Three Buckeye Engineering squads aiming high this week

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(l to r) Yasmine, Josie and Aly at The Ohio State University Airport before departing to Texas

Film studios might want to consider a Buckeye-centric sequel to the 1987 hit Planes, Trains and Automobiles. But Planes, Electric Motorcycles and Rockets wouldn’t be a comedy.

This week three teams of Ohio State students—mostly engineering—are competing in major aviation, motorcycle and rocketry events. Their goals would be produced as a sports drama about overcoming challenges… maybe with a little laughing along the way.

For the second year in a row, a team of three Ohio State pilots will fly in the Air Race Classic, the only women's cross-country flight competition. Yasmine Abu Arab, who recently graduated with an aviation engineering degree, air transportation major Josie Cotugno, and engineering and mathematics double major Aly Bond are intent on finishing among the top five collegiate teams.

Hundreds of pilots, ranging in age from 17 to 90 years old, will begin the 2,656-mile race today in Sweetwater, Texas, and finish in Fryeburg, Maine, on June 22. There are eight timing stops along the way, including the Newark-Heath (OH) Airport on the evening of June 21, weather permitting. The original race in 1929, with 20 pilots, started in Santa Monica, California, and ended in Cleveland, Ohio.

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Last year's team at Spaceport America Cup

Last summer, the Buckeye Space Launch Initiative team soared to first place in the 30,000-foot Student Researched and Designed (SRAD) solid fuel rocket category at the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico. This week the 40 member team looks to defend their 30K title and earn a podium finish in the 10K category. The 30K rocket is dubbed “OH” and the 10K rocket goes by “IO”.

The annual competition challenges teams of college students to design, build and launch solid-, liquid- or hybrid-fuel rockets to a targeted altitude. The five-day event attracts more than 100 teams from across the world. Competitive launches begin on June 21.

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Buckeye Current team members preparing in Colorado

About 550 miles to the north of the high-flying rockets, the Buckeye Current electric motorcycle team is also intent on gaining altitude quickly. The students and professional rider, Rob Barber, look to repeat last year’s first place finish at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an annual invitational automobile and motorcycle race to the iconic Colorado mountain’s summit. Qualifying and practice runs begin today through race day on June 24.

The highly-decorated team and motorcycle are based at the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) and advised by Marcello Canova, associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. The undergraduate and grad students design, build and race electric motorcycles to not only create innovative vehicles, but also to educate both students and the community about green technologies.

Win or lose this week, the students on these teams are gaining priceless experience and building lifelong friendships. And maybe down the road, one of them will write a movie script about their team’s journey.

Follow the team's progress on Facebook: @waiosu, @BuckeyeCurrent, @spacelaunchinitiative.

Category: Students