EAA AirVenture Cup Race Application Deadline July 1, 2016
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Photo credit: Geoff Sobering
June 23, 2016 - The deadline for applications to participate in the 2016 EAA AirVenture Cup Race is July 1. Pilots interested in competing in this year’s annual event should apply as soon as possible online to ensure their application is received by the deadline.
The 19th annual AirVenture Cup Cross-Country Air Race is scheduled to start July 24 at 9 a.m. CDT, and will follow the established route from Mitchell, South Dakota, to Wausau, Wisconsin. Several intermediate turning points create a course of more than 400 nautical miles. The race is open to a variety of pilots and aircraft, from sport pilots to astronauts, J-3 Cubs to Turbine Legends, and anywhere in between.
The three-day event begins on Friday, July 22, with pilots arriving in Mitchell from throughout the country. On Saturday, July 23, race participants, in partnership with Mitchell Municipal Airport, will host an airport open house and EAA Young Eagles event, where kids age 8 through 17 can experience aviation first hand with free airplane rides.
The AirVenture Cup is a timed race. Pilots and their aircraft are grouped into classes based on their experimental or production certification, engine size, induction type, and landing gear configuration to keep every aircraft competitive. Each class has first-, second-, and third-place awards. All event activities are weather dependent.
The pilot referral program for the 2016 EAA AirVenture Cup Race recognizes pilots who refer new pilots to participate in this year’s race that helps kick off the annual EAA AirVenture Oshkosh fly-in. The referral program, which debuted in 2015, resulted in almost 60 percent of the new racers and close to 15 percent of the total racers.
To be eligible for the referral program, the referring pilot must be an active racer in the 2016 AirVenture Cup Race. The referred pilot must not have participated in the race for the two previous years (2014 and 2015), and both the referring and referred pilots must submit their application by July 1, 2016. All pilots participating in the referral program will be recognized during the awards dinner and ceremony on Sunday, July 24, in Oshkosh. The pilot who refers the most new racers will receive a copy of the 2016 commemorative program, autographed by all race participants.
To access a race application, details about the race, or to learn more about sponsorship opportunities visit www.airventurecuprace.com.
