Air warrior, UND alum jets in for visit

March 7, 2023

Published in: Affinity, John D. Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences, Learning, Service

Navy Lt. Matt Enerson, UND ’12, pilots his F/A-18E Super Hornet to the airport where he first learned to fly: GFK

UND alum and U.S. Navy Lt. Matt Enerson arrives at Grand Forks International Airport in an F/A-18 Hornet, a Navy fighter and attack aircraft, on Saturday, March 4. Some dozens of UND aviation students were among those on hand for the arrival. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

By Mackinney Supola

This past weekend, UND graduate, former Certified Flight Instructor and now U.S. Navy Lt. Matt Enerson paid a special visit to UND Flight Operations at Grand Forks International Airport.

Enerson arrived at GFK mid-afternoon Saturday in his F/A-18E Super Hornet, where he was greeted upon his landing by dozens of excited aviation students. This was Enerson’s second visit to UND in an F/A-18E, with his first being back in 2019.

Navy Lt. Matt Enerson flies his F/A-18E Super Hornet above Grand Forks International Airport in advance of his landing on Saturday, March 4. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

At the event, UND students had the chance to talk with Enerson and hear about his time as a student and CFI at UND, plus his service in the Navy. The F/A-18E stayed parked on Bravo Ramp until midafternoon the following day, when Enerson departed. Students gathered again to take photos, ask questions, and watch the Top Gun–style departure as Enerson took off and headed back to California.

UND Aerospace thanks Lt. Enerson and the U.S. Navy for giving aviation students the chance to meet him, talk with him and get an up-close-and-personal look at the Navy’s all-weather, supersonic, twin-engine, carrier-capable, multirole combat aircraft, the F/A-18E.

Lt. Matt Enerson taxis his F/A-18E Super Hornet toward Bravo Ramp at Grand Forks International Airport, March 4, 2023. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

Lt. Matt Enerson prepares to deplane from his F/A-18E Super Hornet after arriving at Grand Forks International Airport on March 4. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

After UND alum and Navy Lt. Matt Enerson introduced himself, the crowd of UND aviation students and others at Grand Forks International Airport moved forward to look at Enerson’s F/A-18E Super Hornet. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

Lt. Matt Enerson talks with well-wishers after landing his F/A-18E Super Hornet combat aircraft at GFK on Saturday, March 4. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

For those who feel the “need for speed,” the F/A-18E Super Hornet — with its top speed of close to twice the speed of sound — might be a good option. In this photo, Navy Lt. Matt Enerson describes the aircraft to UND aviation students and others at GFK, March 4, 2023. Photo by Arjun Jagada/UND Aerospace.

About the author:

A certified flight instructor, Mackinney Supola is working toward bachelor’s degrees in Commercial Aviation and Communication at UND. She’s currently a marketing intern in the Dean’s Office at the University’s Odegard School of Aerospace Sciences.