STARKVILLE — Spectators and volunteers at George M. Bryan Airport were disappointed Tuesday morning when Air Race Classic pilots had to bypass Starkville on their 2,426-mile journey from Fairhope, Alabama, to Spokane, Washington, for the 48th annual event.
Starkville was expected to be the first stop along the route for the 96 pilots, though inclement, overcast weather forced organizers to cancel the layover and reroute pilots straight to Harrison, Arkansas.
Airport Director Rodney Lincoln said he received word of the cancellation only 30 minutes before the planes should have been landing.
“This was unexpected, but this is just what the weather did to us,” Lincoln said. “This is aviation. You can’t control it.”
Racers are only permitted to fly during visual flight rule conditions, meaning they must have sufficient visibility to navigate without relying on flight instruments. While the start of the race was initially delayed, weather conditions ultimately prevented pilots from flying without relying on flight instruments and navigation aids.
ARC President Donna Harris said the decision wasn’t made lightly.
“This was a difficult decision to make, knowing how much work the volunteers and the airport community put into preparations for the racers,” Harris said in an email to The Dispatch. “Safety for our racers comes first and occasionally these decisions have to be made to cancel a stop or even two. We consider as many options and possibilities as we can.”
Planning for this year’s route began a year ago, Lincoln said. Though airport officials were disappointed, Lincoln said he looks forward to welcoming racers to Starkville on a future route.
“The next year’s route is already planned, but the year after that, it can happen,” Lincoln said.
Harris confirmed that Starkville would be a stop on a future race, but she did not specify what year that would be.
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