more pics

race results

The results are in, and we placed 46th. It's an accomplishment to finish the race. This race was challenging to a lot of teams due to mechanical failures, pieces or mechanics not available at some of the stops. It was a great learning experience.

Yesterday was the mandatory debriefings. So after the meetings before the awards banquet we had some free time which we used as an escape to Washington D.C., as this was Sara and I first time going to the Capitol. Got to go to Lincoln Monument, in which I felt like Forrest Gump over looking the water. This trips was the first time I rode the metro also.

The award banquet was nice. It was held at a beautiful restaurant and the food was great. Then today, Sara and Suzanne made their way home in Suzanne's plane, and soon I will be on a bus going to New Mexico for a vacation, as racing is far from a vacation. Doing this race for the 3rd time, I feel like it's a summer camp where I get to see my camp friends. I am happy I got to see racers that I raced with my first year of racing.

Nicole

Day after finishing the race

We had a girl scout event. We did some activities with several local girl scouts, such as a simulated landing, looking at airplanes, and some easy ground school. Then we had a movie premier to go to that was about the first woman's air race that featured one of the racers. Afterward, we were treated to a VIP reception at an art studio. It was alot of fun. Later on, Sara and I went to dinner at a restaurant with our new racer friends.

FINALLY MADE IT!!!

We are pleased to announce that the 2010 Snow Eagles Race team completed the 2010 Air Race Classic. After I spent the time in the back seat of the plane today getting air sick, I was happy when we landed this morning in Frederick, MD. We landed and got all settled in at the nice Hilton Garden Inn, and had a nice meltdown party with all the other racers. It was fun,they had a dinner sponsored by Famous Dave's, a blues band, and people came to meet us. The race got alot of press, with the news coming to talk to the racers.

Nicole

even more pics

more pics

race day 3

After sitting all day looking at weather charts, we decided to not go onto Frederick,and will make both legs tomorrow. So it's time to get caught up on the blog.

Last night, we hung out with several other Bonanza Beech team's. We had a tornado warning. Today, Sara and I caught a movie, saw Knight and Day, and ate at Texas Roadhouse for the first time. This trip was alot of first for the teams. Took Sara and Suzanne to Cheeseburgers in Paradise, where I had a yummy non-alcoholic strawberry daq.

2nd day of racing

We flew our second day of racing. Stayed in Cameron, Missouri last night, flew to Carbondale, Illinois, and then our final stop today was Elkhart, Indiana were we are staying the night. Today seemed kind of weird because to me, it is hard to believe that we have only been racing two days,it seems like it has been a few days. We only have two legs left to the end of the race route.

So we landed today in Elkhart,and my camera got sucked out when I opened the door to let air in, while taxing and amazing enough it still works. I watched it drop and there was nothing I could do until we stopped and the Airport Manager was nice enough to drive me onto the taxiway to retrieve it. We ended up at a hotel with most of the racers, so alot of us went to Applebees. While in Applebees, the tornado warning went off on the TV.

Carbondale stop was neat. They had a band playing for us, as well as the cafateria being opened for us for free food and drinks. It was a nice relaxing stop. I am just happy to say all racers made it into a RON spot.

Nicole

first day of racing

We took off about 838 am EDT. We flew by Waycross,and stopped at Tuscaloosa AL for fuel. We took off again and flew by Hot Springs AR, and made our final stop for the night in Cameron, Missouri. Everyone is exhausted as most of us got up at 445 AM EDT, which is 345 AM Central Daylight Time. Suzanne flew the plane,and Sara and I helped with spotting traffic, and navigation. Some places were harry with the traffic. The racers did a good job communicating where we were at,so now one crashed. All planes have made it safely to a RON spot. RON means Remain Over Night designation, and those are the 8 spots that we have to do a fly-by. All racers must be at a RON spot by the end of the Air Race Classic sunset time.
We made it to Cameron, and it was neat. The volunteers had sparkling juice,and home grown strawberried ready for us,when we exited the plane. The airplane cookies were as delicious.

Day 1

Made it to Cameron, MO today. We flew through Waycross, GA, Tulcaloosa, Hot Springs then Cameron. They people in Cameron wereso nice--they brought strawberries and sparkling cider to the side of our plane right after we parked!

It was a SCORCHER! As soon as I walked out this morning, it was uggy and very hot!!! I was sweating immediately! However, it was fun! All 51 teams took off around 8am. It was cool tosee the line of planes. I sat front seat first, then Nikki switched. Suzanne was flying the plane; we were assisting with approaches/flybys, briefing, etc. It was intense! Our top speed for the day was 200kph! Its such a fast plane.

