Purdue University News Service
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FAX: 765-494-0401
April 1998
PURDUE TO FIELD ONLY STUDENT TEAM IN NATIONAL AIR RACE
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. ã A student organization at Purdue University is headed to the Air Race Classic for the fifth year in a row as the only all-student collegiate entry.
Women in Aviation is an international organization with 3,000 members that helps students make a connection between the university, business and the community. The 35 students in the Purdue chapter send a team to compete in the annual Air Race Classic to gain experience in cross-country flying. The group also prepares members for the job force, sets up community events and travels to trade conferences.
The annual Air Race Classic is a summer cross-country race for female pilots. The three-day event takes teams of two across mountains and plains to test their skill at piloting. During the course of the race, the teams will travel more than 2,384 miles.
This year's race will start June 23 in Santa Fe, N.M., and end June 26 in Batavia, Ohio, with stops for refueling in Midland, Texas, Woodward, Okla., Ogallala, Neb., St. Joseph, Mo., Cape Girardeau, Mo., and Rome, Ga.
Two years ago, a Purdue team became the first collegiate team to win the race. For all four years that Purdue teams have participated, they have been the only all-student collegiate entry.
This year, the pilot for Purdue will be Amanda Zerr, a senior majoring in aviation technology from Defiance, Mo. "There is a responsibility involved with being the pilot for this race," she said. "Besides flying, we have to be concerned with the weather and plane safety. I think this year we will do well. We have been training religiously and have made a lot of progress."
Along with the experience gained, there is also some danger involved. "It can be dangerous if they run into bad weather," said Mary Ann Eiff, assistant professor of aviation technology and faculty adviser to Purdue's chapter of Women in Aviation. "They will also have to fly through mountainous regions, and there can be wind problems associated with this type of geologic feature. This gives them a chance to learn how to fly in these areas, and it helps them gain confidence. With the level of training these pilots receive, they should be able to handle anything nature throws at them."
Originally called the "Powder Puff Derby," the contest dates back 79 years. Amelia Earhart competed in it, as did many women who were WASPs in World War II.
Teams fly only during daylight hours and good weather. They race against a "handicap" assigned to their plane based on its maximum cruising speed. The goal is to be faster than the handicap, and the winner is the team that beats its handicap by the largest margin. Raegan Frazier, co-pilot and a sophomore majoring in aviation technology from Cape Cod, Mass., said she is excited about the race.
"We are really nervous because we are a young team. Most of the pilots are much older and have had long careers in commercial aviation. To compete against older and more-experienced teams is a real challenge," she said. "What we lack in experience, we make up for with enthusiasm and training."
CONTACTS: Eiff, (765) 494-9627; home (765) 449-9804; e-mail, [email protected]; Frazier, (765) 495-1853; Zerr, (765) 495- 1263
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