Aviation Aces: A Friendship and Fundraiser Adventure
As a passionate pilot, the news of winning the 2023 scholarship from the Santa Rosa
99s for my Multi-Engine rating was a dream come true. It came with an unexpected
invitation: an exclusive opportunity to attend their annual fundraiser where they would
announce their endowment of the scholarship.
I couldn’t wait to share the news with Angela, my dear friend and fellow 99s pilot. Turns
out she has family in Santa Rosa. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to extend an
invitation. If you know Angela, you also know her signature call sign “I am in! ” Less
than a week later we took to the air for Santa Rosa and represented our Reno High
Sierra 99s Chapter.
Opting for the skies over the roads, as expected, because, really, who needs a car
when have access to airplanes? Angela flew a Piper Cherokee from Carson (KCXP) to
Auburn (KAUN), where we rendezvoused for our journey to the Charles Schultz Airport
(KSTS) in Santa Rosa. We rented a stealth Piper Arrow II from my flight school
“Sunshine Flyers”. The anticipation of sharing the skies together and experiencing this
adventure got us both super hyped.
The flight to Santa Rosa was a breeze. Angela manned the star ship which gave me the
chance to soak in the spectacular sights of the Sutter Buttes and Lake Berryessa. With
her at the controls I had a front row seat to nature's beauty. It reminded me how
fortunate I am to experience mother earth from the sky on a regular basis.
The fundraiser itself was a whirlwind of excitement. Loads of cool stuff up for grabs at
the silent auction such as; wine, books by Charles Schultz, Snoopy swag and tastings.
The local breweries and wineries brought their goods and made the night taste just
right. The drinks at the bar (maybe a little bit too strong) added some serious fun! The
Tacos Del Pepe food truck parked outside the hangar provided the perfect fix to soak
them up. The highlight was undoubtedly the poker tournament fundraiser. The prize? A
thrilling ride in the legendary P-51!
Despite Angela and I not doing too well in the poker games, the atmosphere was filled
with positive vibes and camaraderie. Meeting other inspiring female pilots, each with
their unique stories and experiences, left us awestruck and captivated.
After an eventful night and spending time with Angela’s family we woke up with
nervous anticipation of foggy weather. We got lucky! Clear skies, and a departure time
of 7am led to the most beautiful morning flight.
Reflecting on this adventure, it wasn't just about winning a scholarship or attending a
fundraiser - it was about making new friends, securing the bonds of old, the shared love
for aviation, and the inspiring encounters with incredible women in the field. As we
soared through the skies we realized these moments are the true treasures of the
aviation journey.
Our 99’s visited Biggest Little City Flight School Open house
My fellow aviatrices, I present Tara T., freshly minted private pilot! Congratulations!!!
RHS99s celebrated Tara passing her check ride yesterday at our monthly business meeting.
Below you can find some of our canine members who are generally the center of attention: Rembrandt in the foreground and Rio snoozing in the background.
Last night RHS 99s met at Peggy’s beautiful south Reno for a meal jointly prepared under the watchful eye of our PIC, Rhonda. We started with a gorgeous charcuterie board, followed by a roasted butternut soup with cranberries and pecans, mixed green salad, and then lemon herbed chicken with roasted root vegetables. For dessert, we had a peach upside-down cake with Grand Marnier. Everyone had an amazing time! In addition to our members, we had 49.5s, (Jeff, Mike, Rick, Bobby join us) and the Chapter’s 49.5, Jere! We might have also talked Peggy’s daughter to switch to our Chapter….
Per Stacie: Nothing like flying with your girlfriends! Boots (Colleen) and I went to pick up Leah in Concord CA today. It was just perfect weather and a smooth flight. Left Nevada all bundled up- got to Concord and we were sweating! I love cross country flying!
Congrats to Ann, who passed her check ride today and became a private pilot!!
Don’t we all wish we were Leah today? She commuted from KCXP to KCCR, by plane for work, which is FAR superior than commuting by car. Especially when you bring friends with you, like 49.5 Jere, and fellow RHS 99 Stacie!
This past weekend Heather and Dani flew to Columbia for breakfast and stopped by the local fall craft festival that included period soldiers marching the Flag!
Congratulations to Colleen for hitting 300 hours!!
Stacie and Tara we’re out and about enjoying the blue skies!
Most of us have something aviation themed in our homes; a framed solo shirt, artwork, or a prop. This past weekend Dani attended an aviation themed wedding!!
Leah logged time today in the company plane! (We’re all happy and jealous!)
Karalyn’s flying in New Mexico, a whole group of RHS 99s are flying in Texas, and Christine was flying today in California with a student.
Stacie, Colleen, RuthAnn are at GIFT! Girls in Flight Training. This week long flying camp is the stuff of dreams for working towards a rating and building experience. Check out GIFT’s Website!
The yearly high holy event for all balloonists occurs in Albuquerque, New Mexico at the International Balloon Fiesta.
This year, our favorite balloon pilot Karalyn is there flying, and so is her son! Bonus points if you can identify the balloon her son is flying….
From Grace:
Day 1 of the SW Section meeting in Ventura CA and we (my mom and I) took a boat ride with the 99s group to Santa Cruz Island (Channel Island National Park), saw over 1,000 Dolphins (!!!) along the way, hiked 2 miles overlooking the water, road home on the ferry and saw whales, and ended the night socializing at the hangar party! These are usually pretty fun but this one’s been extra fun! Lots of years of flying and air racing experience and generally nice women to meet and greet 😊
The local chapter of Women in Aviation hosted their 2nd Annual Girls in Aviation Day. Members from the Reno High Sierra 99s and the Reno Area 99s (and maybe the Lake Tahoe 99s?) all participated!
The Reno High Sierra 99’s ladies were out tearing up the skies today in this beautiful September weather! Tara completed another amazing solo cross country for her Private Pilot license going from Reno to Susanville, Lovelock, and back to Reno. Hannah was out working maneuvers with the Civil Air Patrol in Silver Springs over that famous dry lake bed at around 8,500 feet. Grace finished up her biannual flight review today showing off her skills between Minden and Carson. Finally, Stacie made a cross-country trip from Carson to Hawthorne working on her teaching skills for CFI.
RHS99s and visiting 99s
RHS 99s and 49 1/2 Jere
