ROCK SPRINGS — The Southwest Wyoming Regional Airport is a stop along the 48th Annual Air Race Classic, a cross-country all-women airplane race taking place June 17-20.

The race begins June 17 from Fairhope, Alabama and concludes June 20 in Spokane, Washington, 2,426 miles away. The race is the oldest of its kind in the nation. According to Air Race Classic, the event traces its roots to the 1929 Women’s Air Derby, also known as the Powder Puff Derby, where legendary aviator Amelia Earhart and 19 other women pilots raced from Santa Monica, California to Cleveland, Ohio. This year marks the race’s 96th anniversary.

Ninety-six women pilots, making up 43 teams, will compete during June’s race. At each of the eight intermediate stops, which include Rock Springs and Gillette, pilots will execute high-speed flybys over a timing line as they race against the clock. The teams, which consist of two or three pilots, have four days to complete the course. Faster planes may be able to complete the course in only two days, while slower planes won’t likely arrive in Spokane, Washington, until moments before the deadline.

“The ARC Board of Directors and volunteers have been hard at work preparing for our 48th race,” Air Race Classic President Donna Harris said. “We look forward to celebrating the 96th anniversary of the Women’s Air Derby as we welcome back veteran racers and meet new competitors at our start in Fairhope, Alabama.”