The Hayward Air Rally is the longest continually held proficiency flying event in North America. Having grown out of a personal challenge between Hayward city officials in 1965, the rally has now been flying for 60 years!

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The 62nd Annual Hayward Air Rally

was held May 30-31, 2026

Congratulations to rally rookies Race 83, Nate and daughter Millicent Holderbein, for winning the 62nd Annual Hayward Air Rally!

Official Results

Raw Data Results

Checkpoint Answers

The 2026 Rally Course Handbook

The 2026 Rally Scoresheet

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The Hayward Air Rally Ray Hazel Memorial Scholarship

We are pleased to announce two winners of the Ray Hazel Memorial Scholarship for 2026:

Congratulations to Kaitlyn McMahon and Corinne Arthur!

Kaitlyn is working towards her Bachelor's Degree in Aviation at San Jose State University and recently earned her instrument rating. She will receive an award of $2500.

Corinne is pursuing her A&P certification in the AMT program at Gavilan College and will receive an award of $1000.

We wish them success in their endeavors!

We plan to post details regarding the 2027 scholarship early next year.

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What is the Hayward Air Rally?

"It's like a scavenger hunt in the sky!" - Michelle MacDonald, 2024 Race 13

The rally means different things to different pilots, but for all it's a combination of competition, challenge, and camaraderie. The event is open to all pilots (student and recreational pilots must be accompanied by a suitable pilot in command) and most piston-powered GA aircraft (including LSAs and experimentals).

Competition

The specifics of the rally course are released at the rally briefing. Participants flight plan for the course and produce flight time and fuel consumption estimates for each leg of the rally. Scoring is based upon the performance of the accomplished flight against the pre-flight estimates, course checkpoint identification (the aforementioned scavenger hunt), and navigation equipment used. Details on the competition structure may be found via the About links above.

Challenge

While competition rules allow for the use of GPS navigation (and even digital fuel totalizers), many participants elect to use the scoring system that allows only "traditional" radio-based navigation aids - even if their aircraft are GPS equipped. As a proficiency rally, the course is designed to exercise cross-country navigation and pilotage skills. Enroute checkpoints have included identification of such items as bridges, distinctive buildings, and unimproved (think emergency) landing strips.

Camaraderie

Not everyone who flies in the rally is in it for the competition. For some, the rally is simply a weekend getaway with a group of great fellow aviation enthusiasts. The rally provisions a "hospitality suite" at the destination hotel where participants can gather to socialize, hangar fly, and boast or commiserate over competition performance. There is ample free time to explore local points of interest prior to the awards banquet.

Here is a quick look at how these elements come together at the rally:

Credit: Zhidao Leeroybruce (Aviate68 on YouTube)

Whichever reasons appeal to you, we hope you'll join us at the starting line for this year's Hayward Air Rally! Entry information may be found here.

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Read the

September 2017 AOPA Pilot Feature Article

"Racing Against The Plan" by Mike Collins

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The rally over the years