In 1929, 20 pilots took to the skies for the first-ever Women’s Air Derby, an all-female, cross-country air race. On June 15, three Santa Barbara women — Jessie Davidson, Topaz Grabman, and Aravni Khachikians — will fly cross-country to compete in the 2015 version of what’s now known as the Air Race Classic, held June 22-25. But first place isn’t the only destination on their radar.
Calling themselves the Above All Fly Girls, the trio will travel from Santa Barbara to the starting line in Fredericksburg, Virginia, to its finish in Fairhope, Alabama, and back, stopping en route at multiple Girls Inc. clubs to educate young girls about careers in flying. In a field where less than 7 percent of pilots are female, the Above All girls hope their journey — part roadless road trip, part race, part educational tour — will inspire women nationwide to achieve their own lofty dreams.
The three were first inspired to fly the race in December of last year, when Shawn Sullivan, owner of Above All Aviation, recommended they join. As passionate recreational flyers with professional ambitions, the three seized the chance to compete in the race, which would test their skills with long distances, fuel limitations, and foreign weather systems. “I’ve dealt with a marine layer before, but never a thunderstorm,” Davidson said, who, like her fellow Fly Girls, welcomes the thrill of the unseen and unknown.