Sun, Mar 03, 2024
Route Announced, Running from Carbondale, Illinois to Loveland Colorado on 11-State Trip
Women from across the country and around the world will take off on June 18th from the Southern Illinois Airport in Carbondale, Illinois as they strike out on a 2,628-statute mile competition across 11 states.
They'll pull into the station a few days later, on Friday, June 21st when they show up at the Northern Colorado Regional Airport in Loveland, Colorado. It will make the 47th year the Air Race Classic has been open since getting its start as the Powder Puff Derby or Women's Air Derby in 1929. That inaugural race included Amelia Earhart and 19 other women as they raced from Santa Monica, California, to Cleveland, Ohio. This year, the grid will celebrate the 95th anniversary of that historic competition, which stands as the forebear of all female air racing in the US today. It remains the "epicenter of women's air racing, the ultimate test of piloting skill and aviation decision-making for female pilots of all ages and from all walks of life".
"The ARC Board of Directors and volunteers have been hard at work preparing for our 47th race," said Air Race Classic President Donna Harris. "We look forward to celebrating the 95th anniversary of the Women's Air Derby as we welcome back veteran racers and meet new competitors at our Start in Carbondale, Illinois.”
Entries require at least 2 female pilots flying a naturally aspirated piston-powered aircraft, with registrations due by March 31st. Teams will have to sport at least a PPL and 11 hours of PIC time to qualify, with one pilot boasting a minimum of 500 hours PIC or a current instrument rating on their ticket. Additional female teammates can join, who must each hold a student pilot certificate. Speed won't exactly be the end-all of the race, since each aircraft will see a unique handicap. Teams will race against their own best time, allowing slower planes to compete on an equal basis (aerial horsepower is prohibitively expensive, after all).
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