We are finally home. Today proved to be our most trying day. We got to Monroe Air Center around 7am and the airport was completed socked in. While Marty had the 180 fueled, Kay started checking with Flight Service for weather. The entire route from Monroe to Heritage was IFR with extremely low ceilings, some as low as 900 ft AGL. We continued to wait it out and after lots of talking with Flight Service and among ourselves, decided to try it around 12:30pm. We got as far at Lufkin, TX before it was raining so hard that we could not see out of the airplane. We landed and checked weather. It appeared that the weather ceiling was going to get better as we continued, so shortly we were back in the airplane and continuing on to Heritage. The ceilings remained pretty good until we started to get close to Seguin. We finally landed at Heritage with it raining and the grass strip pretty muddy. We called one of our fellow pilots who had hangar space and quickly had Charley into a hangar until the weather clears up.
We had more fun competing in the air race than we ever imagined. In the 17 days on our adventure, we landed at 16 different airports, crossed the Mississippi River 4 times, made new friends with 111 women pilots, and had dinner or lunch with 22 friends from former lives. We did not encounter any major maintenance problems (thanks Tom). Although we are glad to be back home, we will always remember the year that we competed in the 34th Air Race Classic. We are both pretty proud of ourselves. We learned a lot about airplane performance, managing winds, and flybys. All eight of the legs were 2-3 hours hours of crosscountry flying, followed by 20 minutes of excitement. All the flybys were made from wings level one mile out, at either 200 or 300ft AGL. There were always other air racers in the vicinity doing their flybys, which made it even more exciting. We accomplished all three of our goals: We didn't get disqualified, we didn't finish last, and we had FUN.
Our thanks to everyone who provided us with support during our adventure. We enjoyed reading all the e-mails and comments on the blog that we received. We plan on making a copy of our blog to add to our collection of air race memorabilia.
Topping off Fuel Tanks - $160.00
Room for the Nite - $100.00
Competing in the Women's Air Race Classic - PRICELESS
skip to main |
skip to sidebar
We are dedicating our Air Race in memory of Tex Goppert who we hope will watch over us so we DON'T DO ANYTHING DUMB.
Marty and Kay with "Charley"
History of the Air Race Classic
In 1929, nineteen women set out from Santa Monica, CA, in flimsy, propeller driven airplanes, with a mission to be the first to cover the cross-country course to Cleveland, OH. Dubbed "The Powder Puff Derby" by Will Rogers, the competition was honest, agressive and dangerous. The air race featured such notable women fliers as Amelia Earhart, Louise Thaden, and Pancho Barnes. One female pilot, Marvel Crosson, died during the air race. Louise Thaden won the race, with Gladys O'Donnell and Amelia Earhart coming in second and third. The women's air race fell by the wayside during the war years. The race was renamed the All Women Transcontinetal Air Race (AWTAR) Derby in the 1940's and is currently called the Air Race Classic. 2010 marks the 34th all women's transcontinental air race.
2010 Air Race Classic
The 2010 Air Race Classic starts at Page Field (KFMY), Fort Myers, FL and terminates at Frederick Municipal Airport (KFDK), Frederick, MD. The race has enroute stops at Waycross, GA (KAYS); Tuscaloosa, AL (KTCL); Hot Springs, AR (KHOT); Cameron, MO (KEZZ); Carbondale-Murphysboro, IL (KMDH); Elkhart, IN (KEKM); and Parkersburg, WV (KPKB). The race route is 2483.01sm, begins June 22 and ends on June 25. There are 55 all women race teams in the 2010 Air Race Classic. Marty and Kay will competing in Marty's 1953 Cessna 180. We will be Classic 3.
The Racers
Marty Goppert - Marty is an Airline Transport Pilot (ATP) and a Certified Flight Instructor-Instrument (CFII), Multi and Single Engine Land with over 5,000 flight hours. She has flown as a commuter pilot and medical airlift pilot. She flew a Stearman barnstorming act for 13 years with the "Flying Circus" in Bealeton, VA. Marty currently flies a 1953 Cessna 180.
Kay Renfrow - Kay is a 400 hour Private Pilot, Single Engine Land. Kay resides on a residential airpark in Texas and flies a 1950 Cessna 140A.
Kay Renfrow - Kay is a 400 hour Private Pilot, Single Engine Land. Kay resides on a residential airpark in Texas and flies a 1950 Cessna 140A.
Thank You
Race Advisor - Jim
Maintenance Advisor - Tom
Sponsor - Gorilla Airfield in Onondaga, Michigan
and a big Thank You to our ground crew at Heritage Airpark; Dan, Chuck, Cliff and Trevor. We would have never got it done without all of you.
Maintenance Advisor - Tom
Sponsor - Gorilla Airfield in Onondaga, Michigan
and a big Thank You to our ground crew at Heritage Airpark; Dan, Chuck, Cliff and Trevor. We would have never got it done without all of you.
No comments:
Post a Comment