Flying Crimson 14 -- They took 1st Place in the Collegiate Division and 4th place overall in the air proficiency completion which the combined results of estimating your time on the route and the amount of fuel used are used to gauge the best overall proficiency teams.
The OU Department of Aviation has had a team participate in the event easily each of the last two decades. We do this to support women in aviation and to encourage K-12 STEM and to encourage kids to think about aviation as a career. Keenyn and Keisha met a young girl at the awards banquet and talked about what they were planning to do in their careers. Keenyn – was commissioned a 2Lt last May and will be attending USAF active duty pilot training to fly in the USAF. Keisha plans to be an acrobatic pilot.
This year 17 teams competed. Early morning rain showers brought in a low stratus deck which brought in IFR ceilings for a good bit of the morning until they gradually lifted ever so slowly. The start of the race was pushed back from 9 AM to 10:30 AM and with the ceilings improving with time best from west to east the course was changed to “go west” on the first leg to take advantage of the persistence forecast.
The Niney-Nines put on the event each year in Oklahoma, Ann Pogson who is adjunct faculty with the Department of Aviation is a long time Ninety- Nine Okie Derby volunteer and committee organizer for the race and once again was emcee for the evening awards banquet. Many of the Ninety-nines help support NIFA annual competitions around the nation and many of them will come help and volunteer at OU when OU hosts Region VI Regionals this coming Fall October 16 – 20 at OU’s Westheimer Airport. The Okie Derby is a practice event for the Flying Sooners for the NIFA competition in the Navigation Event.
