10 days. 10 days until Jordan and I set off for the second time across the country in her little 172. 10 days until we put every bit of aviation knowledge to work. 10 days in until the ultimate adventure. 10 days.
As I count down the days leading up the Air Race Classic so many emotions flood my body. This is our second year, so it should be easier right? Not exactly, you see last year we were so innocent when it came to the race and honestly had no idea what we were flying into. This year we know what the penalties are, what to stress over, how nerve racking the judges meeting is (last year we did even know that was a thing), and just how insane this race is. Yet, as I recall all these memories I also remember how amazing it was to wake up everyday and go fly a plane across numerous states with one of my best friends. The adventures like attempting to paddle board on a surf board on a lake in Bemidji, Minnesota or flying across the Grand Canyon are memories that will stay with me for a life time. So, as the clock ticks down I am beyond ecstatic to see what Classic Racers 77 will get into.
While the Air Race Classic is an amazing competition to jump into, before anyone can start there are countless hours spent to make it all possible. Thankfully, our team dynamics work well. Jordan manages the airplane, records, and maintenance; and I manage the sponsors, publicity, and shirt designs. Months before registering I started developing our budget and calculating what we would need in order to afford such a huge endeavor. Then came contacting sponsors, creating our teams clothing, and getting the word out that we are back to race this year. One of the biggest aspects for most college teams to race, unless you have a very special tree in your backyard that grows money, is sponsors. This year we totally lucked out and have gotten numerous sponsors which we cannot thank them enough for helping us pursue our dreams
Check out the Air Race Classic: https://www.airraceclassic.org/
Here is a peak at our team shirts highlighted with our amazing sponsors!
