding and a lot of fun to put your skills to the test against some of the best collegiate aviators in the country.”
The Falcon Flight Team is a student organization composed of undergraduate students. Open to aviation and non-aviation majors, many team members are pursuing specializations in flight technology and operations (FTO) or aviation management and operations (AMO) in the BGSU School of Aviation. Students specializing in FTO are prepared for careers as professional pilots, while students specializing in AMO are empowered for professional opportunities in aviation business, consulting, and facility management.
The BGSU aviation program is one of the largest in the U.S. and is one of the few universities in the country with an airport on its campus.
Dedicated to providing students with a safe and modern training facility and fleet, BGSU entered into a unique public-private partnership with Bowling Green Flight Center (BGFC) in 2014. Through North Star Companies, BGFC operates a four-building complex and 25 state-of-the-art aircraft serving the BGSU aviation program.
The aviation program also added a CRJ-700 simulator in 2024 for capstone coursework and training, featuring a 6-foot-tall wrap-around visual screen and an identical flight deck that provides the fit, feel and function of an actual CRJ-700 aircraft, which is used by airlines worldwide.
“The Falcon Flight Team perfectly represents the aviation program’s mission,” Catherine Smith said. “Our mission of preparing students to take their skills, knowledge and decision-making into the practical setting is displayed as the team competes at the regional and national level.”
Back-to-back regional and national competitions have proven invaluable for students like Cayden Smith.
“Being part of the Falcon Flight Team has been one of the most rewarding aspects of my college experience,” he said. “It’s more than just a competition; it’s about growing as a pilot, teammate and leader.
“Many lessons and experiences I’ve gained through competitions have helped me improve personally and professionally. I am better prepared for my career thanks to the Flight Team and everything we have accomplished so far.”
