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History
The Air Race Classic represents 79 years of women in flight and traces its roots to Amelia Earhart. The 2008 competition will mark only the second time in 30 years that the race has finished in Massachusetts. The previous Massachusetts finish was at Hyannis. Over 100 women pilots will start from an airport in the midwest on June 24th flying 50 various style airplanes and complete their journey at Mansfield Municipal Airport (1B9) beginning June 26th.
With over 2000+ spectators as well as the media, this event is expected to generate from $350,000 to
$1,000,000.00 dollars in economic stimulus for our local and state economy. We would like to give these dauntless women aviators a big Massachusetts welcome and showcase the Mansfield area.
The Air Race Classic is the only all-woman, transcontinental air race flying today. Women's Air Racing started in 1929 with the first Women's Air Derby. Twenty pilots raced from Santa Monica, Ca to Cleveland, OH, and site of the National Air Races. Racing continued through the 30's and was renewed again after WWII when the all Women's Air Race was the Powder Puff Derby came into being. The Commemorative final flight was in 1977.
The Air Race Classic Ltd (ARC) stepped in to continue the tradition of transcontinental speed competition for women pilots and staged the premier race.
The current routes are approximately 2400 statute miles in length and the contestants have four days, flying visual flight rules in daylight to reach their terminus. Each plane is assigned a handicap of speed and the goal is to have actual ground speed be as far over the handicap as possible.
First Air Race
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