New air race to debut in 2018

The inaugural Paradise 600 Air Race will take place May 24 through 26. The starting point will be Key Field Airport in Meridian, Mississippi. The 600-nautical-mile route will terminate at Punta Gorda Airport in Punta Gorda, Florida. Flyby and overnight stops will be made at Moton Field Municipal Airport in Tuskegee, Alabama; Henry Tift Myers Airport in Tifton, Georgia; and Williston Municipal Airport in Williston, Florida.

“The goal of the race is fun and stretching your wings for an exciting cross-country adventure,” said Terry Carbonell, a member of the Paradise Coast Chapter of The Ninety-Nines, which is hosting the event. Carbonell is handicap coordinator for the race.

The race will be flown in daylight VFR conditions. Airplanes are limited to stock, modified stock, and experimental airplanes of not more than 600 horsepower.

Each team should consist of at least two participants, but only one needs to be a certificated pilot. The entry fee is $125 for pilot and co-pilot, and $60 for each additional passenger. Entries must be postmarked no later than April 1.

Proceeds from the race will benefit the Paradise Coast chapter’s scholarship fund.

For more information or to register, see the website.