Ohio State Receives the Loening Trophy for Aviation Program

Cameron Dewey
Wed, 11 Mar 2026 01:49:56 +0000
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Alpha Eta Rho pictured with the Loening Trophy. Credit: Courtesy of Noah Alapat

Ohio State’s aviation program was awarded the Loening Trophy, an honor widely considered the most prestigious award among collegiate aviation.?

The trophy is given to a school each year to celebrate “the enduring spirit of collegiate aviation and its contribution to training future aviators,” according to the The National Intercollegiate Flying Association, or NIFA, website.

“It’s really cool to see that piece of history coming back to our university,” said Wesley Holtz, a second-year in air transportation and member of Alpha Eta Rho, an aviation focused fraternity. “[Ohio State was] the place where it was first conceived, so it being back here and on display here just shows how great our program is and how we continue to push the excellence of collegiate aviation.”?

Noah Alapat, also a second-year in air transportation, said the Loening Trophy is historical and was issued by significant people in aviation including Amelia Earhart, Charles Lindenberg and Grover Loening.?

“It’s very symbolic that it’s coming back here to Ohio state, where some of the first advances in aviation have taken place from the Wright Brothers, to the first scheduled air carrier service from Columbus to Dayton,” Alapat said.?

Holtz also said that the trophy, which was awarded Feb. 23, is historic and is synonymous with Ohio State.

“It was first thought of in 1929 at Ohio State, and it was first awarded right back,” Holtz said. “罢丑别n in aviation, you would get awards for being really good at flying, doing aerobatics, that sort of thing.”?

The trophy was originally awarded for flying skills, Holtz said, but it was then shifted into flying hours.?

Alapat also said that, back then, the trophy was given to the collegiate aviation program that flew the most flight hours out of their students, serving as an incentive for colleges to start flying more and get more students trained.

Holtz said that the criteria has shifted, and the trophy is now awarded to the school with the overall best Aviation program. Holtz said Ohio State received the award this year under this criteria.?

“Ohio State’s made a lot of huge investments into its aviation program this year,” Holtz said. “For example, we just got a Boeing 737 simulator at the airport. Ohio State’s been pushing the bounds on aerospace excellence.”

Though there are many options in Ohio to study Aviation, Holtz said that Ohio State is the University with the most diversity and choice. He said he appreciates the options of studying air transportation, within the college of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, within the school of engineering, or business aviation, which is offered through the Fisher school of business.?

Alapat said that he cannot name another school that has the same alumni base, community facilities, aircraft maintenance, career opportunities, cadet programs, or even student life opportunities.?

He said there was not one reason for him to not choose Ohio State’s Aviation program, and it has now paid off.?

The ability to perform research with Ohio State Aviation, Alapat said, is another reason he loves the program.

Alapat said the aviation industry desperately needs innovation, and with the opportunity Ohio State allows, that seems possible.?

“With an ever growing passenger base and consumer demand for air travel, there needs to be innovation made to the efficiency and capacity of our US aviation industry, and so Ohio State has just taken part in so many various projects,” Alapat said.?

“This year, [the association has] a strict set of criteria they want designed for a like next generation training aircraft is what they’re looking at,” Holtz said. “罢丑别y want people to come up, think of a design and kind of present a proposal on that, and that’s how they’re gonna judge the winner for next year.”