Rachel Ballou competes with LETU Flight Team, wins first place in Aircraft Preflight Inspection

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LETU Flight Team NIFA 2010 photo

LONGVIEW, TX (12/10/2010)(readMedia)-- Rachel Ballou, a senior from Bucyrus, Ohio majoring in Mission Aviation Concentration at LeTourneau University, won first place in the Aircraft Preflight Inspection competition. Young pilots find discrepancies in preflight checks that have been placed there by mechanics.

Ballou won seventh place in the Message Drop Competition, students drop a 2-oz. container from an altitude of 200 feet into a barrel. 

She won seventh place in the Simulated Comprehensive Aircraft Navigation (SCAN) event. Students are tested on preflight planning and enroute navigation based on charts for a hypothetical flight from departure to destination and return to point of departure.

Ballou also won eighth place in Computer Accuracy. Students are given a timed, written test of aviation math problems to figure problems dealing with time, speed, distance, gradients, weight, balance and wind issues.

LeTourneau University's "Sting" Precision Flight Team won first place overall, first place in ground events and third place in the flying events at the recent National Intercollegiate Flying Association's 2010 Region IV SAFECON competition hosted by Central Texas College in Killeen, Texas. The competition was held Nov. 2-6. The team's first place overall win at regionals qualifies the students to compete May 16-21, 2011 in Columbus, Ohio at the Ohio State University.

"This is the third consecutive year we have won first place in this competition," said Brad Wooden, assistant chief flight instructor, faculty advisor and team coach.

LETU competes regionally with schools in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas.

LeTourneau University is an interdenominational Christian university located in Longview, Texas, offering academic majors in aeronautical science, business, education, engineering, health care, the humanities and sciences. LeTourneau University also offers graduate and undergraduate degree programs for working adults online and at educational centers in Austin, Bedford, Dallas, Houston and Tyler