AVICOM 2023

By Austin Banttari

From January 31st to February 1st, high school students from across South Carolina gathered aboard the USS Yorktown in Mt. Pleasant to participate in the first-ever South Carolina High School Aviation Competition: AviCom! AviCom 2023 was developed and led by event chairman Doug Adomatis of Greenville Technical Charter High School with support from the Triple Tree Aerodrome. Doug, an aviator and educator, has been leading the charge to enhance and promote aerospace education throughout high schools in his state. Part of these efforts involves developing programs that challenge and engage students to further refine and expand their skills in aviation.

As a high school educator, Doug has worked with students for years now, understanding what sparks their desire for learning and retaining new concepts such as those of flight, pilotage, and aerodynamics. Out of this, AviCom was born!

AviCom is a high school aviation competition where students demonstrate their knowledge and skills through events that evaluate three criteria: Airman Knowledge, Airmen Identification, and a Simulated Flight Mission. Students were tested on aeronautical knowledge, challenged on their identification skills,and asked to demonstrate their ability to conduct a simulated VFR flight while adhering to FAA Airmen Certification Standards. Students from across South Carolina competed head-to-head, and on teams, in these contests aboard the USS Yorktown.

The inspiration for these contests came from Doug Adomatis’ experience within his classroom.

“The idea for the competition stems from the success I was having in the classroom.” Doug stated, “I saw an immediate improvement in their abilities when they began to compete with each other on the flight simulators.” Creating healthy, engaging competition among the next generation of aviators encourages an environment of learning and development.

In addition to competing in events, students engaged with panelists from all sects of aviation to learn about careers and opportunities across the industry. Students also had the opportunity to hear from many leaders in their communities, such as Congressman William Timmons, South Carolina Superintendent of Education, Ellen Weaver, and Medal of Honor Recipient, Maj. Gen. James Livingston.

“I have been involved with aviation educational programs for over two decades. I can say, without a doubt, AviCom is one of the most significant events to happen for young men and women in our region,” stated Robb Williams, Executive Director of Triple Tree Aerodrome. “We are proud to be a leading supporter of this great event, and look forward to watching it grow in future years.” Organizations such as Triple Tree Aerodrome recognize the importance of these events and the role they play in shaping the futures of the next generation of aviators.

The overall State Champion of AviCom 2023 was Phillips Simmons High School in Charleston, South Carolina. The individual State Champion was Andersen S. of Phillip Simmons who won a trophy and a $1,000 flight training scholarship from Triple Tree Aerodrome.

All participating schools are invited to the 2023 Young Aviators Fly-In, where the winning team will receive flight experiences in Triple Tree aircraft. South Carolina is the first State in the nation to organize a statewide aviation competition for high school students on this scale. Organizations such as Triple Tree Aerodrome are proud to support this inaugural event and to help develop a framework that promotes success for the next generation of aviators across their state!