The 38th Air Race Classic will begin accepting entries Jan. 2 for the annual transcontinental air race. More than 100 female pilots compete each year.
The Air Race Classic, Inc. (ARC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to educating current and future women pilots while increasing public awareness of general aviation.
The annual ARC attracts competitors from all ages and regions of the world. In 2013, there were pilots from Kosovo, Japan and Italy who joined US pilots in the four-day air race challenge.
Michelle Bassanesi originally from Sydney, Australia, now living in Rome, Italy, competed in her first ARC with teammate, Gretchen Jahn of Broomfield, Colo., in 2013. The pilots met years ago while participating in the Around New Zealand Air Race (ANZAR). After several years, the two collaborated and decided to compete in the ARC. This marked Jahn’s 17th year to compete in the ARC.
The collaboration proved successful as their team, The Dream Catchers, were Reserve Champions in the race.
The 2014 route will begin in Concord, Calif., on June 16, 2014, and ends in New Cumberland, Pa., three days later with 2,300-plus nautical miles in between. The route changes every year and is a highlight of the year for the female aviators.
Racer entry deadline is April 1, 2014.
To apply, go to AirRaceClassic.org. View the video from the 2013 Air Race here.
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