The Bartlesville Municipal Airport will be one of eight stops during this week’s 47th Air Race Classic on June 18-21.
A 2,628-mile competition for women pilots from across the U.S. and around the world, the race will start in Carbondale, Ill., and end in Loveland, Colo.
Bartlesville is the seventh of eight stops along the route.
“This all-women’s air race traces its history back to the Women’s Air Derby in 1929 which featured Amelia Earhart,” said Airport Director Mike Richardson. “Nearly 50 airplanes are registered for the race and will take off from Carbondale 30 seconds apart.”
The all-female teams will race against their own time handicaps for their airplane, not against each other. Teams can only fly in daylight/VFR conditions.
“Teams will strategize how many legs of the race they’ll fly each day,” Richardson said. “They’ll figure in fuel stops, weather, wind – things like that all affect the race dynamics.”
Racers may start arriving in Bartlesville on the evening of June 19, but the biggest influx is expected on Thursday, June 20. The public is welcome to bring a lawn chair and watch the race action. A food truck is expected to be on site mid-morning and throughout the afternoon on June 20.
“Come out and see what a jewel of an airport Bartlesville has,” Richardson said.
To listen to the live radio traffic at the Bartlesville airport, visit www.LiveATC.net (enter BVO as the airport code). There will also be a map display of racers’ locations on the big-screen TV in the lobby of the terminal building.
For more information on the air race, visit www.AirRaceClassic.org.