U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. -- The Academy Flying Team won a top-level national flying competition for the 28th consecutive year, scoring first in overall school rankings, school flight events and school ground events.
Once the dust settled on the flightline here, the Academy notched the top spot with 870 points at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association Regional Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, Oct. 14. The Metro State University Denver placed a distant second with 471 points.
The team also received the Sportsmanship Award, as voted by the other competing schools, and Cadet 1st Class Dillon Garvin took home the Top Pilot award.
"We can all be very proud of the performance of the team," said Bert Boyce, Flying Team coach. "The cadets excelled in flying and ground testing, finishing first in seven of the nine events and winning the regional championship."
Flyers were judged in nine categories: navigation, power-off landing, short field approach and landing, message drop, computer accuracy, aircraft recognition, ground trainer, simulated comprehensive aircraft navigation, and aircraft preflight inspection.
"Our success would not have been possible without the outstanding support the flying team receives from a host of Academy and Air Education and Training Command personnel but most specifically, the 557th Flying Training Squadron here," Boyce said. "The 557th FTS staff spent countless hours training and mentoring the cadets on the flying team and providing logistical support. A huge thank you to all who support our flying team - you made our victory possible."
![A workshop of Ukraine's attack drones battalion "Achilles" in Ukraine](http://images02.military.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail_large/public/2024-10/ApNewsroom_Russia_Ukraine_War_US_Volunteers_03740.jpg?itok=uP5Pq_ci "Amed Khan, a U.S. human rights advocate, political activist and philanthropist, center, stands inside a workshop of Ukraine's attack drones battalion "Achilles" in Kharkiv region, Ukraine, Sunday, Oct. 27, 2024. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)")
