Schaumburg H.S. grad to fly in Air Race Classic
SIU Carbondale has a top-notch aviation program. Jessica Reed, a graduate of Schaumburg High School 2011, is in her senior year at SIU in the aviation program. She will be graduating in May 2015. Shortly after graduation: on June 22, she and another female pilot, Stephanie Armstrong, will be embarking on a very prestigious journey. They will be participating in the Air Race Classic. The Air Race Classic is a nonprofit organization dedicated to:
• Encouraging and educating current and future women pilots
• Increasing public awareness of general aviation
• Demonstrating women's roles in aviation
• Preserving and promoting the tradition of pioneering women in aviation
The race consists of 12 stops over the course of three days, coming to a total of 2,167 nautical miles. There are nine legs to this race and their route will start in Fredricksburg, Virginia, and end in Fairhope, Alabama.
They will be supplied with a Cessna 172 from SIU. They need to raise money in order to participate in this race to cover expenses such as plane fuel, hotel and food among other incidentals.
Armstrong is a full-time flight instructor at SIUC, currently living in Carbondale. She was on the flight team and now coaches. SIU Flight team placed first this year in nationals. Stephanie hopes to begin a career in corporate aviation and she is from Seneca, Illinois.
Reed is from Schaumburg and a full-time flight student at SIUC. She is currently working on her commercial certificate. She is an ambassador for the aviation program at SIU, works dispatch at the airport and ultimately wants to fly 787s.
Last year, 52 teams were registered to race in the 2014 Air Race Classic. 31 teams completed the race.
Donations of any size are being accepted at: www.gofundme.com/thesalukiaces.
Like their "Saluki Aces" page on Facebook and follow their progress.
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