Beyond the Horizon

As we enter 2012, pilots Dianna Stanger of Port Lavaca, Texas and Victoria Holt of Belton, Texas are already in preparation for the 36th Annual Air Race Classic (ARC). A new plane, refined tactics and a year’s experience under their belts; the female pilots are excited to take to the skies.

The pilots will be flying a Cirrus Special Edition SR22 in the 2012 ARC, an all-women transcontinental air race, which will take place June 19-22, 2012. This year’s 2,682 statute-mile race will begin in Lake Havasu, Arizona with stops in New Mexico, Texas, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Michigan ending with the terminus in Batavia, Ohio.

The four day air race began in 1929 with the First Women’s Air Derby, the oldest women’s race in the country. Amelia Earhart, Louise Thaden, and Ruth Elder were amongst the first women to compete. Through out the years, the ARC has drawn entrants from overseas with racers coming from Canada, Germany, New Zealand, England, and Malaysia.

Many of the pilots will tell you that they race to sharpen cross-country skills, to savor the camaraderie of fellow female pilots, and to see the country. The race has touched down in forty-four states, Canada and visited over two hundred and fifty cities.

“The 2011 ARC was the experience of a lifetime. The terrain was so beautiful you would have a new respect for some states; local people came out to support the race and get autographs. Participating airports extended more than the red carpet. The volunteers from start to finish made it easy for first-timers and always had an answer with a smile. All the participants were great people with the same passion  – aviation. The fact that we were all female made it a very special club of women that I am very proud I was part of,” Stanger commented.

Dianna has over three thousand hours under her belt and holds a Commercial Airplane Single and Multi Engine Land and Commercial Rotorcraft-Helicopter Instrument certificates. Dianna is an avid rancher in south Texas with Brangus cattle and cutting horses. She is also the airport manager at Calhoun County Airport (KPKV) and owns two Cessna Pilot Centers – one in Port Lavaca and one in Victoria which host multiple events through out the year for children of all ages. Stanger was elected, “Most Dedicated Female Pilot in the World” in May of 2011 by Women of Aviation Worldwide (WOAW) when she introduced ninety-eight girls to flight in two days during WOAW week; as well earning KPKV a “WOAW Certified Women Friendly Flight Training Facility seal.”

As a part of the minimal female pilot population, Victoria and Dianna are looking forward to the competition and the spirit of the Air Race Classic while educating our youth regarding all that aviation has to offer.

“Through out our journey in the 2011 Air Race Classic, we saw the picturesque scenery of this great country from a perspective that not many people will ever have a chance to see.  We are truly blessed; we saw rolling hills, winding rivers, sand dunes and finally the finish line! We did it! We are now a part of the history of women in aviation!” said Holt. “The 2012 ARC will have special meaning for me because the start of the race begins in my hometown of Lake Havasu City.”

Victoria has flown five thousand five hundred hours and is an ATP pilot, Single Engine Land, Single Engine Sea and Multi Engine Land and Glider certificates. She has been a career pilot for twenty years and is a competition shotgun and pistol shooter. She also likes to hunt and fish, ride mountain and road bikes, and enjoys water sports.

Clearly competitive, the Racing Aces look forward to flying well beyond the horizon line, helping mentor female youth groups such as the Girl Scouts and the Boys and Girls Clubs. The importance of inspiring our youth towards aviation goes beyond the call of duty when it comes to these two pilots. The Aces will take the proceeds from the 2012 ARC and provide scholarships for graduating females in Calhoun County. The team is currently seeking sponsorships; if you or your company is interested please visit the Aces website, www.theracingaces.com.