Georgia Fly-by, Landing & Ramping

Since fly-bys are exciting, here is one more at Jimmy Carter Regional Airport (KACJ) in Americus, Georgia on the last day of the race 6/24/16 around Noon. The team still has one more leg to go to finish the race in Daytona Beach, Florida and they must pass the final timing line by 17:00 EDT. The Purple Hearts would go on to complete the race at 14:34 Eastern, leaving them over 2 hours before the deadline. After 2500 miles of hot, relentless flying, the audio track towards the end of the clip provides clues as to the ladies' anticipation of the final leg and the successful completion of the race.

The landing is smooth and uneventful, followed by a typical ramping during the race. The fuel crews are very quick. The discussion at the end regarding the 'Tabs' is a standard measurement inside the fuel tanks. The crew calculates how much fuel they will need to get to their next stop including a required reserve for emergencies. Since AvGas weighs about 6 pounds per gallon, the 'Hearts' can increase their airspeed if they carry less weight in fuel, therefore management of this resource is a constant reality in all aspects of a long cross-country air race. -ed