Carol Froehlig of Glen Head, the only woman pilot from Long Island entered in the 28th All Women Air Race Classic, raced with fellow Angel Flight pilot, Laura Lattanzio, of North Andover, MA from June 21 through June 24, placing 25th in a field of 38 planes. The race was flown in Laura's Piper Saratoga. This air race covers more than 2,000 miles in four days. There are eight stops, starting in Pratt, Kansas, and ending with a fly-over at Kitty Hawk to commemorate the 100th anniversary of flight. The race terminated just south of Kitty Hawk in Dare County, NC.

Originally called the Powder Puff Derby, the event, which has been flown by women aviation notables such as Amelia Earhart, began in 1929, and has continued since then now known as the Air Race Classic. This year 38 planes will compete in the race for 10 prizes. The first place winner will take home $5,000.

Ms. Froehlig has always been fascinated by flight but only made her dream a reality seven years ago. She began flight training as she neared the end of her teaching career in the North Shore School District and has been involved in aviation-related activities since. After retiring from teaching in 2001, she transferred her skills by first teaching in the aviation department at Dowling College and now as an advanced ground instructor for American Flyers at Islip-MacArthur airport.

She currently holds commercial and instrument ratings, and is working toward her certified flight instructors rating. She has logged over 1150 hours, including 40 hours of aerobatic training. Recently she participated in upset training in Mesa, Arizona. The flight school, called Fighter Training International, trains pilots to handle unusual and dangerous attitudes. These include inverted flight, overly steep banks, and stalls and spins.

Ms. Froehlig's other aviation interests include working with the Cradle of Aviation Museum to bring Long Island aviation history to local teachers. At the Cradle, she can also be found at the flight simulators giving flight instruction to museum visitors. Also active in the Long Island Business Aviation Association, she currently edits their newsletter.

A true angel in flight, Ms. Froehlig does her share of giving back by flying for Angel Flight, a charitable organization in Lawrence, MA that provides free transportation to people who have medical transportation needs but are without resources. She has flown more than 10 missions since she joined them a year ago. Many of the passengers are from remote parts of the country, like Presque Isle ME, Martha's Vineyard or Nantucket, where state-of-the- art medical treatment is not readily available. Angel Flights get them to medical hubs such as Boston for their treatments.

Aviation sponsors are generously supporting Froehlig's race. These contributors include Mid Island Air Service at Islip Airport, the FBO where she learned to fly and where her plane is based, Long Island Jet Center at Islip Airport, American Flyers at Islip, and Air East at Farmingdale. Not only have the supporters made it possible for her to enter this race, it will allow her to share this experience with other future women pilots and encourage them to follow their dreams.