UND Aerobatic Team Competes in Seward, NE Contest
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences
Contact: Karen Ryba/Phone: 701-777-4761
July 10, 2008
UND Aerobatic Team Competes in Seward, NE Contest
(Grand Forks, North Dakota): The University of North Dakota (UND) Aerospace aerobatic team participated in its first competition of 2008 on June 28-29, 2008 in Seward, NE. Five of the UND collegiate competitors performed before a panel of judges and scored exceptionally well.
Neil Acomb won the Primary Aerobatic Category and had the highest scoring percentage of all competitors in all categories during the contest. Jordan Weiss placed third in Primary. Brian Prange and Ashley Kennie narrowly missed placing in the Primary Category, but held excellent percentages that will be compared against other collegiate teams at the end of the season. Jeremy Baker won the “Best First Time Sportsman” and also held an excellent scoring percentage.
“Our team is very strong, and we hope to continue the success for the remainder of this season,” said Ryan Carlson, Coach/Advisor of the UND Aerobatic’s team. “In addition, several of our competitors this year will be returning members next year.”
The next competition is scheduled for late August in Albert Lea, MN.
The UND Aerospace Aerobatic Team has competed within the Collegiate Aerobatic Program of the International Aerobatic Club (IAC), a division of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA), over the past six seasons. The individual collegiate competitors must complete the “Introduction to Aerobatics” flight course at the University of North Dakota prior to competing at their first Aerobatic contest. The team members practice on both an individual and team basis with a UND Flight Instructor acting as a Safety Pilot. Once the team attends three competitions throughout the Midwest during each season, the competitor scores are totaled, average, and compared against other universities throughout the country. During the 2007 season, the UND Aerospace aerobatic team placed Second in the nation.
About UND Aerospace:
UND Aerospace, which includes the Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences at the University of North Dakota and the UND Aerospace Foundation (UNDAF), is an international leader in collegiate and contract aviation education and training services flying over 100,000 hours per year in over 120 aircraft. UNDAF also has facilities in Spokane, Washington, with Spokane Falls Community College; Lumberton, North Carolina, with Robeson Community College; Phoenix, Arizona, in conjunction with Chandler-Gilbert Community College; and Crookston, Minnesota, with the University of Minnesota in addition to its home-base in Grand Forks, North Dakota. With more than 1,900 students from throughout the world, the John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences is the second largest college at the University of North Dakota. Undergraduate and graduate programs leading to a variety of rewarding careers in aerospace are offered through five different academic departments: aviation, atmospheric sciences, computer science, earth system science and policy, and space studies. The UND Aerospace training complex is the most technologically advanced environment for aerospace education, training and research in the world.
In 2008, UND Aerospace is celebrating its 40th anniversary. A series of regional alumni gatherings will be held across the country, as well as several events during UND’s Homecoming and 125th anniversary on October 13-18. For an updated listing of events, see www.undaerospace.com or www.undalumni.org. For more information on UND Aerospace, contact Karen Ryba at 701-777-4761 or go to www.aero.und.edu.
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