Road to Roswell 2026: Australia’s Jet Racing Team Takes on the World

The Road to Roswell has officially begun.

After months of preparation in Australia, the first members of the CCTRacing team are now making their way to the United States for the 2026 National Championship Air Races in Roswell, New Mexico.

Charlie “Squid” Camilleri and George “Rainman” Ryan have begun their journey, while I’ll follow next week. Our international crew will eventually converge on Roswell from Australia, the United States and Europe.

It takes an extraordinary team to race a jet, and an even bigger effort to bring that team together from around the world.

More Than a Race

The National Championship Air Races are unlike anything else in aviation.

We race at more than 400 mph, approximately 50 feet above the ground, around a closed course marked by pylons. Every lap requires precision, situational awareness, discipline and complete trust in the aircraft and the team.

But the race itself is only one part of the story.

Before we can line up in the start chute, the jets must be moved, inspected, prepared and tested. Equipment must be organised, technical requirements completed and crew members brought together from across the globe.

Months of work go into a race that lasts only minutes.

Returning to Roswell

Roswell holds a special place in our team’s story.

At the inaugural Roswell National Championship Air Races in 2025, I became the first pilot to win a jet pylon race at the new venue and the first woman to win a Jet Class heat there.

I finished the event with two first-place heat results, one third-place finish and sixth overall in the Jet Class.

Miss Independence, our L-29 Delfín, recorded 401.365 mph, making her the first stock L-29 to officially exceed 400 mph and earning us a place in the 400 MPH Club.

Those results were an incredible achievement, but they were not mine alone. Every milestone belonged to the team that prepared the aircraft, supported the racing and believed in what we could accomplish together.

Australia’s International Jet Racing Team

CCTRacing has competed in American jet racing since 2012.

We are Australia’s only team competing internationally in the Jet Class and the only husband-and-wife jet racing team. Our pilots, engineers and ground crew bring together decades of aviation, military, engineering and racing experience.

This year, our team includes:

• Charlie “Squid” Camilleri—team owner, chief pilot and engineer

• Tammy “JetSheila” Camilleri—L-29 pilot and Australia’s only female jet racer

• George “Rainman” Ryan—jet racer, formation pilot and high-speed cowboy

• Joe “Facepunch” Swindel—qualified jet racer and US Navy pilot

• Lyn Gray—highly experienced pilot, flight examiner and ground crew

• Sid Palmer—ground crew and SpaceX recovery boat specialist

• Allison Lear—new team member and granddaughter of aviation pioneer Bill Lear

• Barbara Kennedy—joining our international ground crew for 2026

Every person has a role, and every role matters.

Following the Road to Roswell

This year, we want to take you with us.

Our Road to Roswell YouTube series follows the real journey behind international air racin, from preparing the pilots and aircraft in Australia to travelling across the world and bringing the team together in New Mexico.

We’ll share the preparation, the people, the challenges and, eventually, the racing itself.

This campaign is about more than speed. It is about teamwork, resilience, Australian determination and having the courage to pursue something extraordinary.

The Road to Roswell is underway—and this is only the beginning.

Follow the Journey

Watch the Road to Roswell series on the Fastjet Bathurst YouTube channel and follow @jetsheila on Instagram for updates from Australia and Roswell.

CCTRacing also welcomes partnership enquiries from organisations that want to connect with an international campaign built around speed, technology, precision, teamwork and Australian achievement.