Dianna Stanger and Victoria Holt as they arrive at Alliance Municipal Airport in Nebraska ready to race!
As I stared down at the green fields with winding rivers that resembled snakes, I could not help but grin from ear to ear. It was difficult to envision that merely seven months ago this adventure seemed a lifetime away. Now there I was, aboard a Cessna Skylane182 in flight to Iowa City Municipal Airport (KIOW) from Calhoun County Airport (KPKV) prepared to embark upon a week of non-stop, aggressive promotion, in the midst of flying 4-5 hours a day! Our team, the Racing Aces, Dianna Stanger and Victoria Holt, had arrived a couple of days in advance in preparation for the 2011 Air Race Classic! Upon arrival their plane was inspected; they performed their handicap flight and the plane was quarantined. They were not allowed to even touch the plane until the start of the race which would not be for four more days!
One of the reasons I was ecstatic to begin promotion was the fact that the Air Race Classic (ARC) originated in 1929 as the Women’s Air Race Derby. In fact, Amelia Earhart was one of the first female pilots to compete in the cross country race. According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), the pilot population is made up of ONLY 6 percent of female pilots. (I know what you’re thinking; I seldom use all caps, however in this case it is justified!) Therefore our mission was threefold: promote our team, the Racing Aces, the ARC and Girls With Wings (GWW), a non-profit organization which the Aces elected to sponsor through out the race. Together, we were set out to make an impact, introduce young girls to the promising avenues of aviation and share our passion for flight.
The Sunday prior to the race, we all mingled at a banquet where all of the teams were announced, presented with a special ARC pin and a lovely program was given. A very special instance was the presentation of ladies who have flown in 25+ races! I could not imagine the level of experience they must possess and found it amazing as they announced one of the ladies which has competed in 32 of the 35 ARC races! Unbelievable, another fact all of the teams found interesting was this year there were 11 collegiate teams competing. The most that have ever competed in one year! The room was electrified with everyone’s anticipation for the start of the ARC!
The Racing Ace’s first air race proved to be eventful. Due to forecast weather the race was delayed by one day; instead of beginning on Tuesday, June 21st, teams were released that morning following a morning briefing and instructed to meet at Alliance Municipal Airport (KAIA) in Nebraska. Whammy! It was official; the start of the race had been moved to KAIA. The pilots were not stopping in Brookings, SD; Jamestown, ND; Spearfish, SD; or Rawlins, WY. Double whammy! The 2,722-statute-mile race was shortened to 1,632 statute-miles; beginning in Alliance, NE and venturing through Great Bend, KS; Borger, TX; Norman, OK, and El Dorado, AR, ending with the terminus in Mobile, AL.
On Wednesday, June 22nd, the Racing Aces flew to Alliance for the start of the race in their plane, an Aviat Husky. The plane is similar to the original entries in the race as it is flown stick and rudder, no autopilot, and at a very slow speed. As the race is handicapped according to speed, an entry may be the last to cross the finish line and still win. With this in mind, the Aces decided that they would like to run a race dependent upon their flying skills alone and the great characteristics of the Husky. Our “PR plane” flew in just before the Aces arrived at KAIA; our goal was to take photographs and video.
As we arrived at the airport, the sight before us was amazing! There was a large crowd gathered to see the race commence; the apron was filled with planes! Everyone I spoke with informed me they had not seen that many aircraft gathered at the airport ever; the kicker is they were all female pilots! I quickly jumped out and began handing out postcards with information about our team and the race; people were friendly and I answered a ton of questions about the race. The Aces landed and as they jumped out of the Aviat they were greeted by a bunch of children, “Are you the Racing Aces?” they cried. “Can we have your autograph?” as they waved their postcards towards the female pilots. I was in heaven; these moments are when I thrive. One newspaper and television interview later the Aces were back in the Aviat ready to race!
Pilot, Dianna Stanger said, “The morning was heavily overcast and we had to dodge weather and fight the winds on our way. The flight that morning took us six hours and we arrived at Alliance only to be met with an audience. The airport was packed with people who were fans of the air race. Following refreshments and fuel we were ready to head out early in the afternoon to the first official race stop of Great Bend Municipal Airport (KGBD) in Kansas.”
The racers had been instructed that they could take off at noon from KAIA. The departure was rather informal in comparison to the manner the race is usually operated. You see, the teams are normally lined up according to their Classic Racer #, which is determined by their entry time. We so happened to be CR# 9! However due to weather, circumstances were quite unique. I was absolutely delighted as engines were started all around us and plane after plane began to line up down the runway. As they taxied out, I stood awe-struck. The first plane ascended and did a left turn circling back around towards the runway in preparation for the required fly-by as second plane took off, a number of planes anxiously waiting. Quickly, about 15 planes were all lined up, ready for take-off! The race had officially started!
I was saddened as Lynda Meeks, founder of GWW advised we should take off to Wyoming in order to make it in time for presentations which we had scheduled to give to two groups of young girls. I reluctantly boarded the Skylane before the Aces took off from KAIA; however as I filmed our departure from Alliance, I heard a familiar voice over the radio! And wouldn’t you know I was filming with a Contour GPS video camera which plugs in directly to your headset. One not only records video, but all voices transmitted on the radio. Talk about right place, right time! Dianna came on the radio announcing they were taxiing down the runway and preparing for their fly-by!
Beyond excited, we flew towards Wyoming, opposite the direction the Aces were headed. This was only the first day; I couldn’t wait to see what other developments lay ahead. Till next time, to view photos and more of the Racing Aces first competition in the Air Race Classic visit, www.TheRacingAces.com
The aircraft lined up and ready for take off at KAIA. What a sight!
A moment to cherish forever; all of the ladies competing in the 2011 Air Race Classic pose at Sunday, June 19th’s Banquet.
Participants in the Air Race Classic are limited to STOCK and minimally modified STOCK airplanes, certified in the normal or utility category with normally aspirated engine(s) of not less than 145 horsepower nor more than 570 horsepower, rated for continuous maximum operation and handicapped accordingly. The team with the highest score over their handicap wins. The race is flown in daylight hours and VFR (good weather) only.
