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Air Race Outruns Rita
Thanks to the incredible persistence of 2005 Race Director, Pat Purcell, gracious sponsors, and the spirit of camaraderie for which the U.S. Air Race, Inc events are famous, the Marion Jayne Air Race and the Carolinas 300 Air Race were run as scheduled over a slightly different route than planned – thanks to Hurricane Rita. Already impressive credentials of the 10th Anniversary of the U.S. Air Race, were improved with another set of safe but fiercely contested races covered by print and TV media. The decade’s totals now stand at 480,145 safe race miles (or 18 times around the world) with 3,180 happy landings at 76 different airports flown by teams from 3 countries and 41 states. In conjunction with the teams and 328 sponsors, 22 Learn to Fly Scholarships have been awarded.
Months of plans by race teams, airports, sponsors and race organizers were set aside when Hurricane Rita threatened Texas with category 5 level devastation. Houston evacuated its people. The Fort Worth Alliance Air Show and its headlining Thunderbirds cancelled all activities and on the other side of DFW, Mesquite Airport Manager, Cynthia Godfrey was gracious when told that all the preparations to receive the race teams would not be needed. In a marathon communications frenzy, all racers were contacted and told not to fly to Texas but to go to the third Marion Jayne Air Race route stop at Glasgow, Kentucky for credential registration. Glasgow had been a substitution for Pascagoula, Mississippi which had yet to recover from Hurricane Katrina. As Rita ran further east than forecasted, the teams pulled up the tie-downs and headed off-clock to the race terminus location at Monroe, North Carolina where Ron Hoe, Airport Manager, Debra Korb, Tourism Manager and the Carolinas 99s mad
e everyone welcome ahead of schedule.
Using the Arthur Mott Library of GPS Loggers for timing technology, two new VFR routes were created, literally, overnight. Experienced race teams had cooperated beautifully, coached the rookie racers and helped the race organizers make the reconstructed events possible. Now the tough masks of competition were in place and it was time to see which of the talented teams would carry home the prize money and trophies. The field included the 1996 and 2004 Marion Jayne Perpetual Trophy winners. What a competition! The Marion Jayne Air Race route snaked over the countryside on a two-day 6 leg course which included challenging winds and terrain but with enough time for lunch at Myrtle Beach. Reading the winds was as critical as precise flying and teamwork. The first leg was won by Marv Guthrie, FL and Esther Grupenhagen, MO flying Marv’s Beech Bonanza named ‘Whiskey Mike’ but legs 2, 3 and 4 had Arthur Mott, NC and John Dawson, VA flying Arthur’s ‘Cumulus Bound’ Baron in first place.
But wait – rookie race team Bobby and AnnElise Bennett flying the 1964 172 that they’d brought back from the dead, took first on legs 5 and 6. The Marion Jayne Air Race beautiful glass trophies and top prize money were won by the tenacious talents of Arthur Mott and John Dawson as they bested the Guthrie/Grupenhagen team by 15 seconds which is a margin .1%. Photos are at www.us-airrace.org
Charlotte’s local TV affiliate sent a camera crew to cover the Carolinas 300 Air Race and broadcast the air to air flying shots done post race from their helicopter. The pilotage-only Carolinas 300 Air Race used Renaissance Rules where navigation is finger-on-chart with no auto-pilot. The race attracted several teams new to racing including multiple entries from local EAA chapters. The Europa team was envied for its fuel economy of racing 300 sm on a mere 15 gallons of fuel. Since no results had been released and the coveted Marion Jayne Perpetual Trophy would be won with the best combined score of the Carolinas 300 and Marion Jayne races, the race organizers knew this great recognition of skill would be decided in this final 300-mile event. Teams could be seen staring at the skies where multiple thin cloud layers moved in different directions. In the end it was the Guthrie/Grupenhagen team that won this race and the stunning glass and wood Marion Jayne Perpetual Trophy. This
team came together as a true powerhouse with each individual as a past winner of major air races. The combination of their talent won the top team flying a Beech trophy as well.
The awards dinner was graciously hosted by Arthur and Charlotte Mott at their mesmerizing estate in Waxhaw, NC. Their friend, neighbor and cancer-fighter, Tammy Faye Messner, opened the awards ceremony by leading the group in singing “God Bless America”. U.S. Air Race 10th Anniversary corsages and boutonnieres were worn by those who had participated in the inaugural 1995 U.S. Air Race which included Dennis and Jeanette Hackler, Arthur Mott and race president, Patricia Jayne (Pat) Keefer. In addition to the awards mentioned above: the Top Team flying a Piper was won by Dennis and Jeanette Hackler, TX flying their Piper Arrow, Shelby Bowles and Jim Reed, MD won the Best Team flying a Cessna, sponsored by Van Bortel Aircraft, in Shelby’s “Wild Thing” 337. Learn to Fly Scholarship drawing winners were: Julie Mabaquiao of Arlington, Texas and Jim Reed of LaPlata, MD. Jim will donate his scholarship to a local youth. New racer Dennis Schwieger sums it up, “I can't remember the last
time I had so much fun…. Count us in for next year.”
The U.S. Air Race, Inc. was founded by famed race pilot Marion Jayne. Jayne is the only U.S. pilot to have raced twice around the world. She placed second in the 1992 race and won the FAI Gold Medal in 1994. Marion has been honored as one of the century's 100 Aviation Heroes along with the Wrights, John Glenn, Eileen Collins and others at the 2003 Centennial Celebration. Her personal success, her two races around the world, her life before flying were cited as well as her entrepreneurial spirit in founding 4 air races - three of which are still run annually. The 2005 National Air Races honor her memory and contributions.
The U.S. Air Race, Inc. is a charitable, non-profit 501(c)(3), all volunteer organization dedicated to: Improving pilot skills through competition, promoting the sport of General Aviation and providing Learn to Fly Scholarships. Contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by law. Come join the flying fun, volunteer or make a contribution. More details are at www.us-airrace.org. 2006 air race plans are now being formed … somewhere out of the paths of hurricanes. Look for racers wearing U.S. Air Race jackets at the Tampa AOPA Expo November 3-5 and ask them how much fun YOU could have racing.
Wishing you Blue Skies and Tailwinds,
Patricia Jayne (Pat) Keefer
President, U.S. Air Race, Inc.
National Air Races and Air Cruise
P.S. If you would prefer not to receive information about the U.S. Air Race events, please let me know.
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