Air Race Classic! Going home

Sunday morning was mass exodus. Sort of. We had a 7 hour flight ahead of us so we wanted to get going early. We packed up the plane and headed north. There were a few storms in the area but we picked a route that we could weave through. I flew the leg since I was IFR current. We landed in Huntsville, AL but unfortunately got a flat tire while landing. We were able to taxi off the runway but still shut one down (thankfully they had two parallel runways). It took about 30 minutes for the tug to get to where we were to pull the plane back to the FBO for maintenance since it only goes about 5 mph. We had the mechanic come in and fix the tire for us (I got to help him). And then after about 2-3 hours we were off again headed north.

Flying buddies!

We planned on flying to Columbus, IN but just as we were passing Louisville, KY we heard a beeping noise. What's that?? It was the carbon monoxide alarm. hmm that's weird. Immediately we got fresh air flowing and decided to divert to Jeffersonville, IN (one of the race stops). We landed there for fuel and checked if the alarm batteries were good, but in the mean time it had stopped beeping. Ok, so we'll keep going home. We jumped in the plane after a preflight, started it normally and then got a wiff of smoke - sweet smelling. "Do you smell that? Shut her down!" I recognized the smell as solder and knew we had an alternator failure or something in the wiring had gone bad (we had previously noticed feedback from the alternator in our headsets). So I guess we're not flying then.

We tied down the airplane and got help from the people working there. Of course, it was Sunday late afternoon, so the mechanic was not going to come out and everything is closed. I called my "2nd parents" the Hamiltons, and they were able to give us a ride to the main airport in Louisville where we could rent a car. Maggie had decided that she had to get home so we just got a rental car and drove anther 6 hours. We got home around 3 AM in the morning and the plane was in Jeffersonville, IN.

Taken in Kalamazoo

If everything had gone to plan we would have come in at the end of the SMAT fly in/ fair and it would have been a cool home coming but alas. The next day we got on the horn with the mechanic and thankfully he could get the parts from Louisville and fixed it. Maggie went down later that week to pick up the plane and get it home.

Thankfully we didn't have any issues during the race but they all happened on the way home.

What an adventure!

Taken in Fairhope- storms rolling in.

 Stay tuned for more blogs on tailwheel adventures, charters, and other adventures!


Fly with Christ,
Helen

Air Race Classic! DAY 4 and the weekend.

Day 4 and more

Gulf of Mexico/ Bay

Me and some of the awesome gals I got to know really well!

Done with the race means vacation! Since we had an extra day we meandered around the quaint little town of Fairhope. We went to the airport at some point to cheer on the rest of the teams coming in and then enjoyed dinner eating real, fresh seafood- shrimp and lobster!The next few days included chill time, a few seminars, going to the beach, running, shopping at the little stores around town, and going to the town museum.



One of the cool side projects we were involved in was with the Boys and Girls club. They had an adopt a pilot program where middle school and high school girls were paired with a team and could watch our progress as they were in the race and cheer us on. It was fun to see the girls getting involved with aviation and being able to inspire them to follow their dreams. On one of the days they had their graduation ceremony so a bus load of racers went to that and enjoyed the program and some lunch.

Jenna, our adopt a pilot gal!

USS Alabama

Another day we were able to tour Continental Motors factory (where they make aircraft engines). That was really cool to see how engines are made from scratch.

Continental Motors cylinder center pieces

Maggie, Lin, and me at the banquet.

On Saturday evening we had the terminus banquet. This was where the awards were given out and the final get together before everyone left to go back home. We all were introduced and got our completion plaques and certificates. For the awards, they had categories for the fastest Cardinal, Beechcraft, Piper and some other smaller awards. Then came the leg prizes (top 4 for leg). To our complete surprise we won a leg prize! 4th fastest on the 2nd leg! Maggie had never won a prize so it was super fun for her! We were both astonished at hearing our racer number called! After the leg winners were called came the top 10.


The winners were calculated based on a handicapped speed and how much faster or slower you were from that base speed. Every plane had to fly a box course (fly north, then west, then south, then east. From that you got a base speed. Each leg you had to try and beat that by riding tailwinds or waiting out weather, etc. When you finish you have a score and ten the judges go through and give you penalties based on things you may have done wrong, such as being too low or high on a fly by, landing at a different airport, (if you had to land due to weather), etc. And from that calculation you get a score and it is either + or - from your base score. Whoever has the most plus wins.

We got 25th place out of 50 (and moved up from 34!) We were very pleased with our performance and were excited about the whole thing.


Stay tuned for more.

All the racers!

Air Race Classic! DAY 3

Day 3

The Gulf of Mexico! We made it!

