With the level of training these pilots receive, they should be able to handle anything nature throws at them. 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. What we lack in experience, we make up for with enthusiasm and training.
Teams fly only during daylight hours and good weather.
The goal is to be faster than the handicap, and the winner is the team that beats its handicap by the largest margin. Besides participating in the Air Race Classic, Women in Aviation works to spread the love of flying to the community. Members set up booths at local events for children and work with Lafayette-area Girl and Boy Scout troops. The troops visit the Purdue Airport, where they get hands-on experience with airplanes in the hangar and control tower. It give the Scouts an opportunity to earn their aviation badge.