Easing his two-passenger airplane down on the runway at Southern Illinois Airport, Paul Bretz ensures that his rear tires have touched the pavement before he lifts back into the blue autumn sky.

Bretz, the Flying Saluki team captain and junior in aviation management from Chicago, has practiced relentlessly for one of two aerial events at Wednesday’s regional air meet at the Southern Illinois Airport. The meet lasts through Friday.

The requirements of the landing event are to land the aircraft near the center of a 300-foot long area of the runway.

Advertisement

The reason the box is 300-feet long is because when you land a jet on an aircraft carrier, there is only about 300 feet to do it in, Bretz said. Imagine landing a jet on a moving aircraft carrier and catching the tailhook (the area where the cable catches the jet).

The objective of this event is to place your rear tires as close as possible to a certain area in the box.

The National Intercollegiate Flying Association sponsors the annual regional air meets. Southern Illinois Airport will be the location for this year’s NIFA Safecon Region Eight Air Meet.

Logan Fifer, Flying Saluki pilot and a sophomore in aviation flight management from Woodstock, said dedication, education and training will allow him to successfully compete in the event.

I want to kick some [butt] this year, Fifer said. This is our turf, and I don’t want the U of I or Purdue to come here and beat us. They are our rivals.

Fifer said he knew he wanted to be a pilot since he was 5 years old.

I am a third-generation pilot, Fifer said. My grandfather used to fly me in his 1946 Piper J-3 Cub, and his 1970 American AA-1 Yankee.

Advertisement*

The planes that will be used in the competition are Cessna 152s. A Cessna is a two-placed aircraft, meaning it seats two people.

This year marks the first time since 1990 that the Flying Salukis have sponsored the meet. There are 11 NIFA regions in America and 15 teams in region eight. Four teams from each region advance to the national meet.

Last year, the Flying Salukis placed seventh overall in the national competition in Battle Creek, Mich.

I’m pretty confident flying these planes, Fifer said. Everyone on the team is dedicated, and I feel like we can take first place.

Fourteen members of the 22-member team will participate in the event.

I’m really proud of the team members, said Kim Carter, head coach for the Flying Salukis. They are out there (flying and training) for four or five hours a day, five days a week.

I think we will do really well in the navigation event, and I feel confident that we can take first place.

The simulation comprehensive area navigating event takes place indoors and requires the pilots to plan a simulated 200-mile trip.

Bretz said his love for aviation sprouted when he was a child.

I can remember MacDill Air Force Base when I was younger, he said. I went into the Navy to become a pilot.

I would like to fly for the airlines someday, but for now, I’m concentrating on the event. We have a strong team, and we will take first place.