A Premiere Flight Competition Team
Representing Embry‑Riddle's Daytona Beach Campus, the Embry-Riddle Flight Team competes at the annual National Intercollegiate Flying Association's (NIFA) National and Regional Safety and Flight Evaluation Conferences (SAFECON). The events we compete in are not aerobatic, but are precision flying and knowledge events.Eagles Flight Team Tryouts
Interested in joining the Flight Team?
- Attend our mass briefing and complete the form linked below
- No prior experience required
- Five weeks of learning and practicing the ground events
- Testing and interviewing
- All majors are welcome
- Feel free to come and ask members questions if you see us on campus
If you are interested in trying out for the Flight Team, please email us for more information.
About Us
The Eagles Flight Team is Embry‑Riddle Aeronautical University’s premiere flight competition team. We participate in regional and national competitions in both flight and ground events as part of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA). Our flight events consist of precision landings, navigation, crew resource management and more. Our ground events consist of cross-country flight planning, fast-paced manual flight computer calculations, recognizing and identifying aircraft from around the world, preflight inspection and many others. These are examples of the many events in which our members have the opportunity to practice and compete against other colleges and universities from around the country.
Diverse and Inspired
The Eagles Flight Team is comprised of dedicated and hard-working students from all over the United States and the world. We are diverse in academics as well as heritage; along with Aeronautical Science and Aeronautics majors, we have members studying aviation maintenance, engineering, human factors and business. What does that mean for you? You do not need to be a pilot to be a part of our elite team! We hold open tryouts for all students! Joining our team will be a catalyst for gaining aeronautical knowledge and becoming an integral part of the most exciting industry in the world. For pilots, it will challenge and enhance every facet of your flying ability. We continuously push ourselves and each other to refine our skills and cultivate our knowledge. We are looking for dedicated and bright individuals who strive for perfection and aspire to join us and represent the greatest collegiate aviation institution in the world.

To compete, the Eagles Flight Team uses three Tecnam P92 Echo Mk2’s, used for all of our different flight events, precision landings, message drop and navigation. The Tecnam P92 has 100 horsepower and weighs less than 1000 pounds!
Meet the Leaders
- James Hanover — Head Coach
- Saiful Jihad (REC) — Assistant Coach
- Ippu Shibuya (SCAN) — Assistant Coach
- Dong Hwan Kim (COMPACC) — Assistant Coach
- Sean Hwang — Assistant Coach
- Taegoon Bae — Assistant Coach
- Marlena Gutshall — First Officer
- Quinn Dooley — Second Officer
- Nicholas Sears — Chief Pilot
- John Kalvin — Assistant Chief Pilot
Meet the Team
- Ashleigh Sharkey
- Carson Ruhnke
- Charles Kull
- Coleman Witcher
- Gabriel Leonard
- Garrett Linney
- Ethan Hill
- Ha Ram Kim
- Jack Han
- Jacob Cline
- Jaemin An
- Jessa Davis
- Jinwoo Gil
- Jiwon Kim
- Joel Sunil
- John Kalvin
- Joseph Burline
- Julianna Hertzell
- Junho Kim
- Junho Lee
- Luciya Kojenova
- Luke Wadsworth
- Marlena Gutshall
- Michael Desio
- Michael Gow
- Nicholas Sears
- Noah Bosse
- Quinn Dooley
- Ryan Kribbs
- Ryo Abe
- Sangwon Cheong
- See Yoon Lee
- Willian Junghans
- Wonmin Kim
- Youngho Lee
- Younghwan Park

Landings
Three lines comprise "The Box": zero, 100 feet short and 200 feet long. The goal? Land as close to the zero line as possible. Land outside the box? You lose. Land with improper crosswind correction? Penalty. Bounce? Penalty. The closer you get to the line, the fewer points you get — just like golf!
You get the idea. Precision landings are our most challenging and exciting event.
There are two precision landing events that you can participate in:
- Short Field Approach and Landing (Power-Ons)
- Power-Off Landing
As the names suggest, they differ mostly in whether or not the pilot has power available to them while landing.
Navigation
Tired of planning or flying a mundane cross-country flight? The navigation event is similar to a small cross-country flight, however, every second you write on that NavLog matters now!
