"Gretchen did well," is
the sentiment we've heard over Mooney CEO Gretchen Jahn's exciting
effort in the recently concluded Air Race Classic.
The results of the 29th Air Race Classic were announced Sunday,
June 26th at an evening awards gala. Mooney Airplane Company CEO
Gretchen Jahn and legendary aviatrix Ruby Sheldon made a strong
showing. The pair came in 10th.
Jahn has the distinction of being the only CEO of an aircraft
company in the 2005 race. She flew her brand-new Mooney Ovation2 GX
using the call sign “Classic 10.” It was the only
aircraft in the race with a Garmin G1000 integrated avionics
suite.
“The airplane was really there for us,” said Jahn.
“Its G1000 put everything at our fingertips – letting
us know just where the wind was, keeping us right on course, and
providing a clear view of airspace. It made it much easier to see
where we were and where we were going so that we could concentrate
on finding the best altitude for the best speed.”
Even with the benefits of state-of-the-art technology, Jahn said
she and Sheldon still sweated the details. Literally. Ground
temperatures of 100 degrees and low-level flying (between 1,200 to
1,500 over populated areas) made the cockpit (with its vents closed
for maximum airspeed) feel like a sauna. “The race
isn’t for the faint of heart,” Jahn said.
This year’s
highly competitive Classic, the world’s only all-women
transcontinental air race, drew 42 teams representing a broad
spectrum of participants – from a marine helicopter pilot to
a Navy flight surgeon. An avid pilot for more than 20 years and a
member of the 99s, Jahn has flown in 13 Air Race Classics. She
races in several special events each year, is a member of the
Colorado Pilots Association and serves as treasurer for the Air
Race Classic board. Jahn joined the Mooney team in the fall of
2004, bringing with her an extensive background in manufacturing,
IT leadership and aviation.
“The roll-up-your-sleeves, can-do attitude that Gretchen
brings to her role at Mooney is exemplified by her air-race
participation,” said David Copeland, Mooney vice president of
sales and marketing. “Just as our aircraft are hand-built,
her leadership is hands on. Her passion for flight and the industry
permeates the company.”
Copilot Sheldon is a familiar face at the Air Race Classics;
this marks her 21st year of competition. Based in Phoenix, Ariz.,
this 87-year-old, 87-pound retired geological survey pilot has
built an impressive aviation career. She holds the first helicopter
instrument instructor certificate issued by the FAA; has logged
more than 15,000 total hours; and has flown Huey Helicopters,
Douglas DC-3s, Grumman OV-1Bs, Mohawks, and, of course, Mooneys.
Sheldon has flown in four other races with Jahn, including the 2002
Air Race Classic.
The Air Race Classic began June 21 at Purdue University in
Lafayette, Ind. The first day took Team 10 on four legs, from
Lafayette to Winona, Minn., to Beatrice, Neb., to Bartlesville,
Okla., to Shreveport, La. Over the course of the four-day race,
pilots covered more than 2,000 nautical miles before circling back
to the finish line in Lafayette. The race, which ended June 24,
traditionally draws strong crowds at each stop as people come to
watch the low-level flybys into each airport. (The FAA waives
minimum safe altitudes for the race.)
Handicaps are put in place to help ensure that each team has an
equal chance of winning. The winner is determined not by who
finishes first, but by the pilot who most beats her handicap.
Setting the handicap is based on a variety of factors, such as the
manufacturer’s specifications for maximum speed. For
airplanes that have many modifications, or are new and not listed
on the handicap sheet, it can involve flying the plane on a timing
run with a race committee member. Speed is averaged from a set of
four timing runs at a given pressure altitude.
Jahn and Sheldon said they spent much of the race hunting for
what “miniscule wind” was available. On one of the few
legs they had with a tailwind, flying at altitude (roughly 6,500
ft), their Ovation2 GX recorded speeds of 217 ktas.
“We’re proud of Gretchen and Ruby, and of the
Ovation2 GX,” said Copeland. “They delivered a
top-notch performance.”
ANN's Daily Aero-Linx (04.16.24)
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