Student pilots represented Kansas State University Salina in the annual Air Race Classic, a nationwide aviation race featuring only female pilots and offering networking opportunities among fellow aviators.

Four pilots competed for K-State Salina: Roxana Linares, a 2024 graduate in professional pilot, Arkansas City; Macy McMillan, a 2023 graduate in professional pilot, Concordia; Sydney Oyer, senior in professional pilot, Gardner; and Justina Astrauskaite, a 2024 graduate in professional pilot, Chicago, Illinois.

Oyer and Linares were teamed up as part of Team Sky Cats, while Astrauskaite and McMillan teamed up for Team Sky Chicken. Both teams finished in the top 15 out of 60 total teams at the Air Race Classic, with Team Sky Cats taking the third-place award in the second leg of the race.

The Air Race Classic is flown each year and is approximately 2,400 statute miles in length with eight or nine timing points. This year, 60 teams competed, with the race starting in Carbondale, Illinois, and ending in Loveland, Colorado, a trek across 11 states.

The rigors of the competition challenged each pilot, as teams traveled more than 2,000 miles and spent more than 30 hours flying over four days. K-State Salina aviation courses proved to be helpful in their journey, including aeronautical decision-making, crew resource management and cross-country planning. The pilots also got to experience navigating through difficult weather patterns, Federal Aviation Administration regulations and more.

“This experience made me a better pilot because I got real-life, real-time experience of cross-country navigating outside of a training environment,” Oyer said. “There was so much newness for us with the new airspace, climate, weather systems and piloting environment inside the cockpit with just two pilots instead of an instructor, which made for an adjustment. Not to mention, we met so many amazing women from other collegiate programs, as well as airline pilots, corporate pilots and general aviation pilots. Everyone was incredibly supportive and gave great insight into being a better professional.”

The pilots were able to compete through support from the administration and the aviation department at K-State Salina, which prides itself on creating opportunities for its students to compete in events that showcase their skills and allow them to apply what they learn in the classroom.

“I believe in competition,” said Tysen Pina, K-State Salina aviation department head. “It’s the reason that we are investing more of our resources into our competitive teams like the Women’s Air Race Team and Flight Team, because competition is a great way for students to learn to be in tense situations.”

Pina said team experiences allow students to learn, follow and be leaders.

“They go through adversity where they have to make accurate split-second decisions — a great example of what life as an aviator is like,” Pina said. “Our Air Race Team was able to compete and exhibit their pilot proficiency under adversity. This competition will only help them be better pilots in their careers by honing those skills and applying them to what they’ll be doing in the industry.”

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Photo: K-State Salina representatives at the Air Race Classic banquet. Pictured from left, Robin Laws, 2007 K-State Salina graduate; Kali Hague, 2010 K-State Salina graduate; Roxana Linares, 2024 K-State Salina graduate; Justina Astrauskaite, 2024 K-State Salina graduate; Sydney Oyer, senior in professional pilot; Macy McMillan, 2023 K-State Salina graduate; Levi Unruh, director of K-State flight operations; and Tysen Pina (back), K-State Salina aviation department head.