This event is all about accuracy. The goal here is to fly a given route as close to your flight plan as possible. Time en-route, leg distance, chart coordinates, airspeed, fuel used — everything has to be precise and accurate. Oh, and you have 30 minutes to plan the flight with paper charts. Sharpen your pencil!
In flight, every second counts. A GPS receiver is placed in the aircraft so judges can see the route flown by the aircraft to judge and score points. Are you ready to take on the challenge?
Message Drop
Have you ever thought about throwing something out of the aircraft? Now you have the chance! Don't worry, we read 14 CFR 91.15 — thoroughly. The goal of the message drop event is to throw a "bomb" from 200 feet AGL and hit a target on the ground below.
It requires perfect coordination between the pilot and the drop master to ensure the bomb falls at exactly the correct spot. Both must consider wind, prop wash, the speed of the aircraft and how and when the bomb is released. A second early or late could result in missing the target by more than 50 feet!
IFR SIM
In a simulator, a competitor flies an instrument cross country, conducts approaches, flies holding patterns and demonstrates other instrument flight procedures. Competitors must be instrument-rated to participate.
CRM/LOFT
Whether you are aspiring to become an airline pilot, a corporate pilot or to work in the military, crew resource management is the most important element for a safe and efficient flight deck environment. It is heavily emphasized in the aviation industry because of the multiple benefits it brings.
In teams of two, competitors fly a simulated multi-engine flight in a crew environment. This event is meant to test teamwork and piloting skill in a simulated high-stress environment. Competitors must have a multi-engine rating to participate.

Computer Accuracy
Computer Accuracy is an event where competitors use a manual flight computer to solve flight-related mathematical problems. They range in difficulty, from simple unit conversions to complex radius of action calculations. This is a challenging event that requires great speed, precision and a mastery of the flight computer. Join us and experience the excitement this event brings — you will definitely not regret it!
Aircraft Recognition
The Aircraft Recognition event will challenge you to identify the many thousands of airplanes and rotorcraft built and produced in the years following World War II. Unlike the SCAN and COMPACC ground events, aircraft recognition will not only put your memory skills to work but also challenge you to use visual and spatial analysis skills as you study and learn the many unique aircraft designs from around the world.
The typical NIFA test format will consist of a series of 60 photos and an answer sheet of multiple choice or write-in answers for each photo. The tests will display a wide range of aircraft and often highlight the design nuances of each one. For those of you who can appreciate the beauty of aircraft from single-engine Cessnas to Boeing 707s and B-52s, or if you can tell the difference between a 737 and an A320 in a heartbeat, this event is for you!
Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation
Are you ready for your end of course checkride? Imagine the Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation (SCAN) event as if it is a checkride, where you are given a cross-country scenario, sectional chart, weather products, aircraft performance chart and more in order to answer questions regarding the flight.
The competitor's main responsibility is to be familiar with the Federal Aviation Regulations (FAR) and know how to interpret given weather products, or look for the correct information from the aircraft performance charts. There will always be multiple legs for the cross-country, so you are very likely to do the performance calculations more than once.
Preflight
Without any checklist, a competitor of this event has 15 minutes to correctly identify at least 30 discrepancies on the “bugged” airplane while operating in a proper preflight flow. Note that any plane can be used, such as a Cessna 210 from the 2015 National SAFECON. Remember ATOMATOFFLAMES? ARROW? This event will make memorizing them worthwhile.
A competitor is given a pattern to study and fly in a simulator. There are altitude, airspeed and heading changes. The competitor is scored based upon the accuracy of the pattern and how much he/she deviates in altitude, airspeed and heading. If you started your instrument course here in Embry‑Riddle, it is similar to those pattern ABC you first fly — just more complicated!
CFI Event
Love teaching? This event requires competitors to teach a certain maneuver, such as the Emergency Descent, to the judge. Competitors are graded based on how thorough their lesson is and how prepared they are. Competitors must hold a CFI certificate to participate.
In May 2025, the team competed in in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, placing sixth overall out of 30 teams! For many on the team, it was their first time at a national competition, and they were excited to put their skills to the test against such a high standard! Now that they’ve been there and done that once, they’ll be back for more in 2026!
Below is a list of our competitors that placed in each category. Congratulations to them!
Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation
- Joseph Burline (4th Place)
- Noah Bosse (13th Place)
Aircraft Recognition
- Williams Junghans (12th Place)
- Luke Wadsworth (17th Place)
- Michael Gow (20th Place)
Computer Accuracy
- Dong Hwan Kim (16th Place)
- Carson Ruhnke (17th Place)
CRM
- Nicholas Sears/Noah Bosse (14th Place)
Ground Trainer
- Seunghoon Han (7th Place)
- Younghwan Park (9th Place)
IFR Sim
- Wonmin Kim (4th Place)
Message Drop
- William Junghans (16th Place)
Power-Off Landing
- Joseph Burline (12th Place)
- Michael Desio (19th Place)
Power-On Landing
- Michael Desio (11th Place)
Traditional Navigation
- Noah Bosse/Michael Gow (1st Place)
Aircraft Preflight Inspection
- Douglas Stevenson (15th Place)
- Nicolas Napoleoni (17th Place)
Aviation Maintenance
- Nicolas Napoleoni (1st Place)
Achievements
National
- 6th Overall
- 7th in Flight Events
- 6th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 4th Overall
- 4th in Flight Events
- 6th in Ground Events
- Competition Safety Award
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 2nd in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 4th Overall
- 5th in Flight Events
- 7th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
- Top Pilot Award: Dominic Barbagallo
- Competition Safety Award
National (Virtual)
- 4th Overall
- 4th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
- Top Pilot Award: James Hanover
National
- 7th Overall
- 6th in Flight Events
- 9th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
- Top Pilot Award: Tyler Rispoli
National
- 4th Overall
- 6th in Flight Events
- 5th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
- Competition Safety Award
National
- 6th Overall
- 7th in Flight Events
- 5th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 6th Overall
- 6th in Flight Events
- 5th in Ground Events
- Women's Achievement Award: Emmy Dillon
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 5th Overall
- 10th in Flight Events
- 4th in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Luke A. Bucket
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 3rd in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 8th Overall
- 15th in Flight Events
- 2nd in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Benjamin Eve
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 4th Overall
- 8th in Flight Events
- 3rd in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: James Blackham
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 2nd in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 6th Overall
- 12th in Flight Events
- 4th in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Phil R. Rademacher
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 2nd in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 6th Overall
- 7th in Flight Events
- 6th in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Sherman C. Carll
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 2nd Overall
- 3rd in Flight Events
- 3rd in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Blake C. Glass
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 2nd Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 3rd in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Derek A. Herchko
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 3rd Overall
- 2nd in Flight Events
- 4th in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Joseph V. Giangrasso
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 2nd in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 3rd Overall
- 2nd in Flight Events
- 3rd in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: William Broderick
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 6th Overall
- 10th in Flight Events
- 4th in Ground Events
- Outstanding Team Member Award: Joe Daniel
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
National
- 10th Overall
- 14th in Flight Events
- 9th in Ground Events
Regional
- 1st Overall
- 1st in Flight Events
- 1st in Ground Events
Frequently Asked Questions
The Eagles Flight Team is ݮƵ's flight team at the Daytona Beach campus. We compete against colleges and universities throughout the country as part of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA).
We do not provide flight training for any certificate or rating. However, all of your flights as part of the team are earned and can be logged.
Dues are $50 per semester. All other expenses are paid for by the university.
No, you don't. We welcome students of all studies to join us. The only requirements are a dedicated heart and a passion for aviation.
Apart from the incredible amount of knowledge that you'll learn, being a flight team member means that you have the privilege to fly the Tecnam P92 during practice for free. Also, due to our specific practice schedule, the university also allows all team members to have priority registration. This means that you get to register for classes before everyone else does! Feel free to talk to us to learn more about the perks of being a Flight Team member.
We hold a five-week tryout process starting the week after the Mass Briefing info sessions. Throughout these five weeks, you will practice with the team members to learn all the necessary knowledge and experience what it is like to be a flight team member. Depending on the events that you participate in, there will usually be a test given out each week to assess your progress.
The tryout period will be concluded with an interview. After that, based on your overall performance and other criteria, you will be notified of the decision within several days.
The Mass Briefing info sessions are during the first week of fall semester classes. For more information about the tryout process, please email us.
We practice every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday night for the ground events. For the flight events, we meet every Saturday morning and go to the Massey Ranch Airpark (X50) to practice landings and message drop.
Please email us. We check the email daily!