Racing Women Pilots Of ‘Beyond The Powder’ Attend Theatrical Debut At AirVenture

By Grace Huseth

EAA Museum had a special viewing of a documentary made about the women behind the 2014 Air Race Classic racers while telling the story of the original race of 1929, also known as the Powder Puff Derby.

The documentary followed the four day race of women carrying out the legacy of the original racers. They display the strength of women to embark into aviation and the aviation proficiency required to pilot a cross-country VFR flight.

Commercial pilot Jan Squillace flew in the Air Race Classic this June as copilot to her friend Corbi Bulluck. She handled the navigation log and radio while Corbi flew the majority of the legs.

“It was a completely different type of flying than I’m used to. People kept asking, ‘why didn’t you take more pictures?’ Well, I was busy!,” Squillace said.

She fulfilled her dream of learning to fly ten years ago after her children graduated from high school. Since then she has been a ferry pilot for airplane brokers near her hometown of Cary, NC. Squillace and her husband both loved to fly, but her husband is legally blind. “I’m his way to fly,” she said, and the two fly throughout the Southeast in a Diamond DA 40.

Many colleges with pilot training programs sponsored female students to participate in the race. Katherine Vena from Western Michigan University raced this year as copilot to Sara Karsten. Vena was honored to be chosen to represent the school after a long interview process to demonstrate flight skills and compatibility with the chief pilot.

Vena said that after her first flight in a private plane she realized this was something she really could do. The proximity of Western Michigan University to her hometown in Michigan made her dream even more of a possibility. Her goal is to become an airline pilot, hopefully with Delta.

Vena said, “It was an adventure and I wouldn’t have wanted to do it with anyone else. I’m hooked on racing.”

The documentary will air on PBS in the fall.

(Staff Image)

FMI: www.blueskyracers.com http://hemlockfilms.com/Hemlock_Films/Beyond_the_Powder.html