We had a leisurely start to the morning- not super early, but turns out just on time. Since we only had 2 legs left we didn't want to depart at 6:30 AM but we got to the airport sometime around then and preflighted the airplane. We did our flyby with low ceilings (but not that low) but after we got about 1 miles out the ceiling dropped below VFR minimums! There was no forecast for that so several teams coming in from Kirksville actually got stuck circling above the airport while they were on the clock. Most of the way down to Gadsden, AL was hazy but we had a tailwind and there was one other racer flying near us. At Gadsden we got fuel and took a chill pill since there was a big storm brewing around Fairhope, AL (the final destination). We kept monitoring the weather and mid morning we saw our chance to go and took it. There was a break up in the storm system and we had a little bit of a headwind but not too bad. I flew from Union City to Gadsden and then Maggie flew from Gadsden to Fairhope.

Fairhope, AL ARC 2015 Terminus!

Nearby Fairhope there were several military training areas and most of the time they are not active or there is minimal traffic. But we happened to see two small military jets (T-36s) pass above us. We were super excited to get closer and closer to the finish! When we came in to do our fly by we were the only racers in the pattern (there were a couple about 20 miles behind us). On the ground however, were 2 or 3 charter planes waiting to take off. But they nicely let us fly over and congratulated us! It was quite fun and exciting. We passed the timing line and came in to land and taxied to our parking spot. WE MADE IT!

We unpacked our plane, tied it down and handed in our keys. It was now impounded! Which means you can't go to it until the end of the banquet when you get your keys back. We were so excited to be done and finish in 3 days instead of 4. It was a wild ride full of stress, quick thinking, fun, and excitement.

Parking spot in Fairhope, AL

Stay tuned for more!

Air Race Classic! DAY 2

Day 2

Barb and Maggie (Barb was going to race but couldn't get to the start)

Up at the crack of dawn and off to the airport. At the end of each night you write your name on a list and the order you are in is the takeoff order. We were allowed to start our engines at 6:30AM and about 8 teams got in the air nice and early. We had to do another fly by to start our time but it was a little crazy since 5 of us were in the air practically at the same time so we had to find each other an not run into anyone. We end up circling a couple of times to sequence ourselves and then we were off. Over the course of the leg we spread out but were able to tell if someone was passing us. We had an air to air frequency that we could talk to other racers and alert them of how far out we were-
 "Classic racer 34 100 miles from Three Rivers.. Classic racer 33 102 miles from Three Rivers passing on the right and lower". The some of the stuff you would hear and you would look for traffic.

Maggie flew the first and second legs of the day from Jeffersonville, IN to Three Rivers, MI (just a fly by) then we flew to Kalamazoo, MI for fuel (this leg and the first leg were the only ones where you didn't land at the same place as you did the fly by). And then from Kalamzoo to Lawrenceville, IL.

Lawrenceville, IL

Lawrenceville was a bigger airport that used to have military operations there but was calm and not a lot of traffic (by this time the field had spread out also). We stopped and got fuel late morning and planned our next leg. We could see weather coming into our next stop (Kirksville, IL) so we decided we had to go now to beat it or we would be staying overnight. On our way to Kirksville we kept checking the radar and it was looking ok and that we would land right before the storm came in.

Someone passing us.

We got to Kirksville with plenty of time and got fuel and some snacks. At that point we were thinking we would have to overnight because of the storm. However, it seemed to fizzle out and we knew we would have a nice tailwind (since we were battling a headwind on the way there). We decided, since we had plenty of day time left to go "now" and ride the tailwind down to Union City, TN and beat the storm. That was the right decision. Most of the way was clear but the last quarter we had to duck under a massive cloud layer and fly low for a bit. We got to Union City and were hit with a wall of thick, hot humidity but we were glad to be done! We got pampered with tshirts, cold water, snacks, ice cream, dinner, and some of the country club members bought us well deserved beers!

Getting out of the haze.

We crashed at the hotel and I had time to call friends and family and update them on the race while watching an epic lightning storm. We were doing great for the race! We completed 7 out of 9 legs  in 2 days! We expected to finish in 4 days (and even had a bet going with some other teams to see who would land closest to their estimated time- we clearly lost that bet!). With 2 days left to complete the race and only 2 legs left we didn't have anything to stress about.

Union City, TN (too bad the picture didn't come out too clear)

 Stay tuned for day 3.

Flyby at Connellsville, PA

Air Race Classic! DAY 1

Day 1!

This is long since overdue... but here is the 1st of a multi part series on our air race.

We finished the AIR RACE CLASSIC! What an adventure. Last time I posted we were at the start. After a weekend of seminars and banquets and meeting new people we were ready to go!

