TERRE HAUTE — As the small single-engine airplane touched down on a windy Monday at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field, Indiana State University aviation team members Jessica L. Campbell and Victoria Dunbar were quick to pull out their winning trophy.
The two-person ISU team took top collegiate honors and finished second overall in the all-women 2009 Air Race Classic, which spanned a 2,359-nautical-mile course.
“We’re pretty excited and couldn’t be happier. We won the college [trophy], and that is what we were really aiming for,” Campbell said shortly after exiting the plane.
The team also won $3,000 for its finish.
More than 30 teams completed the four-day race, which started June 23 and ended Friday in Atlantic, Iowa. The ISU team flew back Monday from Iowa.
“There are good pilots in this, with three international pilots, so we were up against some pretty darn good ladies who know how to fly,” said Tad Foster, dean of ISU’s School of Technology, who flew back with Campbell and Dunbar. “The winning team was just 0.933 ahead of us, so just one point separated first and second place.”
First place went to Kelly Burris, an attorney from Michigan, and Erin Recke, a flying partner who learned to fly at Western Michigan College.
The race had seven collegiate teams, two from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, which was last year’s winner; two teams from the University of Oklahoma; and one team each from Purdue University; Kansas State University; and ISU.
Campbell, 21, is an ISU senior in aviation from Grandview, and is captain of the flight team. Dunbar, 32, is an instructor of aviation technology at ISU.
The team flew a four-seat, newer-technology glass cockpit Diamond DA40 airplane, owned by Dixie Chopper Air, based at the Putnam County Airport. The plane can reach an altitude of 16,400 feet, but because of strong winds, the ISU pilots flew between 1,000, the lowest level allowed, and 3,000 feet above ground level.
“We hit some pretty strong head winds, so we had to stay low. The higher you go, the stronger the head winds,” Campbell said. “In one airport, we flew over 2,500 windmills,” she said. It was also hot, with the heat index in the 100s for most of the race.
The team started in Denver, Colo., and had to make 10 stops, including in cities such as Sweetwater, Texas; Russellville, Ark.; Sparta, Tenn.; and Racine, Wis., before ending in Iowa.
The two pilots had to make several race decisions such as when to leave a stop, how high to fly, do they fly in front of or behind a high-pressure cell and how do they avoid thunderstorms.
“There is a lot of strategy to the race because you can’t just think about the next leg,” Dunbar said. “You have to think, ‘well, if we go now, what is the weather going to be like when we get there for the next leg and should we try to get to next stop because then we would have a tail wind.’ So you can’t just think about one step at a time, but what will happen further down the line.”
In the race, each team is given a handicap and then tries to fly faster than the handicap. ISU’s handicap was 123 knots, so flying at 124 knots in a leg earns one point. The team finished about 15 points above that handicap.
“We didn’t have a whole lot of flight time in it, but it is a great airplane to fly,” Dunbar said. “Denver was the neatest, because neither of us had ever flown around the mountains and the elevation out there was about 6,000 feet, so there are things that you learn in the classroom about aircraft performance and things you do differently at such a high altitude so this was really the first time we got to put that into use.
“Airplanes need air to perform, so you have to use more runway, they don’t climb as well and they don’t perform as well,” Dunbar said. “When you fly around Indiana you expect the airplane to perform one way, but when you get to Denver, it performs a totally different way.”
The team wrote about their experience at www.isuflight.blogspot.com.
Women’s air racing began in 1929, so this year’s race was a celebration of 80 years of women’s racing. Early racing was a result of “The Ninety-Nines Inc.,” an international organization of licensed female pilots, founded in 1929 by 99 licensed women for the mutual support and advancement of aviation.
After World War II, the All Women’s Transcontinental Air Race (AWTAR) was held, better known as Powder Puff Derby. Air Race Classic, Ltd. took over air racing in 1977 and was reincorporated in 2002 as Air Race Classic Inc.
