UND Flying Team soars to victory The UND Flying Team blasted past its competitors for the championship title in the Region V National Intercollegiate Flying Associations (NIFAs) Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference (SAFECON) which was held Oct. 11-13. UND's winning score of 876 points was followed by St. Cloud State University's 538 points. The University of Dubuque took third, and Minnesota State University - Mankato placed fourth. It was an excellent all-around showing for the team, said Mark (Monty) Johnson, faculty advisor of the Flying Team. The regional competition was a good test for our first time competitors and allowed them to gain that very important competition experience. The National SAFECON competition will be held May 4-10, 2008 in Smyrna, Tenn., and is being hosted by Middle Tennessee State University. UND's Flying Team consists of volunteering aviation student body members who have made a commitment of time and effort to be a part of the team. The team participates in two competitions annually - a regional qualifying competition and the national competition to determine the national championship. Mark Monty Johnson is the team's faculty advisor. Gary Ebel, Jim Higgins, Andrew Pelc, Andrew Stahlin, Blake Mozer, and Jered Lease are the assistant coaches. The UND Flying Team is a member of the National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIAF), the sanctioning body for the regional and national SAFECON competitions. SAFECON places a special emphasis on safety of flight operations. UND's Flying Team has won 14 of the last 23 national competitions.