Meet the 2009 ARC Team

Meet the 2009 ARC Team

Meet 2009 ARC Team Wild Mama

Terry Carbonell, Pilot

My mantra for life is "Never let fear, alone, stop you." I started flying at the ripe ole' age of 44 at the request of my husband, a private pilot now afflicted with Alzheimer's Disease. I did not take to flying: the development of wings has been an evolutionary process Wild Mama & Wild Mama

which has taken its' jolly old time. But after 3 + years, 1050+ hours, an instrument rating, a commercial rating, tail wheel rating, a sea plane rating and lots of help from other pilots, instructors and friends, my flight feathers are becoming fully developed, and I look forward to a long love affair with life above this earth.

This will be my third year flying the Air Race Classic; the first being in 2007. From the planning to the cross country trip out to Oklahoma City and through-out the race to Saint John and back home, I was pretty well hooked. I liked the atmosphere, the excitement of the race, the planning and strategy, and the other ladies who were volunteers and competitors but became friends. One of those ladies, was Caroline.

My friends tell me I suffer from "terra-firma phobia" as I would much rather be scuba diving or flying. I have traveled over a large part of the world as a passenger but now it is my turn to be PIC. Since getting my license in May 2005, I have flown across the US several times. My "cross countries" are literally clear across the country. In 2006, we went from SW Florida to Las Vegas, Glacier National Park, Yellowstone National Park and Mount Rushmore. The 2007 trip included an overflight of the Grand Canyon, a visit to a fellow racer in southern California, Yosemite National Park, the many air museums in northern Oregon, Seattle, Teton National Park and the Ozark region of Arkansas. We have also flown Wild Mama to Niagara Falls, Cancun, Mexico and to the Bahamas, not to mention the 2007 ARC from Oklahoma City to Saint John, NB, Canada. All and all, I have landed at over 150 different airports throughout the US, Canada, Bahamas and Mexico. I have also participated 2 years in the Okie Derby proficiency race garnering 3rd and 7th place finishes.

I have developed a real passion for flying and I especially enjoy sharing that passion with the next generation of aviators. My flying goals for this year include aerobatic raining, continued participation in the FAA Wings Program and successfully organizing the Sunshine Derby with the Paradise Coast Chapter 99s.

Aviation affiliations include the Ninety-Nine's, Paradise Chapter, Women in Aviation Int'l, volunteer for Angel Flight, Lawyer Pilot's Bar Association and AOPA.

Caroline Baldwin, co-Pilot

Caroline started air racing in 2002 and has flown five races since, including 2007 and 2008 where she and Terry met and became friends. She has logged over 600 hours and one parachute jump and can be found flying her Piper Cherokee all over the Silver City, NM area and Ticonderoga, NY.

Caroline is an avid tennis player, and also enjoys rowing, playing the french horn and singing in an all women's choir in Silver City. Caroline's enthuiasm for flying finally bit her daughter, Lydia, who just started flying lessons after seeing her Mother at the start of the 2008 ARC in Bozeman. Caroline is excited to be part of the second Mother/Daughter (and friend) team participating in the Air Race Classic.

Terry & Caroline at the Balancing Rock

Lydia Baldwin, FWP

Lydia lives in Fort Collins, CO. She works as a critical care nurse and enjoys outdoor recreation in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains and beyond. Lydia feels fortunate to have experienced frequent international air travel throughout childhood. Her introduction to small plane flight was to an island camp in southern Africa as a teenager.

Most recently Lydia has been inspired to engage in the magic of flying by her mother. Lydia began flight instruction in July 2008 and hopes to gain her private pilot in Spring of 2009.

Mother and Daughter Fly High

Lydia scopes out our 2009 Terminus in Atlantic, IA

Lydia and Lori Reid, our Terminus hostess

Our pride and joy is a 1978 182RG. She has 235 h.p. and a completely tricked-out panel, including XM Weather . The short version of the "Wild Mama" name is quite simple. When I bought the airplane I had a running "one-ups-manship" with another pilot, Rob Weber. Seems he said his 172 was faster than mine . . . and it was. I had to solve the problem so I bought the 182RG and was now faster than Rob. When I called him to chide him about the faster plane he asked me the tail number to which I replied: "November-6-1-4-Whisky-Mike." It was at that time he coined the phrase. He said: "More like 6-1-4-Wild Mama!". . . and the name stuck. Thus, she will be forever known as Wild Mama! Some argue, however, that the name applied equally to the pilot. Time will tell.

... it's all about the plane!