Earlier this month, the National Championship Air Races made their debut in Roswell, New Mexico, after decades in Reno, Nevada. The event took place at the Roswell Air Center, formerly Walker Air Force Base, with a newly-designed course that offers excellent visibility for spectators and a fresh layout tailored to the unique terrain. Alongside the air races and show, this year attendees got to see a recently-delivered Embraer 175 as a stationary display with guided tours and more information shared about our aircraft from team Envoy.
Envoy’s Air Operations Recruitment team— Kipp Swannie, First Officer Simon Lovely, Angel Arrazola, and Melissa Talmage—spent the week connecting with aviation enthusiasts and future team members. On September 11, the Envoy presence expanded with the arrival of N331SC, flown by Vice President, Flight Operations, Capt. Ric Wilson and Director, Flight Technical Operations, Capt. Les Hock.
More than 2,500 students from nearby schools toured the aircraft, met pilots and recruiters, and learned about careers in aviation. For many attendees, this was their first time stepping aboard a plane. Envoy Regional Managing Director, Timarty Stitt joined the team and spoke to several student groups, sharing “It’s a career, not just a job. Whatever you want to do, you can do with us. If you want to fly the planes, you can be a pilot. If you want to go to law school and be a lawyer, we have legal. There are so many opportunities with Envoy.”
Last year, American Airlines awarded the ground handling contract at Roswell International Air Center (ROW) to Envoy. The Envoy team at ROW provides customer services and aircraft ground handling support for all American Airlines and American Eagle branded flights at the station.
The races themselves were a spectacle, and the air show featured modern military jets and historic aircraft like the B-29 “FIFI,” B-25 “Yellow Rose,” AC-130J Ghostrider, and F-16 Fighting Falcon. Roswell’s newly-built course hosted seven racing classes and flight demonstrations, all coordinated by the Reno Air Racing Association and supported by over 1,200 volunteers.
Each race began with the iconic phrase “We have a race!”—a tribute to legendary aviator Bob Hoover, who launched the first Reno Air Race in 1964.
And like all things in aviation, it all comes back to Safety. Capt. Les Hock credits Hoover’s air show flying techniques in helping him safely land a single-engine aircraft after a mechanical issue. Air races are performed by professional pilots, with skills and experience shared and passed on for generations to ensure that aviation remains safe and enjoyable for all.
Roswell’s future in aviation looks bright, and Envoy was honored to be part of this historic week. Everyone—we have a race!