After more than 25 days of cross-country flying and competition, Embry-Riddle’s Golden Eagles Flight Team returned home to Prescott, Arizona — elated and victorious.

As they exited their aircraft, some for the last time as graduating seniors, there were cheers, hugs and applause for the returning champs. The team had achieved an amazing feat: defending its team national championship title, capturing its third consecutive and 15^th overall win at the 2023 National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference.

“All year long we’ve been saying impossible means I’m possible,” said the team’s Head Coach Shaun Shephard. “And we went out there and did exactly what we needed to do with safety, focus and precision.”

The Golden Eagles soared to first place out of 28 university teams at the competition held May 8-13 in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Embry-Riddle’s Daytona Beach flight team came in sixth place this year and won the national championship in 1992.

“Our flight team is representative of the quality of students that Embry-Riddle attracts,” said Prescott Campus Chancellor Dr. Anette Karlsson. “They are dedicated to their future professions and willing to spend the extra time to become the best.”

It takes a tremendous amount of training and practice to compete at the national level. The travel team represents the best of the best. Only 18 out of the team’s 40+ members are selected to go.

“Anyone who knows this team has seen their commitment and service to each other,” said Dr. Tim Holt, dean of the College of Aviation at Prescott. “The time and dedication it takes is second to none.”

The competition includes flying and ground events, such as flight planning, navigation, aircraft recognition, precision landings and message drops. In addition to being named champions of the flight events, the Golden Eagles also earned second place overall in ground events.

Individual National Champions

Leading the team to victory was Hayden Morse, the top pilot overall and top-scoring contestant well as the short-field landing champion. Morse, who is from Scottsdale, Arizona, joined the Golden Eagle Flight Team in fall 2020. Since then, he has been part of three championship teams and competed in numerous events.

Last year, he won the power off landing and short field landing competition which catapulted the Golden Eagles to its second straight national championship. “Hayden is a hard worker and very humble,” said Shephard. “He is a great leader and teacher, always willing to help others.”

“Early in his time at Embry-Riddle, Hayden dedicated himself to advancing his skills and working hard to be recognized as top pilot,” said Flight Department Chair Parker Northrup. “Earning the most points overall demonstrates his competitiveness across both ground and flying events.”

“This team means a lot to me,” Morse said. “One of the major things I always think about is the team’s legacy — those who have come before and those who will come after us.”

The NIFA competition is the pinnacle moment. “We are proud to represent the flight department as one of the best flight training centers in the world,” Morse said.

“As they go down the list at the awards banquet, you’re wondering, you’re hoping . . . and then when they finally call your name, it’s a great feeling to know that all that hard work and dedication paid off,” he said.

Morse is one of eight graduating seniors on the team. After earning his degree in Aeronautical Science, he is now starting his career with Endeavor Air, a regional carrier for Delta based out of Atlanta.

In a remarkable show of skill, another graduating senior Camden Dellar won the individual national championship in power off landing. Dellar came within 8 feet of the landing mark.

Originally from Wasilla, Alaska, Dellar also earned his degree in Aeronautical Science and hopes to work for Alaskan Airlines in the near future.

Junior Zachary Sornoza won the individual national championship in aircraft recognition. Raised in Phoenix, Arizona, he caught the aviation bug at a young age and has wanted to become a pilot ever since.

He memorized thousands of aircraft by studying them like flash cards on his iPad. Winning felt good he said, but the real value of the team is “true friendships; true family.”

About The Team

The Golden Eagles share a vision and commitment to excellence. They train several days a week and most weekends, in addition to the rigorous academic course loads that most team members carry.

“The team has space engineers, mechanical engineers, air traffic controllers,” said Shephard. “We have a wide variety of everybody on the team, not just pilots, and that’s what makes this group really special.”

Shephard is an Embry-Riddle Prescott Campus graduate with a degree in Aeronautical Science and a minor in Meteorology. He became a flight instructor in 2008 and enjoys sharing his passion for flight with future generations of pilots.

There is a wealth of expertise and training guidance as they prepare for competition each year.

Coach/Team Mechanic Farrell Haris has been with the Golden Eagles since 2009. He is an Embry-Riddle fleet technician as well as the preflight event coach and on-site mechanic for competitions.

The team’s Academic Advisor is Dwayne Fernandes, assistant chief for ground school, and assistant professor of Aeronautical Science.

Members of the 2023 National Championship Golden Eagles Flight Team are as follows:

Head Coach Shaun Shephard

Technical Coach Farrell Harris

Flight Events:

• Gabriel Witt
• George Fiscu
• Hayden Morse
• Camden Dellar
• Logan Haynes
• Kenrick Vail
• Zoltan Belady
• Davin Blunt
• Eli Hemmerlein
• Karen Lau

Ground Events:

• Bri Francis
• Samuel Low
• Jedrick Sanders
• Erich Norris
• Griffin Jeannette
• Ethan Michon
• Kyle Neighbors
• Zachary Sornoza
• Coach Colin Kennedy
• Coach Matt Masangcay
• Coach Colin Ho Tseung
• Coach Jamie Gallagher

Source: Embry-Riddle Press Release
Photo Credit: Embry-Riddle (shown as meta image)

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