Oct. 25, 2004
Purdue to be site for 2005 women pilots' Air Race Classic
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – The Air Race Classic, an annual flight competition for female pilots, will make its university debut when the event takes off and finishes at Purdue June 21-24.
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Purdue will become the first university to act as host for the race, which has continued air racing for female pilots for the past 28 years in the tradition of the first Women's Air Derby held in the 1930s. Organizers are hoping to encourage more teams of college students nationwide to get involved.
"For Purdue and the School of Technology, bringing the Air Race Classic to campus is a great way of connecting Purdue's rich history in aviation to the future of the field," said Mary A. Sadowski, School of Technology associate dean for undergraduate programs and learning. "This event will not only allow us to showcase the unrivaled strengths of Purdue's aviation technology program, but also will give our students the opportunity to meet and interact with pioneers in their field."
The Air Race Classic has roots that go back more than 70 years when the Women's Air Derby brought pilots such as Amelia Earhart, Bobbi Trout and Ruth Elder to an air race from Santa Monica, Calif., to Cleveland, Ohio. Thomas Q. Carney, head of Purdue's aviation technology department, said Purdue will be the ideal site for the race, in part because its long history in aviation mirrors the history of the race.
Purdue is uniquely qualified for this honor, Carney said.
"First, Purdue has a long and proud history of aviation education," Carney said. "We are the first to own and operate our own airport and the first to offer bachelor's degrees in aviation technology.
"Second, one of the founders of this race was Amelia Earhart. She worked and lived at Purdue. And the university's foundation purchased and equipped the airplane she was flying at the time of her disappearance as she attempted to become the first woman to fly around the world.
"Third, Purdue is considered a national leader in aviation technology. We have capped enrollment at 642 undergraduates for the fall 2004 semester, and our programs have among the stiffest admissions standards at the university."
In 2002 and 2003, Purdue's Keri Wiznerowicz competed in the race with co-pilot Heidi Moore, winning the race's first collegiate trophy in 2003. Wiznerowicz said her experiences in the race were some of the most important during her time as a student. Besides competing and interacting with the other pilots, Wiznerowicz and Moore were able to visit other aviation centers before and during the races. For example, Wiznerowicz said preflight stops at Lockheed Martin facilities played a role in Moore going to work for the company after her graduation.
Those experiences led Wiznerowicz, now a graduate student in aviation technology at Purdue, to spearhead efforts to bring the Air Race Classic to campus. She is now the race coordinator for the 2005 event and is leading the group of students planning the race.
"We want to get the word out to colleges throughout the nation that we're hosting the race, so maybe more colleges will participate," Wiznerowicz said. "Participating in this competition opened so many doors for me and has helped to shape my future in my career. We want to help open those possibilities up for other students at other universities.
"Bringing more students into the race is important to assure that it will continue at its current level. Last year, four of the 33 teams were college teams while the rest were composed of older women. As the next generation of women pilots becomes involved, they will be more likely to compete in the future, strengthening the Air Race Classic's base of pilots."
Wiznerowicz said the key to having a successful team is starting early to allow time to raise the $4,000 to $7,000 or more that it can cost to run the race.
"Ideally, it would be a large help to have departmental support, but it isn’t impossible to do without it," Wiznerowicz said. "As far as starting team, a school only needs two female pilots. If a university is not able to provide monetary help, the institution is often willing to supply the aircraft. Many collegiate teams that don’t have any departmental sponsorship fundraise in the local area and also find corporate donors."
Beyond the experiences the pilots have during the race, Wiznerowicz said that because aviation has historically been such a male-dominated field, she hopes bringing the race to campus will expose Purdue students and younger children to female pilots, helping the public to understand that women can and do succeed in the field.
"Many of the women who compete in the race are pioneers, and their accomplishments make them role models for all aviation students," Wiznerowicz said. "We want to bring these women to campus to begin and end the race not only so students here can meet these amazing women who have given so much to the field, but also so the pilots can be role models for young people in the community thinking about careers in aviation."
Before and after the race, while teams are on campus, Wiznerowicz said there will be events planned, including a community cookout, that will allow the campus and the public to interact with the pilots and be a part of the race festivities.
The Purdue Department of Aviation Technology sponsored the first all-student team to participate in the race, and Purdue teams have competed in the Air Race Classic for the past 10 years, finishing first in 1996. That was the only college team to have won the competition.
In the 2004 race, the Purdue team of then-juniors, Allison Martin, of Indianapolis, and Tina Lukas, of Park Ridge, Ill., placed 11th and were the third highest-placing collegiate team.
The race isn't won by speed or by the size and power of a team's aircraft. Teams win based on the efficiency and accuracy they exhibit in every aspect of the race. Teams are rated based on their performance compared to their airplane's handicap. Because of the nature of the scoring, it is impossible to gauge a team's performance in relation to other teams until the competition is over.
Next year's 2,455 nautical mile race includes stops in Winona, Minn.; Beatrice, Neb.; Bartlesville, Okla.; Shreveport, La.; Walnut Ridge, Ark.; Tullahoma, Tenn.; Ohio University in Athens, Ohio; and Frankfort, Ind. .
Teams interested in participating in the race or seeking information on organizing a team can contact Wiznerowicz at wiznerow@purdue.edu to register or for more information.
Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu
Sources: Mary A. Sadowski, (765) 494-4935, sadowski@purdue.edu
Thomas Q. Carney, (765) 494-9954, tcarney@purdue.edu
Keri Wiznerowicz, (765) 494-2612, wiznerow@purdue.edu
Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu
PHOTO CAPTION:
Tina Lukas, at left, and Allison Martin exit the Piper Aircraft that brought them an 11th place finish in the 28th Annual Women's Air Race Classic. The 2005 race will begin and end at Purdue. (Photo courtesy/Journal and Courier)
A publication-quality photo is available at http://news.uns.purdue.edu/images/+2004/martin-airrace.jpg
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