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")