'A start to remember:' UND, Grand Forks gearing up for Air Race Classic this month
Jun. 9—GRAND FORKS — For the first time, Grand Forks will serve as the start city for the 46th annual Air Race Classic.
The race will begin on Tuesday, June 20.
This year's pilot for UND's Frozen Force Air Race Classic team,
Grace Heron — who is triple majoring in aviation safety, commercial aviation and sociology — said she and her teammates are excited for the race.
"I'm extremely excited. It'll be nice to have it at home base just because it's a very welcoming environment in terms of our college (which) is really supportive of our team," Heron said. "I know the college has been looking forward to this since 2020, when we were originally supposed to host."
Heron, who participated in the ARC last year as well, said she is looking forward to bonding with her three team members: Sadie Blace, Tracy Mitchell and Ashley Almquist.
"I'm looking forward to the team bonding (and) kind of just getting to know the girls a little bit more," she said. "... I think we're all looking forward to that and getting ready for the race. The race was such a good experience last year. So I know personally, I'm excited to do it again."
Blace, who is double majoring in aviation management and commercial aviation, participated in the ARC with Heron last year. It's the first time in the race for Mitchell, who is double majoring in commercial aviation and unmanned aircraft systems, and Almquist, who is double majoring in commercial aviation and aviation safety.
The Air Race Classic is an annual all-women, cross-country airplane race. The origins of the race date back to the 1929 Women's Air Derby, also known as the Powder Puff Derby. The ARC, as known today, was founded in the late 1970s.
Racers this year range in age from 17 to veteran pilots in their 90s. A total of 42 teams with 100 racers from 28 states and the District of Columbia will be participating this year. Of those, there are 18 college and university teams.
UND Aerospace applied to be the start city for the ARC back around 2018 and was set to be the start city in 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic canceled the race in 2020 and 2021. Last year Lakeland, Florida, was the start city with the race ending in Terre Haute, Indiana.
This year's race will cover 2,684 miles across 12 states, and will end in Homestead, Florida, on June 23. Intermediate stops will be in Mankato, Minnesota; Ottumwa, Iowa; Hastings, Nebraska; Ponca City, Oklahoma; Sulphur Springs, Texas; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Pell City, Alabama; and Cross City, Florida.
A number of events will kick off the weekend. On Friday, June 16, UND Aerospace will be hosting a "Let's Explore Aerospace! Youth Event," which already has been booked full. Also on June 16, several downtown businesses will participate in a "Soaring Through Downtown Grand Forks" event, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m., which is open to the public.
Associate Dean and professor of aviation Elizabeth Bjerke said the events will highlight the history of women aviators in the region. A takeoff banquet for the pilots on Sunday, June 18, will honor the story of Florence Klingensmith, North Dakota's first licensed female aviator.
On June 20, people will be able to watch as the pilots depart from Grand Forks International Airport starting at 8 a.m. An entire list of events can be found at UND's
website.
"We're looking forward to having a start to remember," Bjerke said. "We're really hoping to highlight Grand Forks and North Dakota. It's not just a UND start."
This year UND's Frozen Force team will be competing in the electronic data monitoring aircraft (EDMA) category of the ARC, which allows teams to compete against each other with a fair advantage based on the limitations from the type of aircraft they fly. Last year, the Frozen Force team participated in the noncompetitive category.
Each team participating in the ARC is competing against their own best personal time based on their plane's handicap speed rather than who lands first in Homestead, Florida. Because every plane is different in regard to performance, this helps "even the playing field," Bjerke said.
Each team member has a different role. Heron is tasked with being the pilot-in-command of the plane and will make decisions for the entire team. Blace, the co-pilot, will be in charge of assisting Heron throughout the duration of the race. Both will be taking turns flying the plane.
Mitchell is the navigator and in charge of preparing and briefing the pilot and co-pilot, along with making sure the team is organized throughout the race. Almquist's role is ground controller, meaning she won't be in the plane with the other three, but will serve as the primary contact between the teammates and coach. Almquist also will be in charge of the team's outreach on social media.
People can follow UND's Frozen Force journey on the team's
and
pages.
In addition to the four team members, a weather support team made up of several UND students will assist Heron, Blace, Mitchell and Almquist during the race by providing weather forecasts and insight.
Heron said weather is among the biggest challenges faced during the course of the race, in addition to the close quarters in which the teammates work.
Since starting the UND Air Race Classic team 10 years ago, Bjerke said the goal has always been about outreach to highlight young female pilots.
"I can tell over the last 10 years our female numbers in aviation have grown exponentially," she said.
Heron said the ARC is also a great way to meet new people to create lasting connections.
"We met so many people last year, a lot of collegiate chapters," Heron said. "I've stayed in contact with quite a few people from the race last year. "... It allows you to really branch outside of your university and make those connections."
