A gift to this fund supports the University of Nebraska at Omaha National Intercollegiate Flying Association (NIFA) team.
At the University of Nebraska at Omaha, a small group of students are taking flight.
The Flying Mavericks Flight Team is made up of students who are elevating their passion for aviation to a level of skill and talent that even professionals in the industry admire. The group works hard weekly to continue to grow their success.
That work has paid off. The flight team, which competes within the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference, has found continued success on the national stage.
At its most recent national SAFECON competition in Wisconsin, the Flying Mavericks placed within the top 15 teams nationwide.
Lowell “Skip” Bailey, assistant director of flight training at UNO’s College of Public Affairs and Community Service Aviation Institute, works side by side with these future flyers.
He received the 2025 National Coach of the Year Award at the National Safety and Flight Evaluation Conference earlier this year — a testament to his commitment to every student in the program.
Bailey has witnessed firsthand the drive and motivation it takes to compete on the Flying Mavericks.
“One of the big things is that we’re all ‘walk-ons,’” Bailey said. “Nobody's on any kind of scholarship. These students do this in their free time, which makes it interesting because to do this on top of everything else makes them unique.”
Members of the Flying Mavericks Flight Team practice weekly with instructors to prepare for competitions. During this time, they focus on flight planning, navigation, aircraft identification, precision landing and flying skills.
“It gets them with a group of like-minded professionals … they really become some of the best pilots that we produce,” Bailey said.
The success of the Flight Team depends heavily on crucial donor support through the UNO Aviation Institute NIFA Fund. Without this support to cover competition costs, travel and hotels, none of the Flying Mavericks’ success would be possible.
“We could not do what we did without this support,” Bailey said. “If we didn’t have donor help, those costs would come down to the students.”
Bailey encourages donors to attend practices or competitions to see firsthand the dedication these students bring and how they go above and beyond a standard aviation curriculum.
“A huge thank-you to all the donors … keep it up,” Bailey said. “We appreciate it. We need it every year. We really appreciate everything that they have given to us and everything hopefully in the future that they will continue to do.”
To help the Flying Mavericks Flight Team continue soaring to new heights, please consider donating to the UNO Aviation Institute NIFA Fund today.
