Where have we been and what have we been doing?

 

The Baldwin Family Flyers

Where have we been and what have we been doing?




Caroline has had a wonderful year filled with books, singing, tennis, pickleball and travel. 
A trip to New Zealand and Australia in the fall with sisters was a highlight. 

 

 

 

 

Lydia completed a Masters in Nursing and continues to love life in Fort Collins, CO. 
Flying fun over the past year included returning N15695 to Silver City in November, and a beautiful fall flight to Steamboat, CO.

Cara just completed her second year at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University in Daytona Beach.  After achieving her Commercial rating in February, Cara has been working on the Multi-add on and learning new aircraft.  Yes!! 

The race last year was magnificent.  Wow. We had fun, worked hard, sweated liters and navigated our way to Fairhope, Alabama. The 2015 race was hot, and low over the middle states and middle Appalachian area, North to Kalamazoo, and West just as far as Kirksville, Missouri. We zigzagged up and down, looking ahead to try and comprehend the winds and weather. 

This year will be our fifth year racing as a team.  Last year was the first year we were not delayed in an undesirable way. There were 9 legs; each team member flew 3 legs. Following a flight leg, the pilot cycled to the back and the team continued with maximum refreshment. We worked well together, tightened the camaraderie, and enhanced flying skills.  There are race rules, and there are always the FARs.  Always learning and reviewing. 

This year will be a new challenge.  22 days 'til Race Start...

 

Memorial Day 2016



Baldwin Family Flyers near the pier in
Fairhope, Alabama at the terminus of the 2015 ARC

This year 54 teams are flying the race on a route that is honoring colleges and universities that have a specialization in aviation. 

19 of the teams are student teams from: Texas State Technical College, Indiana State University, University of North Dakota, Liberty University, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University-Prescott and ERAU-Daytona Beach, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Purdue University, Minnesota State University Mankato, Western Michigan University, LeTourneau University, Kent State University and Lewis University.  Wow!  So many student teams - inspirational and quite exciting.

Over four days, for a total race distance of 2362 nautical miles or 2719 statute miles the teams will compete to fly the best cross country flight. 

Noteworthy for this Memorial Day is the news from two weeks ago that the President signed a law allowing the Women's Airforce Service Pilots to be laid to rest at Arlington cemetery.  Passed by the house in March, and by the Senate earlier in May, the WASPs, pioneering pilots are most deserving of this honor..
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36316118

Bev Weintraub, fellow racer wrote this article:
http://www.foxnews.com/opinion/2016/05/19/eight-decades-after-amelia-earhart-made-history-lets-celebrate-todays-women-pilots.html

Another piece of news recently about the ARC that includes mention of the Baldwin Family Flyers:
https://www.aopa.org/news-and-media/all-news/2016/may/10/all-female-air-race-classic-honors-aviation-colleges
The photo at the top of the article shows our race plane with #13.  That year we had a super hot start at Lake Havasu, Arizona. 

2016 Air Race Classic

We are back!  It's us - The Baldwin Family Flyers.  Caroline, Lydia and Cara are in the midst of the final three weeks of race preparations.  The 2016 Air Race Classic starts on June 21 in Prescott, Arizona.  The team will convene on the 16th in Silver City, New Mexico and then fly together to Prescott on the 17th.

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What an exciting route!  The Baldwin Family Flyers are racing again as team #29.
More to come soon.