The Mark Hardin Memorial Air Race May 27, 2017 TERRELL, TX-KTRL

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Wilfrid Watts
5 years ago
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Mark Hardin whose life s passion was aviation, learned to fly in 1975 at Terrell Municipal Airport. He met his wife Melissa at the airport when she was taking flying lessons.

1 The Mark Hardin Memorial Air Race May 27, 2017 TERRELL, TX-KTRL Plan your Memorial Day weekend to include the Mark Hardin Memorial Air Race. For the seventh year Sport League cross country air racing is coming to Terrell Municipal Airport, Terrell, Texas. In 2015 the event was renamed to honor Mark Hardin. Mark Hardin whose life s passion was aviation, learned to fly in 1975 at Terrell Municipal Airport. He met his wife Melissa at the airport when she was taking flying lessons. They have two children, Michael and Christine who were raised with the Terrell airport family. Mark worked at the airport from 1985 until he and Melissa purchased the FBO in During Mark s flight career he flew corporate, flew private families and appeared at air shows. He was a top mechanic and a leader in the world of the Ercoupe owners and restorers. His name became synonymous with the Terrell Municipal Airport. Today Michael and Melissa continue the family owned and operated FBO providing maintenance and flight instruction. They are proud to have the Memorial 150 Air Race renamed in honor of Mark. He would say, Fly Low, Fly Fast, Turn Left! The 2017 Mark Hardin Memorial Air Race will be supporting and benefitting the PRIDE ROCK WILDLIFE REFUGE. The event is produced by Aviamation, Inc. a Texas all volunteer, non profit corporation. PRIDE ROCK is a worthy recipient of our support. This refuge is a gem, a place of tranquility and safety for discarded and mistreated wildlife. The residents are not put on public display or taken for exhibition. They are cared for and given wonderful lives not known to them before. The residents include lions, tigers, bears and cougars. Your participation in the Mark Hardin Memorial Air Race will help insure the continuation of this amazing refuge. The City of Terrell Food Truck Festival will once again be visiting KTRL and providing amazing fare for lunch. PRIDE ROCK WILDLIFE REFUGE volunteers will be in attendance to present displays and offer merchandise.

Sport Air Racing is now stepping up too give back to local communities by supporting one their most worthwhile causes. PART OF YOUR ENTRY FEE IS PLEDGED TO PRIDE ROCK.

2 Sport Air Racing is now stepping up too give back to local communities by supporting one their most worthwhile causes. PART OF YOUR ENTRY FEE IS PLEDGED TO PRIDE ROCK. All you need to be part of this exciting event is a current pilot s license and a fixed wing propeller driven aircraft. Camaraderie abounds. Rookie racers are immediately taken into the fold and given all the support they could want. The race is fair and safe. Flying is VFR only in strict adherence to all FAR s. Aircraft launch in speed order, fastest first and fly a round robin 130nm course and there is a short course for aircraft with a top speed of under 100mph or limited range. Aircraft are timed individually and compete in equitable classes. The goal is to cover the course in the fastest time. Pilots employ all their cross country flying skills. A race plane may be the family Cessna or an experimental built by the pilot. Pilots have an amazing test bed for their aircraft and the impetus to have their ships in the best condition ever. The Mark Hardin Memorial Trophy will be presented to a race participant who shows the spirit that Mark embodied: a sense of fair play, true camaraderie and supporter of aviation. The recipient of this award will be selected by Melissa and Mike Hardin. A special invitation goes out to all Ercoupe owner/pilots to come and celebrate and honor Mark Hardin. A special tribute is planned which includes the race route Turn 1 flying over Mark s resting place. There will be awards for an Ercoupe Challenge Class. Racers will be receiving event tshirts and other goodies and there are trophies in all classes as well as the Mark Hardin Trophy, trophies for Top Speeds in the Three Race Categories and a very special new friend for the slowest time of the day. Challenge Classes are offered. These do not award Sport League points but a Class is made when there are 3 or more aircraft of the same make/model. These Challenge Classes give models that are not highly competitive in their sanctioned classes a chance to run head to head. You must be a Sport Air Racing League member to participate. Annual membership is $50 or a one race provisional membership may be purchased for $10, paid at race registration. Race entry fee: $40.00 Cash or check only paid at registration. HOTELS/TRANSPORTATION: There are all the chain hotels within 3 miles of the airport. None are offering special rates. These hotels book up WAY IN ADVANCE as it is a holiday weekend and a huge Trade Days is going on. Friday, May 26, 2017 welcomes arrivals for early registration and a social gathering. Saturday May 27, 2017 is RACE DAY. Registration opens at 9:00am. Late entries will be accepted until 11:00am. Pilots are asked to enter as soon as they are able to facilitate the event planning. Lunch is available from 11 am-2pm. The mandatory pilot s briefing will be at Noon with the green flag

3 dropping at 1:00pm. There will be snacks and dessert for the racers on their return. Awards follow as soon as possible. Racing is VFR only. If the event cannot be launched in time for all racers to finish in a reasonable time before sunset the rain date of May 28, 2017 will be implemented. The 2017 Mark Hardin Memorial Race is not to be missed. The Memorial race is in its 7 th year and we honor one of our own taken from us much too soon. Sport Racing is supporting a local charity for the first time. A gala event awaits. For more information: Patricia Purcell, ppurcellk@aol.com , (cell) LONG COURSE 135.3nm

4 SHORT COURSE 91.2nm

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