Lining up for the start. We are #34 (and 35-38 are behind us in the semi circle not pictured)

Somewhere enroute...

Taxiing in to Hickory, NC for fuel.

Monday morning at 8AM the first engine started and the race was on. All 50 airplanes launched in 45 minutes and we were headed to Hickory, NC. It was a mad house at Foothills airport (where we did our first fly by) and at Hickory where most of us had to stop to get fuel. A fly by is where we fly over a timing line somewhere on the airport at 200 feet above the ground. When we cross that line our time either stops or starts (depending on what part of the leg you are on). For the first leg we had to fly 6 miles away and land at a towered airport to get fuel. The controller did an amazing job at handling 50 aircraft plus regular traffic. We spent about 30 minutes on the ground in Hickory and then departed for the next leg. Maggie flew the first and I flew the second.

 My leg was from Hickory, NC to Connellsville, PA throuhg the Appalachian Mountains (very beautiful). In order to start the clock we had to fly over the timing line again. Since there were still planes coming in and out of the fly by we had to sequence ourselves in and also spot the 5 other planes in the pattern. Fly bys are quite exciting but also stressful.

Connellsville, PA

At Connellsville we did flybys and landed at the same airport. The way we were landing (due to wind direction) happened to be the opposite of the flyby so it was very hectic and you had to be on guard and looking for traffic since people were going opposite directions on the same runway (one team would be landing and one would be doing a fly by at 200 feet).




After we got fuel and relaxed for a bit we started the longest leg to Jeffersonville, IN (my stomping ground). I flew this leg as well since I knew the airport well, but still had a but of a hard time finding the airport since at lower altitudes the land looks different. We landed well before dark and were contemplating going to the next stop (Kalamazoo, MI). However, we would be cutting it close to sunset and there were storms rolling in around MI. So we decided to overnight in Indiana. We tied down for the night, booked into a hotel, and went to dinner with some of the other racers and talked all about the race.

What an exciting but tiring first day!

Made it to Jeffersonville (Clark County), IN

Stay tuned for Day 2.

ARC Start

We made it to the start of the ARC here in Fredericksburg, VA. We had quite the adventure. We took off from Ionia, MI, did a low pass as the current SMAT class watched and then punched into the clouds. We flew IFR and headed south towards Clark County (Jeffersonville, IN) but decided to divert to Lunkin, OH (just outside of Cincinnati) due to Indianapolis reporting 40kt wind shear and extreme rain/ storms coming in.

SMAT Class along the fence as we did a low pass.

Rainbow in IFR

Parking spot at Fredericksburg

That was a good idea. We quickly got fuel in Lunkin and we were the "little" plane (they called us that on the radio) on the ramp woth a bunch of big citation jets. I quickly checked the weather and filed a flight plan and we got out of there before more storms came in. On our way east to Fredericksburg it was pretty hazy but overall clear. We flew over the Appalachian "hills" and landed about an hour before the sun went down and the rain came in.

Today we worked on getting our airplane inspected, our credentials checked, and the logbooks verified. We had an issue that the ADs (airworthiness directives) were not all signed off and so I spent 2 hours researching and making sure they either didn't apply to our plane or were complied with. I was able to sign them off since I am an A&P mechanic. We finally got approved so now we can enjoy the evening.

That's the update for now. Stay tuned to facebook for more updates and photos. Ps this update is from my phone so if the format comes out weird that's why.

Fly with Christ,
Helen "Girl Friday"

Air Race Classic!

Well it's finally here! We're ready to race!


We're departing tomorrow *weather permitting*... from Ionia (Y70) and heading to Fredericksburg, VA (KMRN). It looks like we may have to depart later in the afternoon and overnight halfway.


Track us live at trackleaders.com/arc15 Team 34!
Also, I will be posting photos and updates on our facebook page throughout the race. www.facebook.com/34arc15


Now off to pack and clean up my house!

Fly with Christ,
Helen

Tailwheel Adventures!

Grand Ledge (GrandAir is the building/ ramp with the circle driveway)

The Bush Pilot Program has been officially put into motion at GrandAir. Several of us are learning tail wheel in our 1946 Taylorcraft and the course consists of finding small airstrips around Lansing, practicing takeoffs and landings at each place, and sometimes enjoying lunch.


These flights are a lot of fun because it is a challenge to find the strip, watch out for other traffic (since we don't have radios), land on short grass runways, and meet people who may be at that airport. One thing Pete and I are trying to get started is using it as a ministry by handing out food and bibles.

