In 1929, aviation pioneer and inventor Dr. Grover Loening - the first aeronautical engineer for the Wright brothers - wanted to recognize the most outstanding achievements of the country's college aviation programs. Loening asked his friends Charles Lindbergh, Amelia Earhart and Navy Commander John Towers to assist him in judging the first competition, which would bestow a pure silver, Tiffany-designed trophy to the winning program.
Earlier this year, the Loening Trophy - to this day, the rarest and oldest of all collegiate aviation awards - enjoyed a stint in Northeast Ohio, when the Kent State University Precision Flight Team won recognition as the outstanding all-around collegiate aviation program in the nation. In addition to rewarding aeronautical skills, the trophy recognizes collegiate programs for emphasis on academics, community involvement, safety and professionalism, along with a proactive enhancement of the future of aviation.
"It is an amazing piece of aviation history," says Dr. Richard L. Mangrum, ATP, assistant professor of aeronautics at Kent State and faculty advisor to the university's flight team. "[The trophy] has spent time in the Smithsonian Institute, and may soon be there again. Kent State was honored with the privilege of keeping the award on campus for a few weeks, which is not often done."
With college football and basketball receiving the lion's share of national hype, a precision flight team may seem like a quaint departure from the mainstream. In fact, the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) is represented nationwide in 11 geographic regions. Kent State participates through Region III, along with teams from Ohio University, Ohio State University, University of Cincinnati and Western Michigan University.
Students - typically those enrolled in Kent State's aeronautics and flight technology programs - join the team through an application process and attend required practice sessions. They also adhere to a GPA requirement, and are chosen for the team's competition roster on the basis of performance during practices and try-outs. Unlike other collegiate sports, there is no true "season" for precision flight - the team practices year-round. "Flying practices are weather dependent, obviously, and serious landing practice doesn't begin until the spring," says Mangrum. "There are normal holiday and summer slow-downs and breaks, but there is almost always some form of practice going on."
Aside from practices and competitions, the team works hard to maintain the reputation of the university's flight programs. Students are involved in airport improvement projects, washing aircraft and tutoring other aeronautics students through the "Wingman" project. The team is also financially self-supporting, raising funds to travel to competitions and developing corporate partnerships. "Not only are they required to maintain academics, they are required to do well in their flight courses, dedicate time to practices, team activities - and manage all of this while taking time away from campus in October for the regional competition and May for the National competition," says Mangrum. "Sometimes, students have to complete exams and assignments while away at a competition. We never relax academic standards or performance requirements."
