Purdue News
Purdue News
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June 16, 2004 Purdue student pilots aim for sky in women's-only raceWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Two women students in Purdue’s aviation technology program have set their sights sky high for this year's Air Race Classic, an all-female flight competition that attracts pilots from around the world. This year's Purdue team is made up of captain Allison Martin, of Indianapolis, and co-pilot Tina Lukas, of Park Ridge, Ill. Both are juniors majoring in aviation technology in Purdue's School of Technology, and both are commercial pilots. The Air Race Classic is the longest-running all-female airplane race in the world. Its roots go back more than 70 years when the Women's Air Derby brought pilots such as Amelia Earhart, Bobbi Trout and Ruth Elder and to an air race from Santa Monica, Calif., to Cleveland, Ohio. "It means so much to be able to participate in this race," Martin said. "In such a male-dominated field, it is important for events like this to celebrate the contributions women have made and continue to make in aviation. Hopefully by participating in the race, we and the other women involved can be role models for girls who are interested in careers in aviation." This year's 28th annual race will take place June 23-26. Teams will begin in Wichita, Kan., and fly to Lamar, Colo., North Platte, Neb., Gillette, Wyo., Huron, S.D., Eveleth, Minn., Sheboygan, Wis., and Hannibal, Mo., before returning to Wichita. Purdue teams have competed in the Air Race Classic for the past 10 years, finishing first in 1996. The Purdue Department of Aviation Technology sponsored the first all-student team to participate in the race. Last year's team, Keri Wiznerowicz and Heidi Moore, placed No. 10. They were the highest finishing student team, winning the race's inaugural Collegiate Challenge Trophy. "Teams from Purdue have a history of success in the race," Lukas said. "We hope we will be able to continue to build on that success." Although only women can compete as Air Race Classic pilots, ground teams include men. "Allison and I are lucky to have a strong ground crew to support what we will be doing in the air. Students from across the university – not just aviation technology – help us by preparing the flight information and weather data and in a host of other ways. It's a true team effort." The Air Race Classic is not a traditional race. Each team flies a stock aircraft with no modifications. The teams are then assigned a handicap based on their airplane's predetermined average cruise speed. "The race isn't won by speed or by the size and power of your team's aircraft," Martin said. "Instead, teams win based on the efficiency and accuracy in every aspect of the race. The team that is able to achieve the best performance based on their particular plane will win. So much of the race relies on harnessing the best winds and planning your strategy for each leg." Because of the nature of the scoring, it is impossible to gauge a team's performance in relation to other teams until the competition is over. In fact, Martin said, it is possible that the team that completes the course last could actually win based on the expected performance of their plane. During the race Lukas and Martin's progress can be followed online. Writer: Matt Holsapple, (765) 494-2073, mholsapple@purdue.edu Sources: Allison Martin, (317) 402-0341, martin44@purdue.edu Tina Lukas, (847) 975-0848, klukas@purdue.edu Purdue News Service: (765) 494-2096; purduenews@purdue.edu Note to Journalists: Allison Martin and Tina Lukas will be available for interviews at night during the contest (June 23-26) or after its completion. Related Web sites:
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