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
ISU team flies to second at all-women Air Race Classic
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Magnolia gives in on rezoning
A potential $20-million investment in Terre Haute’s east side has been blocked by public opposition.
-
Expert sees ‘slow slog’ ahead for economy
While optimism flickers, the Wabash Valley and Indiana economy may see a “slow slog” this year amid a flat housing market, unemployment and political unrest.
-
Komen move won’t affect Indiana Planned Parenthood
Planned Parenthood of Indiana will not be affected by Susan G. Komen for the Cure’s decision to halt grant funding to Planned Parenthood affiliates nationwide.
-
Council discusses ideas for memorial ways
The Terre Haute City Council Thursday night discussed possible new rules for designating “memorial ways” in the community.
-
Madonna prepares our halftime feast
Suddenly, she arrived, with her famous bleached blond hair, the almond-shaped eyes, the ruby-red lips.
-
An advocate for the truth
The truth of the matter is, lying has consequences.
Pulitzer Prize winning author and New York Times columnist James B. Stewart offered an honest look at the trend of dishonesty inside Tilson Auditorium Thursday. His new book, “Tangled Webs: How False Statements are Undermining America: From Martha Stewart to Bernie Madoff” was featured as part of Indiana State University’s speaker series.
-
Super Bowl officials arrest "web pirate"
NFL Super Bowl officials were hoping to score some major media attention with the arrest of a “web pirate” accused of illegally streaming sporting events over the Internet.
-
Indy Super Bowl has cold-crisis master plan
Eager to avoid the winter-weather disaster that hit last year’s Super Bowl, this year’s host city has developed a cold-crisis master plan.
-
Steve Weatherford’s gifts keep on coming to hometown
The first time Steve Weatherford rolled through the New York Giants locker room with a laundry cart, collecting castoff tennis shoes and cleats, he made sure to tell teammates he wasn’t selling their stuff on eBay.
-
Shooting, chase leads to 23-year sentence
A Brazil man received a 23-year prison sentence for a 2010 incident in which he shot at Terre Haute Police during a car chase on the city’s east side.
-
State police release stats on K-9 work
More than $3 million in cash along with thousands of pounds of illegal drugs were removed from criminal enterprises in 2011 through the Indiana State Police K-9 program.
-
Linton-based Guard unit prepares for deployment
An Indiana National Guard unit from the southern part of the state that was deployed twice to Iraq since 2003 is now preparing to be deployed to Afghanistan.
-
Magnolia drops retirement complex plans for Ohio Boulevard
The company that had been hoping to build a new senior living complex along Ohio Boulevard has canceled its plans.
-
One million dollars won’t change Greencastle man
According to Michael Comer of Greencastle, winning $1 million on a Hoosier Lottery scratch-off ticket won’t change anything about him. And, if his initial reaction is any indication, he is telling the truth.
-
Greene County General Hospital announces expansion, renovations
Construction is expected to start in early spring on a new $6.5 million expansion-renovation of the Greene County General Hospital.
-
Renovations finished, airport prepared for Super Bowl traffic
The Super Bowl may be a few days off, but the “touchdowns” have already started at Terre Haute International Airport — Hulman Field.
-
MARK BENNETT: Super Bowl luck? His is mostly bad
I’ve learned to take a Seinfeld approach to Super Bowls.
In a flash of clairvoyance, Jerry excitedly reminded buddy George Costanza that “if every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.” -
Ohio Blvd. rezoning draws opposition
Opponents of a planned senior-living complex on Ohio Boulevard near Deming Park showed up in force at Wednesday night’s Vigo County Area Plan Commission meeting.
-
Child molestation charges filed against Terre Haute man
Two counts of class-A felony child molestation have been filed against a Terre Haute man arrested last week on child pornography charges after police received a tip that he was offering a child for sex via instant messaging.
-
CASA kids among many receiving funds from trust
Because of the generosity of four long-ago leaders in Terre Haute, some at-risk children today can participate in extra-curricular activities that they couldn’t otherwise afford.
