SPOKANE, Wash. — Female pilots crossed the finish line at Felts Field Friday, completing the Air Race Classic’s cross-country journey from Alabama to Spokane.
The Air Race Classic is an all-women race where pilots compete against their own best times rather than racing to finish first.
“Even though this race isn’t exactly about getting here first, it’s about beating your own best speed,” said Teresa Camp, a racer.
Camp is participating in her fifth Air Race Classic. She has raced with partner Denise three times, including this race from Alabama to Spokane.
“This last leg was perhaps one of the most beautiful,” Camp said.
The experienced racers took a mother-daughter team from Alabama under their wings during the competition.
“I’m going to have some lifelong friendships out of this. And I’ve learned so much, I’m an exponentially better pilot now after I’ve completed this race,” said Ivy Steiner, one of the Alabama racers.
Steiner completed her first solo flight at 16 and is now working toward her commercial pilot’s license.
“I had my first solo at 16. After that, I was hooked. Now I want to make a career out of this, and I’m working on my commercial pilot’s license,” Steiner said.
The local Spokane team Sky Queens finished Thursday night but returned to cheer on other racers.
“There’s some really great women that we’ve met. And to be able to be cheerleaders for them is really important,” said Rachel Skirvin from the Sky Queens team.
The race celebrates women in aviation, a male-dominated field.
“I’ll say it over and over again, women are meant to be in the air and we belong there,” Skirvin said.
The pilots said inspiring more women to fly would be a victory in itself.
The race concludes with Neighbor Day on Saturday at Felts Field. The community can meet the racers and see their planes.
COPYRIGHT 2025 BY KXLY. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. THIS MATERIAL MAY NOT BE PUBLISHED, BROADCAST, REWRITTEN OR REDISTRIBUTED.