Inaugural Rough Rider Air Rally in North Dakota

Labor Day weekend looks to be an exciting time in Minot, North Dakota. According to its website, the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities Inaugural Rough Rider Air Rally only has 93 days, 10 hours, 22 minutes, and 50 seconds until its start. However, as this countdown continues, so if you go to www.ndcpd.org/roughrider you will find a different reading.

The Roughrider Air Rally is an exciting new event for North Dakota (and NDCPD) and is expected to bring aviators from all over to meet and compete. Particularly, it gives pilots participating in the event an opportunity to test their flight planning, navigation, and piloting skills. There have been other air rallies held in other states and since there is a large population of Air Force and other personal air craft owners, it is believed to be an excellent talent pool; however this race is open to pilots from all over the country. For other air rally information you can go to Air Race Central.

Air Rally staff has been gearing up for this event for some time now and has participated in public awareness activities. Some of the more recent activities included attending the Upper Midwest Aviation Symposium in Minot, ND; sending "Save the Date" postcards and emails to pilots in various states. What are needed are sponsors, pilot/co-pilot racers, and volunteers to help with the event.

The event begins on Friday August 30, 2007 with aircraft and paperwork check-in after 1400 CDT or upon arrival prior to 0700 CDT Saturday September 1, 2007. After the opening ceremony, weather briefing, and each team receiving their digital camera, the race begins. Complete rules and information is available here; click on Rules & Regulations.

"The Rally is being coordinated by the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities, a non-profit organization at Minot State University. Proceeds from the Rally will be contributed to the NDCPD Endowment to further NDCPD's mission. The Roughrider Air Rally will be held on Labor Day weekend, September 1-2, 2007. Pilot participants will be given a flight plan to take pictures of selected North Dakota landmarks. Results and times will be recorded and evaluated by officials. Trophies will be awarded based on different winning categories."

More information is available on the website for arrival, rally, race, rally and race calculations, awards, and safety. If you are interested in gaining more information go to www.ndcpd.org/roughrider, or contact Rich Berg or Susie Mack at 1-800-233-1737. To get your registration forms click on go to www.ndcpd.org/roughrider and Click on Pilot Registration Forms.

The race course will be release 24 hours or less before race day. You can enter up to July 30, 2007 - however a late enterance fee of $250 will be incurred from July 16 - 30th.