Forty-Seven Teams in Historic Race to Colorado

The 47th running of the women’s air racing competition had everything the previous 46 threw at the intrepid pilots: flight planning, decision-making, aircraft performance, weather, and of course, strategy.

This year’s race was from Southern Illinois Airport (KMDH) in Carbondale to Northern Colorado Regional Airport (KFNL) in Loveland/Fort Collins. With eight intermediate stops plus one fly-by of the Gill VOR-DME in Greeley, Colorado, the total distance covered was 2,269 nautical miles. Departures began at 8:00 a.m. CDT on June 18 and arrivals at the terminus ended on June 21.

Judging is done in two categories: Competition and Intercollegiate. A Non-competition class is available for teams who want to fly the race simply for the fun of it.

Judging is based on a handicap system whereby each team in the two competition classes must perform a specific square pattern under specific conditions and power settings. Data from the flight are used to determine the “handicap” number specific for your airplane model and power characteristics. Pilots essentially compete against themselves to try and achieve the highest margin above their handicap.

This year’s winning team in the Competition class was Team DC3-1 of Debi Dreyfuss & Joy Halcott flying a 2005 Cessna Skylane 182T. The Intercollegiate Class winner was Team Flying Flashes-Navy of Alyssa Sheehan & Peyton Turner, from Kent State University, flying a 2020 Cessna Skyhawk 172S. The complete list of racers and how they placed is available on the Air Race Classic website linked below.

Next year’s Air Race Classic will be held from June 17 to 20, 2025. It will be flown from H.L. Sunny Callahan Airport (KCQF) in Fairhope, Alabama, to Felts Field Airport (KSFF) in Spokane, Washington. The route map showing the intermediate stops and complete race info is also available at the link below.

FMI:  www.airraceclassic.org/