‘Prepared’ MTSU Aerospace pilot trio await June 18-21 Air Race Classic for women

At the Middle Tennessee State University Flight Operations Center on Memorial Boulevard in Murfreesboro, Tenn., alumni Alyssa Smith, left, of Collierville, Tenn., and Rachel Frankenberger, of Cisco, Ga., and senior Hailey Harrison, of Lakeland, Tenn., pose with the MTSU Aerospace Department’s Diamond DA 40 airplane they will fly June 18-21 during the upcoming all-women Air Race Classic. The Blue Raider trio will be among 22 collegiate teams and nearly 50 teams altogether competing in the nearly 2,400-mile event that features nine legs and eight states starting in Carbondale, Ill., and finishing in Loveland, Colo. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — They will fly nearly 2,400 miles from the Midwest to Colorado at an altitude of 200 to 400 feet and average speed of nearly 150 mph — all while competing against nearly 50 all-women flight teams.

In what will be one of the highlights of their young lives, Alyssa Smith, Rachel Frankenberger and Hailey Harrison will represent Middle Tennessee State University in the annual Air Race Classic in one of the Aerospace Department’s Diamond DA 40 aircraft.

Shown at Middle Tennessee State University’s Flight Operations Center on Memorial Boulevard in Murfreesboro, Tenn., MTSU alumni Alyssa Smith, left, of Collierville, Tenn., and Rachel Frankenberger, of Cisco, Ga., and senior Hailey Harrison, of Lakeland, Tenn., will compete in this year’s Air Race Classic — an all-women competition covering nearly 2,400 miles from Carbondale, Ill., to Loveland, Colo. (MTSU photo by Randy Weiler)

This year’s 47^th annual race will begin June 18 in Carbondale, Illinois, and end June 21 in Loveland, Colorado. Stops will include La Porte, Indiana; Cadillac, Michigan; Newark, Ohio; Monee, Illinois; Owatonna, Minnesota; Moberly, Missouri; Bartlesville, Oklahoma; and Dodge City, Kansas.

Putting safety first and always at the mercy of Mother Nature, the race is a test of skills, drive and determination as the MTSU trio competes against 21 other collegiate teams and 48 teams altogether.

Rachel Frankenberger, 23, of Cisco, Georgia, MTSU alumna — Rachel Frankenberger

“Our very most important goal is to be the safest we can be and have fun while doing it,” said Frankenberger, 23, of Cisco, Georgia, a pro pilot major who, after graduating magna cum laude, was part of the 2023 ground crew along with Harrison. Frankenberger’s career plans are to remain at MTSU to build her flight hours to become a designated pilot examiner and then pursue an airline.

“As pilots, we’ve never been able to fly in a lot of these different states,” Frankenberger added. “There’s so many challenges we’re facing. We’ve been working with our management, ground crew and safety officers to see and analyze these different drains and external pressures we’ll encounter.”

Alyssa Smith, 20, of Collierville TN, MTSU Aerospace alumna — Alyssa Smith

A recent graduate, Smith, 20, of Collierville, Tennessee, brings the experience of flying in the 2023 race when she, Farilyn Hurt of Milledgeville, Georgia, and Briana “Bri” McDonald, of Jackson, finished 28^th overall.

Smith, an aerospace professional pilot major, brings “tips, tricks and strategy when we’re flying in the race and make it more efficient,” she said. “Our goal is to finish the race. The experience we gained last year was like a trial run. … There are mistakes we made last year and knowing what we can do to prevent them this year.”

Hailey Harrison, of Lakeland, Tenn., senior Aerospace major — Hailey Harrison

An MTSU senior pro pilot and flight dispatch double major with a minor in University Honors, Harrison will be writing an Honors thesis on the Air Race Classic manual they use during the race.

“This year, there will be a whole lot more to prepare for and taking advice from other people,” said Harrison, who has a 3.97 GPA and plans to be an MTSU flight instructor after graduation before moving to a regional airline. “We began planning this months ago. The fact we’ll be more prepared is an advantage. You can’t predict the weather, but we’ll be as prepared as we can be.”

This year’s ground crew will travel to Carbondale for the start of the race. Their coaches — Hurt, MTSU Director of Aerospace Safety Meredith Boardman and Kennedy Hampton, an MTSU flight instructor, will travel to Colorado for the end of the race.

Smith, Frankenberger and Harrison have been fundraising to pay for fuel and hotels and must pay out of pocket for their meals.

Before competing last year, an MTSU team last competed in 2018 when Elizabeth Keller, of Maryville, and Madison Taylor, of Franklin, placed 23^rd overall.

Gabriella “Ella” Lindskoug, of Nashville, and Jordan Cantrell, both from Nashville, placed 26^th overall in 2017, becoming the first MTSU pilots to finish, and placed 32^nd in 2018.

The 2016 Air Race Classic included a stopover at Murfreesboro Airport.

AAerospace is one of 11 College of Basic and Applied Sciences departments. To learn more, visit https://aerospace.mtsu.edu.

— Randy Weiler (Randy.Weiler@mtsu.edu)