The nation’s longest-running all-women’s air race, the Air Race Classic, takes off June 23, 2026.
More than 100 women pilots from across the United States and around the world gathered at St. Louis Regional Airport (KALN) in East Alton, Illinois, for the start of the 49th annual Air Race Classic.
The four-day competition traces its heritage to the historic 1929 Women’s Air Derby, in which Amelia Earhart and other pioneering female aviators competed across the United States.
This year’s race will cover approximately 2,400 statute miles as teams navigate a challenging route through eight states before concluding in Mount Vernon, Illinois, on June 26, according to organizers.
The route includes stops in Frankfort, Kentucky (KFFT), Spartanburg, South Carolina (KSPA), Douglas, Georgia (KDQH), Tanner, Alabama (KDCU), McComb, Mississippi (KMCB), Russellville, Arkansas (KRUE), St. Joseph, Missouri (KSTJ), and Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin (KPDC).
Pilots range in age from teenagers to women in their 90s and represent diverse backgrounds, including airline pilots, flight instructors, business owners, students, engineers, air traffic controllers, and aviation enthusiasts, according to organizers. Teams compete by flying a designated route under visual flight rules while maximizing performance relative to their aircraft’s assigned handicap speed.
For more information: AirRaceClassic.org
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