In 1929, 20 female pilots Fly away, including Amelia Earhart. First from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio Women’s air derby. Nearly 100 years later, female pilots from across the United States are taking over the torch and continuing the tradition at the 49th Air Race Classic.
This month, Central Florida pilots Doralisa “Chaddy” Sherrod, 67, and Jameira Nelson-Wood, 28, will fly about 4,700 miles, stopping in 11 states to demonstrate their aviation prowess. The race will start at the St. Louis Regional Airport and end four days later at the Mount Vernon Outland Airport in Illinois.
Sherrod said she hopes to meet more than 100 fellow female aviators who will be attending the event.
“I’m excited to meet new people, fly further than I’ve ever flown before, and fly faster,” she said. “This event is really about promoting women in aviation and fostering friendships with women in aviation around the world. It’s great to be able to introduce the world to women who fly.”
Nelson Wood, a flight instructor training to fly for Alaska Airlines, met Sherrod while volunteering at the Sun & Fun Aerospace Expo in Lakeland. They talked about the idea of competing in the women’s air race, a dream they could achieve if they worked together.
“There aren’t a lot of women in aviation yet. It was great to meet each other and hit it off because neither of us knew a lot of women in aviation,” Nelson-Wood said. “I feel like we both try to learn from each other, help each other, work together and listen to each other.”
Forty-six teams will take off from Alton, Illinois, at 30-second intervals to begin the four-day race on June 23, and event organizers say “the sky will come alive with the roar of piston engines, painting a picture of determination and grit.”
“This is more than just a race. It’s a celebration of women’s abilities in the skies and a testament to the indomitable spirit of aviation,” Air Race Classic President Donna Harris said in a news release.
Pilots will make stops at nine predetermined airports between the start and finish lines, including stops in Kentucky, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, and Wisconsin.
This race is not a direct competition to see who has the fastest plane. It’s about trying to overcome the unique speed handicap given to each plane before the race. The handicap is determined by volunteers who collect data in the air and a committee that calculates each aircraft’s maximum airspeed. The race is won by the team that beats their handicap speed by the greatest margin.
Pilots test their skill, ingenuity, and flight plans by strategizing with the weather and finding more favorable winds and weather. At each stop, the plane flies at low altitude and high speed for the ground team to record times.
Pilots must only navigate during daylight hours, which poses additional challenges.
“You have to think and plan. You have to know the weather, the airport, the area. You can only fly from sunrise to sunset, so you have to make sure you’re at the airport by sunset,” Nelson-Wood said. “It’s not just about who can get the plane in the air the fastest, it has a big impact on the execution of the flight plan.”
The two pilots will use Sherrod and her husband’s 1979 Grumman Tiger with orange and brown accents for the challenge. Sherrod’s passion for aviation is passed down through his family, including his mother and stepfather, who were both pilots.
During this race, she hopes to continue exploring her passion for aviation and improve her flying skills.
“You’re not doing it to win, you’re doing it to experience it. It builds your weather knowledge, your airplane knowledge, and your ability to fly the airplane safely at that speed,” Sherrod said. “It’s great to meet all the female pilots and form connections that will last a lifetime.”
Follow the team at airraceclassic2026.maprogress.com starting June 23rd.
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