We won...

...NOTHING!!!

However, we are entirely ok with that. We flew well, didn't run out of fuel, finished, and most of all, we had fun. It was a pleasure and an honor to fly with so many talented women, and the experience was a rich one for us.

Thanks to all of you who have lived the adventure with us, for your encouragement, support, and kind words. We'll be flying home tomorrow, thinking about how to resume our daily lives after this exhilarating ride.

And to Wings of Hope: thanks for the work you do, we are humbled and thrilled to be a small part of your efforts!

Veni, vidi...

...and I waited.

We're in Atlantic, Iowa, past the finish line! And now we wait. We've had briefings, parties, and scoring discussions, but now we are waiting for the results to be processed and announced tomorrow.

The race was challenging for our little Loki, which is very susceptible to the headwinds we encountered on nearly every leg. But he pushed on valiantly, squeaking us by a giant thunderstorm into Racine, and sipping fuel as we throttled back for the final megaleg, one that was so long that the other racers doubted we'd make it. But the calculations held, and we made it in with some fuel to spare.

Unbelievably, Kara and I are both jonesin' to get back in the plane. What a ride it's been!

www.myfirstairrace.com

Wow! I go away for a couple of days, and there are news stories, contributions to Wings of Hope, and all sorts of stuff! :-) Check it out on the website.

We're in Russellville, AR -sopping wet from the heat but undaunted. Kara is worth her weight and more in gold, keeping us on track and helping to keep Loki tuned up. I'm focusing on finding the airports, which is sometimes harder than it might seem: this one was hiding behind a ridge, and the plane coming in behind us had electrical problems, making their approach extra exciting.

My copilot tells me we're ready to go, so we're off to Grenada!

Two legs down...

...and seven to go! Today was HOT, and felt slow, but we made it to Sweetwater, TX! Early departure tomorrow, so I'll just leave it at that.

Stay tuned for more!

Difficult day

Some days it seems like anything that can go wrong, will. Like today. A bunch of hard work of the last week was undone by the laws of physics and Murphy. However, with just some more work, it should all be taken care of. For example, we learned that contact paper sticks to white, but less to blue, and least to red. The result? A shredded race number and lost sponsor stickers. Live and learn.

I can't wait to be airborne, with the paperwork, the worry and the loose ends left behind on the earth below. Flying has always been liberating, and now it is the culmination of such enormous effort that I am impatient to get going.

Thanks to so many of you who have given me a push along when I most needed it, I'll see you on the other side!

Air Race Classic here I come!

Kara posting: I got my tail wheel endorsement last week and today I flew in the back seat for the first time, where a good co-pilot belongs. There's nothing like flying by feeling! Loki and I are going out again tomorrow and then I should be ready to go. The race being exactly one week away and with Loki washed and waxed, the count down is really on.

Race number is on!

I realized while at Wings of Hope that we have a trifecta of 33s... Loki is 33 years old as well! 33-year-old Classic 33 in the 33rd race - cool!

In other news, check us out on FACEBOOK (myfirstairrace) and TWITTER (@myfirstairrace). We'll be posting updates there during the race!

Two Weeks... EEK!

I can't believe the race starts in a mere two weeks... time has flown. I can't wait to be at the start line, experiencing the adventure, the excitement, and the adrenaline that must have coursed through the women of 1929 as they pulled up to prove themselves to a skeptical world. I may not have the same things to prove, but I like to think that we share the same spirit of aviation today that they had 80 years ago.

Crew Change

They say change is good, so with that in mind, I offer a warm welcome to Kara, who will be taking Lara's spot as copilot for Classic 33. Due to a variety of circumstances, Lara decided to step down. I thank her for her contributions to the race effort, and wish her well in her future endeavors.

Kara will be telling you about herself soon, but I'll introduce her as a very enthusiastic crewmate with a great deal of dedication to the team, and I'm looking forward to flying with her. She's also a flight instructor, so maybe I'll learn a thing or two along the way ;-)

At Wings of Hope!

What a day! Left Diana and Tom's gorgeous farm and airstrip this morning (thanks for the wonderful visit!!!) and arrived at Wings of Hope headquarters minutes before a huge storm. The day was spent doing work for the race and my job, followed by a reception with some of the lovely ladies of the local 99s chapter and WoH benefactors and volunteers. Loki is in the capable hands of the wonderful mechanics and techs here, who are giving him a final checkup before the race, and I'm pleased to report good compressions on all cylinders!

I brought my coveralls to help out, but these guys are hard to keep up with. A top notch operation, truly impressive. Some pics...