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‘Fly Girls’ fromSanta Barbara Ready for Air Race and to Promote Female Pilots

Three women, all in their 20’s, are set to soar off on a dream of a lifetime. They are young pilots and will be competing in an “All Women’s Cross Country Air Race.”

They all found flying fascinating at a young age, but didn’t meet until recently while learning to fly at Above All Aviation at the Santa Barbara Airport.

The “Air Race Classic” dates back to 1929 in the era of pioneering female pilot Amelia Earhart.

Pilot Jesse Davidson recently created a short movie with female pilots from throughout Southern California to show on the trip across the U.S. and to inspire young girls. She called it “Our Piece of the Sky.”

The three pilots hope more girls look to the skies for a career. Only six percent of all pilots today are female.

“I don’t want them to have any obstacles to stop them if they are a woman and to follow their dreams. Like we do. We want them to be women aviators,” said pilot Topaz Graham.

The trio has to travel from Santa Barbara to Virginia to start the race on the course laid out this year. It ends in Alabama. Last year, it began in California.

The judges set their goals, and that’s what they will have to beat.

Just getting to the starting line will be a journey. Getting a feel for each region will also be a hurdle in the sky.

“The farthest I have been in Arizona,” said Graham “So I have never flown across the country in a small plane so it will be interesting to do.”

“We will have a chance to fly over some of the airports in our race route so that we get experience with those airports. Every airport looks different from the air and have different procedures and runway angles,” said Davidson.

The three will work as a team during every aspect of the trip. “There is so much to keep in mind. Weather and how much fuel we have and in the race, rules to abide by,”said Grabman.

They are now trained and ready to take on a challenge few women get to face.

“It’s always been a dream of mine to fly across the country in one of these small planes. it is one of those old time American dreams,” said Khachikians.

A fundraiser for the pilots will take place Saturday at 4 p.m. at Above All Aviation. It includes a barbecue, and raffle to raise money to compete in the Air Race Classic June 22 -25.

(More information and video will be added later today to this story)

for more information go to:

http://www.aboveallsba.com/events/2015/4/11/above-all-fly-girls-fundraiser

or

http://www.aboveallsba.com/events/2015/4/11/above-all-fly-girls-fundraiser

or

Air Race Classic

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