Melissa Shrewsbury, a certified flight instructor with New Garden Flight Connection in Toughkenamon, is ready to embark on her longest journey through the skies, writes Richard Gaw for the Chester County Press. 

Shrewsbury and her co-pilot, Lauren Heisey, will take part in the 45th Air Race Classic. This all-women, cross-country airplane race will feature 51 teams and 115 pilots this year.

The 2,549-mile race will start on June 21 at Lakeland Linder International Airport in Lakeland, Fla., and will finish on June 24 at Terre Haute Regional Airport in Terre Haute, Ind., with seven stops in between. 

The contestants will have four days of flying during daylight hours to reach the terminus. 

“This race is a way for me to test all of my knowledge and skills about aviation and piloting a plane, and it’s also about chasing my own curiosity,” said Shrewsbury.

Shrewsbury’s ultimate goal is to become an astronaut. She sees her entry in the ARC, along with being a pilot for six years and a certified flight instructor, as major steppingstones toward achieving that goal. 

Read more about Melissa Shrewsbury in the Chester County Press.