Embry-Riddle’s Golden Eagles Flight Team Soars to 16th National Championship at NIFA SAFECON

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Golden Eagles Flight Team has captured the national collegiate aviation championship, marking the Prescott Campus team’s 16th title in a competition that tests aviation performance and safety.

Shaun Shephard, the head coach of the Golden Eagles Flight Team, celebrates with the 2025 NIFA SAFECON championship trophy. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/Shaun Shephard)The squad came out above 30 teams at the 2025 NIFA SAFECON competition, which draws collegiate aviators from across the country. Teams are tested in a week-long series of ground and air events, ranging from aircraft identification and simulator exercises to navigation and landing challenges.

The annual competition — which was held May 12-17 at the Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh, Wisconsin — is organized by the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA), which oversees Safety and Flight Evaluation Conferences (SAFECONs) across the U.S.

The Golden Eagles finished the competition with 433.5 points to earn the national title, securing their status as the most decorated collegiate flight team in the nation.

“Every time the Golden Eagles take to the skies, they’re carrying a legacy built over decades, and this year, they raised the bar once again,” said Dr. Ken Witcher, chancellor of Embry-Riddle’s Prescott Campus. “Their 16th national championship is an example of what’s possible when passion and teamwork come together. We couldn’t be prouder of what they’ve accomplished.”

The Daytona Beach Campus’ Eagles Flight Team also finished strong, earning a sixth-place finish with 195 points.

“This year was a great opportunity to see how our new competitors stack up against the best in the nation,” said James Hanover, head coach of the Eagles Flight Team.

A Team Effort to the Top

The Golden Eagles took first place in both the overall SAFECON Championship and the Judges Trophy standings. They also clinched the top spot in the overall ground events and placed third in the overall flight events.

The 2025 Golden Eagles Flight Team’s graduating seniors and their coach: (from left) Jordon Wallen, Jerry Pham, Kyle Neighbors, Jonathan Lindgren, Shaun Shephard, Davin Blunt, Griffin Jeannette, Jedrick Sanders, Zach Meyer. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/Ethan Michon)Junior Ethan Michon led the charge, tying for second place as the top-scoring contestant. Michon placed first in the simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation (SCAN) event, and scored high in the instrument simulated flight, ground trainer and aircraft preflight inspection challenges.

Michon also received the outstanding team member award, which recognizes not only performance but also leadership and dedication.

“To know that all my hard work and unseen hours of preparation have resulted in top places at the national level is truly inspiring,” said Michon, who is a captain of the team. “It's also important to point out that I couldn't have accomplished this if I wasn't pushed every day by my teammates to strive for perfection in every test, every sim scenario and every flight.”

Team captain Davin Blunt placed second in short field landing and SCAN events, as well as came in third in the overall top pilot competition. Meanwhile, teammates Zachary Sornoza, Samuel Low, and Myles Kopfle-Maurer all ranked within the top five in the aircraft recognition challenge, with Sornoza earning the top spot. The team also took first place in the unlimited navigation event, with Jedrick Sanders as pilot and Griffin Jeannette as safety observer.

“We all knew going into this year that we would come across many challenges, but we faced them head-on, as a team,” Blunt said.

‘Moving in the Right Direction’

The Daytona Beach Campus’ Eagles Flight Team came away from the competition with plenty to celebrate as well. Nicholas Napoleoni took first place in the aviation maintenance challenge, which contributed to the team's fifth-place finish overall in the ground events.

The Daytona Beach Campus’ Eagles Flight Team finished sixth at the competition. (Photo: Embry-Riddle/James Hanover)In the skies, Noah Bosse and Michael Grow took first place in the traditional navigation challenge, while Joseph Burline placed fourth in the SCAN challenge. Bosse also placed sixth overall in the top pilot competition, and he earned the outstanding team member award.

“Joining the flight team has been one of the best decisions I’ve made during my time at Embry-Riddle,” Bosse said.

The team earned sixth place in both the overall SAFECON Championship and the Judges Trophy standings, finished seventh overall in the overall flight events and took home the top spot in both aviation maintenance and traditional navigation challenges. They also claimed multiple top-ten finishes, including in the ground trainer and simulated flight challenges.

“Over half of our team had never competed at this level before, and many still earned points in competition,” said coach Hanover. I’m incredibly proud of their event wins and the experience they’ve gained — we’re moving in the right direction.”

Learning From Experience to Fly Higher

Lining the entrance to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University’s Prescott Campus, 15 signs proudly mark each year the Golden Eagles Flight Team has claimed a national championship, from their first in 1993 to their most recent in 2023. In 2024, the team finished in third.

“This win was huge for the team,” said Shaun Shephard, head coach of the team. “As many know, we didn’t win last year, and at the end of that season we said, ‘Sometimes you win, sometimes you learn.’ We kept that at the forefront all year — stay humble, keep pushing and make sure we learn.”

Now, a 16th sign is on the way.

“We are immensely proud of the accomplishments of both teams,” said Prescott Campus Flight Department Chair Parker Northrup, “as they represent the professional and hard-working attitude of all of our flight students.”

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