News/Press Releases

This month, a transcontinental women's air race is set to take place: the Air Race Classic.This is the only women's air race in the nation and is known as a test of aviation skills for female pilots of all ages and from all walks of life.

This is the 40th year for the event and 55 teams, which include 130 women pilots from around the country, will take off on June 21 in Prescott, Arizona, for a 2,716-mile race across the U.S. that ends four days later in Daytona Beach, Florida.

This year's course takes racers through 12 states including Arkansas. The competition has a different route each year and this go around every stop is at or near a college or university aviation program. Their stop in Arkansas is at the Dexter B Florence Memorial Field Airport (located at 2 Airport Road) in Arkadelphia. The city is home to an aviation program at Henderson State University.

Those who are interested can come to any of the stops to watch racers fly.

"The public can come out, bring their lawn chairs and watch the race," said Arkadelphia Municipal Airport Manager Michelle Anthony. "Most of the ladies and planes will be there on the 22nd and 23rd.  We are the only place they are stopping in Arkansas.  HSU Flight School will be where they go to relax and get something to eat."

The event has some interesting history tied to it. It is the oldest race of its kind in the nation, with roots to the 1929 Women's Air Derby, which marked the beginning of women's air racing in the U.S.  At that historic race 20 female pilots, including Amelia Earhart, raced from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio.

As to the competition, according to the Air Race Classic site, teams must fly during daylight hours and have up to four days to fly the course, flying a timing line at each location. There are predefined airports teams must fly to. Landing at each airport is optional depending on the decisions of the race team but each team must be on the ground prior to sunset at a designated race stop. The race can be flown in one day or up to four days.

Those who are interested in keeping up with competition can do so with real-time tracking of the racers via the Air Race Classic website at airraceclassic.org. Updates will also be posted to the event's Facebook page at facebook.com/AirRaceClassic/.