Greetings Race Fans!
Teresa reported in from the small terminal at Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The team made it to the timing tower at 17:02:25 ZULU time which is 13:02H CDT.
All plane and ship navigation use Universal Coordinated Time(Zulu) since there are no time zones or local time confusion issues if everyone uses the same base time (0:00) which starts in Greenwich,England.
In any case, the team left Fort Meyers at approximately 9:09AM Florida time and as expected chose to fly-by the Waycross, Georgia checkpoint. Classic 47 nosed over the timing line at 15:02:33 Zulu for an amazing fast trip of one hour and 53 minutes.
Fuel burn is extreme at these speeds. The aircraft which ordinarily burns around 12 gallons per hour to do 140knots (around 159 miles per hour) burned close to 20 gph but on average Classic 47 is settling in at around 147 knots which is better than their booked handicap. Overall this sounds like an excellent start to the race.
The key thing is about a quarter of the teams moved quickly up to Tuscaloosa, to not only avoid traffic but to beat the weather. The front is looming South of the airport but weather is still holding. The ladies are taking a yogurt break and getting a chance to air out a bit. The cabin is hot with no vents and the team has to keep a watchful eye to keep the plane at peak efficiency.
I will post at least one picture from Tuscaloosa when it is received. The team is headed next today to Hot Springs, Arkansas (KHOT) where they will most likely call it a day unless weather is looking bothersome for tomorrow. Check back soon for more updates as they arrive.
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