Carson City's Dene Chabot-Fence, Nevada's top air race pilot, will compete in the 24th annual Air Race Classic that begins June 20 in Tucson, Ariz. The 2,355-mile race ends three days later in Hyannis, Mass.
Chabot-Fence is one of the favorites to win the race - formerly known as the Powder Puff Derby - and she flies with co-pilot Gloria May of Kerman, Calif.
The all-women's transcontinental race has drawn 53 of the nation's top female pilots. Chabot-Fence and May fly in Chabot-Fence's Piper Cherokee racing plane that is hangared at the Carson City Airport.
The pair have flown in the race many times and are consistent top 10 finishers and have finished second and third in the past but have never won the race. They have combined for over 4,000 hours of flying time between them and have raced as a team for more than 10 years.
Chabot-Fence owns and operates Vitamin Villa in Carson City. She is a member of the Reno Area Chapter of Ninety-Nines, International Organization of Women Pilots.
May is an almond farmer in California and was a softball player for 27 years. She won three world championships and is in the National Softball Hall of Fame.