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as I please, and I am never rushing off to catch a flight. Clients are often impressed I fly myself, but I just look at is a family tradition.
4. You and your mother have now competed in the Air Race Classic for 18 consecutive years. What led to (and has kept) this tradition?
My mother and I were looking for an activity to do together and instead of a cruise or traveling commercially, we decided to sign up for the Air Race Classic. She had competed in the Powder Puff Derby in 1960 and enjoyed the flying and competitive aspect. Though my father was not a fan of the idea at first, we convinced him that it is very controlled and safe. And once the first race came around, he was there with navigation maps spread everywhere and keen to help.
Today, around 55 teams compete with two to three women per team. It’s really been a fun thing for my mother and me to share and connect. She’s going to be 90 this year and says it’s going to be her last race, but she has said that every year the past five years!
5. Can you describe one of the most unusual or exciting airports you have ever landed?
Every air race is a different experience, and emergencies can obviously happen at any time. On this particular day,
Susan Carastro and her mother competing in the Air Race Classic.
we were performing really well until a big red annunciator come up on the Cessna 182’s G1000 while flying over Texas. So, we decided to land at a nearby crop duster field and check the oil.
The runway was about 2,000 feet long, and as soon as we landed, three or four trucks came charging toward us with clouds of dust billowing up from behind them. Our visitors were eager to help and find out what we were doing, where we were headed, etc. They just wanted to talk while we were hurriedly trying to get back in the air. The oil turned out to be fine –just a sensor issue. Finally, we said our goodbyes, took off and jumped back into the race. Certainly, an unexpected stop in the middle of nowhere Texas.
Turbines
March 2019
TWIN & TURBINE • 29