Great Hawaiian Air Race

Mark your calendars! Next year's race will be billed as "The first Great Pacific Air Race of the Twenty-First Century." We will keep our web site (http//www.flyhawaii.com/GHAR.html) updated.

Speed Category

Proficiency Category

Special Categories

This year's race was billed as the "Last Great Pacific Air Race of the Twentieth Century". The race board had decided early on that if this race was a success, it would become an annual event. The race crossed the $55,000 mark before race end--over $16,000 in race prizes from sponsors, and nearly $40,000 in cash donations and receipts to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Hawaii, making it clearly their top fund-raising event, and allowing them to grant more than a dozen "wishes" to deserving children with life-threatening illnesses.

In addition to cash prizes, product prizes, and attractive plaques with the Hawaiian Islands route in relief, top winners also received a unique air racing award: "Olympics-style" gold, silver and bronze medallions, cast with the GHAR name and logo and red/white/blue presentation neck ribbons.

*The First Place Winner, Proficiency Category, Aimee Kuprash, is the step-granddaughter of Arthur Goebel, winner of the 1927 Dole Air Derby (Oakland - Honolulu). Aimee is a flight instructor with Oahu Aviation, and was the only entrant to fly the race without using GPS! (more in line with her step-grandfather's navigation). She is an active member of the Ninety-Nines International Organization of Women Pilots, originally formed by Amelia Earhart.

*60% of the winning teams were combinations of Hawaii pilots (with knowledge of island flying) paired with mainland pilots (with previous air racing experience). 40% of those placing in the top ten in Speed or Proficiency were first-time racers.

*The Hana Airport and the wonderful Hana community welcomed the airplanes and pilots with a barbecue as the racers arrived at the airport and an authentic Hawaiian Luau on a private Hana ranch Saturday evening. "Welcome Great Hawaiian Air Race Pilots" signs greeted racers throughout the town, and more than 200 area residents joined the 140 racers to watch the RV-4 and Extra 300L in a half-hour sunset aerobatics show. Most everyone asked us to stay longer in Hana next year, and we'll probably make it a two-day stop next year!

*Since timers/spotters could not be placed at many of the 26 unique race checkpoints, race cameras were issued to each racer as the means of verifying correct fly-bys. Racers also had the option of using a backup camera (still and/or video) or GPS recording. For most racers, it worked extremely well. Charlie and Wanda Horton, however, flew a top-scoring speed course, but a stray finger blocked their camera's lens when they photographed five of the key checkpoints. Fortunately, their spare camera captured most of those checkpoints, but dropped them to a tie-score for third place.

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