Steve Hederstedt competes with LETU Flight Team, wins second place in navigation events

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LETU Flight Team NIFA 2010 photo

LONGVIEW, TX (12/10/2010)(readMedia)-- Steve Hederstedt, a senior from Salina, Kan. majoring in professional flight at LeTourneau University, won second place in the navigation team event. Team members have an hour to plan a cross-country flight plan and submit it before take off, then the team flies the route and is judged on how accurately the plan matched their flight.

Hederstedt won third place in computer accuracy where 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.

He won sixth place in aircraft recognition competition. Students are given three seconds to view a partial photo of an aircraft and must select the right answer within 15 seconds. Hederstedt also won seventh place in the Ground Trainer events. Contestants fly on a flight simulator making complex patterns including climbs, descents and turns. A computerized scoring system keeps account of inaccurate flying.

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.