WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Two students in Purdue University’s Department of Aviation Technology will compete June 24-27 in the 32nd annual all-female Air Race Classic.
Marie Janus, a senior from Valparaiso, Ind., is the captain of the Purdue Air Race Team, and Juliana Lindner, a sophomore from Hanover Park, Ill., is the co-pilot. Purdue’s team will be one of 36 competing in the race.
This year’s race will begin in Bozeman, Mont., and continue to Miles City, Mont.; Aberdeen, S.D.; Mason City, Iowa; Decatur, Ill.; Frankfort, Ky.; Franklin, Pa.; Saratoga Springs, N.Y.; and Mansfield, Mass. The total distance covered will be about 2,009 nautical miles (2,312 statute miles).
The winners will be announced at a banquet June 29 in Mansfield.
Janus, who was co-pilot last year with captain Katie Sparrow, has been involved with the Air Race Classic all four years while at Purdue, first as a ground crew member, then as a pilot.
“It’s been one of my passions throughout college,” she said. “There are all sorts of women who compete from all age groups and walks of life, so it’s great to see such a mix of women come together every year.”
Janus and Lindner, who was on the ground crew last year, will pilot a Piper Warrior. Janus said the two will fly over some of the stops on the race route on the way out to the starting point of Montana in June but that there is no real way to practice for the contest.
“Honestly, it’s just luck,” she said. “We have a light plane, which is helped by a tailwind, so if the tailwind is there, we’ll do well, but if we have a headwind, we won’t. There is not too much we can do about that.”
Last year’s team placed first among college teams and fourth overall.
