Registration is now open for the 55th Annual Hayward Air Rally.
Rally dates were moved into mid-May with the change to the destination of Laughlin, Nevada/Bullhead City, Arizona.
“We didn’t want you to get too hot flying across the Mojave Desert,” organizers said. “But if you do get warm, rest assured that we will have a cold beverage (adult or otherwise) waiting for you in the hospitality suite in Laughlin.”
Rally participants will meet at Hayward Airport (KHWD) on Thursday, May 16, with a briefing slated for 4 p.m. The rally takes off May 17.
The Hayward Air Rally is a 500-mile VFR cross-country challenge, flown in two legs. The intermediate stop will be at Meadows Field Airport (KBFL) in Bakersfield, California.
The rally is not a speed event, organizers say, noting fuel management and navigation skills determine your score.
All types of piston aircraft are accepted.
This year the organization is again offering the Craneman Scholarship for up to three rally teams, consisting of either flight instructors or a flight instructor and a student pilot. The scholarship pays the entry fee for the team. Those who win the scholarships must still supply their own airplane, fuel, and hotel.
You can download the registration documents, pay the entry fees, and get hotel reservation information on the rally’s website.
Proceeds from the rally fund up to two EAA Air Academy Scholarships for deserving students.