Eating lunch in Glowacki

Below you can see some of the airstrips we've been to. Grand Ledge is to the West (left) of Lansing and we're trying to hit all the open circle airports around. Other notable places are Ionia to the West, Eaton Rapids  to the South (where I circled over the town- yellow blob with flag on it, on my first commercial flight all whilst watching out for that big tower). The most Northern airstrip we went to is Glowacki where we had lunch (see pictures below).

Multiple adventures... to be expanded to the north and all around!

Here's an interesting tidbit. The inner circle around Lansing is their protected airspace which goes from the ground to 4900 ft. This means that you can not enter it with out their permission. Since we didn't have radios (ie couldn't get permission) we had to stay north of that circle.

1946 Taylorcraft

Fly with Christ,
Helen "Girl Friday"

AIR RACE CLASSIC 2015

24 days and counting....

Maggie (Pilot) and me (Co-pilot)

So I should have written about this awhile back, but you know how that goes... I have posted on Facebook so if you've been following here you may have seen it.

Back in the fall my friend, Maggie Wint, asked me to be her co-pilot in the 2015 Air Race Classic. Maggie works at the Ionia County Airport and I met her through SMAT and being at the airport.

The Air Race Classic (http://airraceclassic.org/) is an all women's cross country flying race that is held annually and was started by Amelia Earhart. Each year the course is different and goes all over the US covering on average 2400 statute miles. The challenge is win but also  to be faster than your handicapped speed. Handicap speed means the speed at which your test flight averages out to be. The test flight covers a 1 mile square (you fly north then west then south then east to finish up a box). In the race you are trying to be faster than what you started at. The goal is to plan the best cross country (by factoring in weather, wind weight, fuel consumption, etc.) and to beat your time all while flying in day VFR conditions.

Classic Racer 34 and Maggie

This year it starts in Fredericksburg, VA and ends in Fairhope, AL between June 22-25.
There are 53 teams/airplanes in this year's race and are normally aspirated airplanes (single or multi engine) with engines ranging between 100-600 horse power. The pilots racing range from 17 to 90 years old.  Below is the map of the course. Later this week I'll update the blog with a schedule of where we'll be when so you can come out and see us if you're nearby.






We will be flying a Cessna 177B (Cardinal) and departing from Ionia on June 18th and returning just in time for SMAT days (a fly-in/ drive-in festival) on June 28th. Our team is Classic Racer #34 and we are called the Flying Nomads (because we have lived in many different places and have moved a lot).

Race Course 2015

If you want to follow us during the race stay tuned into Facebook (www.facebook.com/34arc2015) Team 34. Also, I will attach a link later on where you can follow us live as we fly.

Our logo

This race is funded by our own pockets so if you would like to donate that would be wonderful! Also, we are making shirts with our logo on it and if you would like to purchase one we can definitely get one for you (prices TBD) Just shoot me an email with your size and we'll get it to you. (hagg.helen@gmail.com)





Fly with Christ,
Helen "Girl Friday"

And..... We're back from our commercial break...

Well, I'm back to writing my blog... It's been quite awhile.

A lot of exciting things have happened since I posted back in August.

The Piper Apache in which I got my multi engine rating.

Here's some of the highlights:
August- Graduated from SMAT with my A&P license.
September- Started working at GrandAir Aviation full time.
--fast forward to 2015--
January- Earned my Commercial Pilot's License!
May- Earned my Multi Engine rating!
Today: May 23, 2015- Took my first "customer" up for aerial photography. 

I'm excited to be flying a lot lately now that the winter has passed and the weather is brighter, warmer, and bumpier. This summer I hope to earn my tail wheel endorsement, possibly sea plane rating, and get my CFI (Certified Flight Instructor License).
I am getting closer to my goal of reaching 500 hours for missionary flying so I will soon begin to apply to MAF and see where God leads me from here. Right now I have 310 hours.

Freight flying!

This week I got to fly close to 8 hours! Wednesday we flew the Cessna 310 to Mackinac Island to pick up a charter customer and then Thursday we got a freight trip so we flew to Minnesota, picked up a package and then flew it to Grand Rapids. Today I got to fly our Cessna 172 to Ionia for breakfast with Maggie and to meet fellow Air Race Classic Racers (*spoiler alert for the next blog*), then I did some practice landings with Pete where we did a lot of short field take offs and landings, and then I flew my first "commercial pilot" flight (where I actually get paid to fly). We flew over Eaton Rapids (south of Lansing) and took aerial photos for my friend's artwork. It sure has been a busy week!

My first paid flight! Bradley takes aerial photos of towns, enlarges the image and then draws it by hand to make cool personalized artwork.

Stay tuned for more blogs covering topics like:
~ The 2015 Air Race Classic
~ Tail wheel adventures
~ Women in Aviation and networking activities
~ and more!

Fly with Christ,
Helen ("Girl Friday")