“Skybound Scotts” and “Frozen Force” Take Home the Gold

All racers have made it across the finish line for the 2025 women’s Air Race Classic, marking the end of a 2,426-mile journey that brought competitors from Fairhope, Alabama, to Spokane, Washington. The “Skybound Scotts” and “Frozen Force” teams led their respective categories.

Team 41, the “Skybound Scotts” (Lauren and Rebecca), took first place in the Competition Class. The rest of the podium included "Freakin' Awesome" and "Is This Heaven?". In the Intercollegiate Class, the University of North Dakota’s Team 22 “Frozen Force” (Helena, Charlotte, and Caroline) came out on top, trailed by the Liberty University “Liberty Belles I” and Auburn University “War Eagle Women.”

The race tradition started 96 years ago with the Women’s Air Derby, hosted in 1929 under the 1929 National Air Races. Back then, a group of twenty women came together at Clover Field in Santa Monica, California, for what would be a nine-day race to Cleveland, Ohio.

The original Women’s Air Derby shifted through several forms, including the so-called ‘Powder Puff Derby,’ before taking shape as the annual aviation event we now know and love: the Air Race Classic. While the equipment and race route have certainly changed, the ARC spirit has never wavered.

"This isn't just a race; it's a celebration of women's prowess in the skies and a testament to the indomitable spirit of aviation,” explained Donna Harris, President of the Air Race Classic.

The 2025 Air Race Classic brought together nearly 50 teams from across the nation, including many from accredited collegiate flight programs. Competitors worked in groups of two or more, with each holding a minimum private pilot certificate and 100 PIC hours.

This year’s route took pilots through stops in Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Idaho, and Oregon before reaching Felts Field in Spokane. Along the way, participants had to manage performance strategies, weather delays, fuel planning, and terrain while sticking to visual flight rules.

Now nearing its 50th run, the Air Race Classic remains one of the most challenging and spirited all-women aviation events… with a healthy side of competitive flair.

FMI: www.airraceclassic.org