-
Speaker tries to educate others about Islam
A 36-year-old orthodox Muslim, Zohra Sarwari frequently confronts misconceptions and stereotypes — even prejudice — when she is in public.
-
Law firm offering rides home
The Fleschner, Stark, Tanoos & Newlin law firm plans to sponsor free taxi rides home from bars and restaurants to those who who have too much to drink on Super Bowl Sunday.
-
City woman facing arson charge
A Terre Haute woman faces a charge of arson related to a Jan. 10 apartment building fire in the 600 block of South Center Street.
-
Indiana joins right-to-work ranks, governor signs bill
Indiana has become the first Rust Belt state to enact the contentious right-to-work labor law prohibiting labor contracts that require workers to pay union representation fees.
-
VIDEO: Steve Weatherford homecoming
The only three New York Giants players who touched the football on a field goal that propelled their team into Sunday’s Super Bowl against the New England Patriots visited Terre Haute North Vigo High School Tuesday — where a throng of Patriots cheered for the Giants.
-
South student serving as Super Bowl ambassador
For more than five hours on Monday, Molly Nasser tied ribbons on gift baskets intended for hospitalized children across the country, part of an unprecedented service project undertaken by a Super Bowl host city.
-
SLIDESHOW: Indy has built rep from ground up
Leaders of Indiana’s capital city spent decades gussying up their downtown by building big sports and convention venues and luring upscale hotels, popular restaurants and a four-story shopping mall to locate here.
-
Vigo County trial date changed
The trial date has changed for a defendant in the April 2011 death of a Terre Haute man.
-
Vigo Commissioners strive to cut expenses
In an effort to remove possible overtime and compensation time issues, the Vigo County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a “letter of engagement” for a Muncie-based firm to conduct a time analysis study and a self audit/analysis for compliance with the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
-
Sports museum helped Indy land big game
During the competition for Super Bowl XLVI, it didn’t exactly hurt Indianapolis to be able to throw the National Art Museum of Sports name into the mix.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Fla. Man Adopts Girlfriend in Legal Battle
Komen Reverses Planned Parenthood Cuts
GOP: Jobs Numbers Welcome, Can Do Better
2nd Teacher From LA School Arrested on Sex Claim
NY Police Shoot Dead Unarmed Man
More Deaths As Egypt Clashes Continue
Raw Video: Michelle Vs. Ellen in Pushup Contest
Past Complaint About LA Teacher Comes to Light
Raw Video: Australia Towns Isolated by Floods
'Lucky' 9-Year-Old Receives 6-Organ Transplant
Raw Video: Prince William in Falklands
Madonna Nervous About Super Bowl Halftime Show
Foreclosures Down 34 Percent in 2011
Reaction Heated on Planned Parenthood-Komen Rift
Obama: Still Far Too Many Americans Need Jobs
Raw Video: Punxsutawney Phil Sees Shadow
Hiring Burst Pushes Jobless Rate Down to 8.3%
Egpyt Protesters Blame Police for Soccer Deaths
Trump Backs Romney, Despite Gingrich Staff Claim
Cat in Cockpit Causes Four-hour Flight Delay
SB XLVI: Adam Sandler
Bronx Zoo Selling Valentine's Day Roaches
Adam Levine: Shame on Randy Jackson
Tim Tebow Addresses His Fans and Faith
Gossip Girl's Steamy Spread
AG Holder defends actions in heated hearing
First Look: Kim Kardashian on 'Last Man Standing'
Panetta said to expect Israel attack on Iran in spring
Madonna channels Victor Cruz
Christina Hendricks Stuns in Sexy Dress
Raw Video: Snow Causes 20-Car Pileup in Italy
College Football Prospect Chooses Team Based on Chick-Fil-A
EXCLUSIVE: Katy Perry's Sims 3 Commercial BTS
Ads get social at Super Bowl
Man Adopts 42-Year-Old Girlfriend
Kim Kardashian Looking to Start Bible Study Group