I am exhausted and going to bed, Nicole will beblogging later! BYE

Sara's First Blog

Hey all! I have been getting up to speed over the last 2 days. Our trip starts in exactly 24 hours and I am excited! Today we had briefing and meetings; these were extremely helpful for me. Nikki and I will be assisting Suzanne during flybys, approaches, landings, airtraffic spotting, etc. Flybys are used to "stop" your time at each airport. There is a fairly specific procedure that you have to follow. This will be great practice and lots of fun to see played out. I am brand new to the "racing" style of flying!

Tomorrow, we are planning on stopping at Hot Springs, AK or Cameron,MO. The legs of our trip will be Waycross, GA, Tuscaloosa, AL, Hot Springs, AK, then Cameron, MO. We hope to get to Cameron in order to avoid some weather that could develop later in the week. Each leg is around 280ish miles. Suzanne's cruising speed(technically, our handicap speed) is 172.3kph; she owns a Beech Bonanza. This is waaaay faster than anything I have previously flown; I fly a Cessna150! Anyways, it should be a great trip tomorrow and I looking forward to it.

We will be keeping this updated throughout our journey! Please check back. I hope to have some good pictures from our flight tomorrow that I will post on here. -Sara

here is some more pics

count down

So this morning we had a mandatory all contestant briefing. We got the racer welcome banquet at night. During the first meeting Sarah came, and then her and I took to the beach before our banquet.

The welcome banquet was pretty neat. The Florida 99's made these cool airplane decorations.


The pics are of the beach, fly-by procedures, today's meetings. I got to meet the mayor yesterday.
Nicole

getting relaxed to get the game face on

So yesterday, we had to fly our handicap. The handicap is what this race is based on. Each plane is handicap for the best performance speed, and if you fly over your handicap you are awarded points. If you fly under your handicap, you lose points, so a team can actually have negative points if they fly into a headwind. The first picture is of Suzanne flying the handicap flight. I was able to go along as we have a third member,for the weight. We also flew over the gulf, which is awesome because rivers and lakes are the only open water I have ever flown over. That is the second picture.

I feel it is important to feel relaxed before a big competition. Today was it. I had a blast, I totally forgot what it was like to be with such amazing woman, and how many new and old friends I have seen. We started off with going to the Sannabel Beach today, I found some awesome shells that I am sending back. Then we had our girl scout event, which was a bust we had two girls who came and they left within l5 minutes of starting the event. To hear everyone's amazing journey on how they started to fly, just amazes me. This is the biggest race, I have ever been in and one of the biggest race that ARC has put on. We have 113 women pilots and to think we are competitors but yet friends.

Tomorrow, we have an all-contestant meeting that is mandatory. Then I plan on hitting the beach for a bit, then we have a take-off banquet. Then we are off to a day of meetings on Monday, Sarah and Suzanne have an extra 2 hour meeting to be at, due to them being new racers. Tomorrow is also the day where the last team member Sarah comes, I am excited to meet her.

I have to say, this is the coolest hotel I have ever stayed in. Crown Plaza is so nice, I hate to even go home,lol. I am happy the BBQ was so much fun. I got to hang with the Mayor of Fort Myers, as he was asking me about the new baseball stadium in Omaha, and we got to discuss town issues. I am using this time as a networking tool as well. I have included a pic of me with the Mayor.

inspections

So part of being a racer,is having alot of patience. We have alot of cases of hurry up and waiting. We got here and got all settled in, then had to run back out to the airport to do inspections. Inspections is where the officials check to make sure you are in racing form,and that the airplane is top form and all paperwork is crossed and dotted. We passed inspection, only we have to show we have a copy of the rules, and that I have to take this class to fly into Washington DC airspace. So I will do that tonight, so I am all current.
Another part of inspection is making sure your race numbers are put on correctly.

MADE IT!!!!

After having to stop last night in Cross Ways, Florida due to storms. We stayed overnight at this town, which was kind of weird, but everyone was so nice. JoAnna at the Carriage Inn was the nicest host. So we took off this morning for the 1 and 1/2 hours trip, and we made it through inspections, and now it's time to relax. It's hot here in Florida. The following pics are from the past two days. From the start of our journey, to the storms we had to pass to get here. We ate at this restaurant that the decorations was mostly deer and had the small town feeling to it.