Sequester and Airshows

We recently learned that the Blue Angels, the USAF Thunderbirds, the Golden Knights and all the Military Demo Teams have cancelled their entire Airshow season due to the Sequester. The Military will not take part in Airshows in any way – not static displays, not flying, nothing.  This information has sent the Airshow Industry back to their drawing boards to see how they can move on from here.

The Military Demonstration Teams are an enormous draw for these events.  Military Teams can increase attendance by up to 30% while bringing many attendees from long distances which increase tourism for their cities.  The draw for the communities is estimated to be a minimum of $2M in tourism, hotels, restaurants, etc.

John Cudahy, President of the International Council of Air Shows (ICAS) has said, "If the military does not participate in Airshows during the 2013 season, the economic impact will reach far beyond the show itself and deeply into the communities in which those shows are held.”

We can point to what Fleet Week is like in San Francisco with the Blue Angels. The entire town (except for the haters) comes out for the waterside party. The streets are crowded, the hotels and restaurants are full – and now… it’s also cancelled.

Christine Falvey, spokeswoman for San Francisco’s Mayor Ed Lee, said last month, Fleet Week attracts over 1 million spectators and its loss could have a major economic impact on San Francisco.

Those are the hard numbers, but let’s look at the less tangible impact. The original mission of these teams was always based in recruiting. However, this mission has grown to include a sense of National Pride. During these amazing performances, most people feel a sense of Patriotism. There is rarely a dry eye in the house while watching an impressive fly- over at an athletic event – chests swelling with pride for our country during our National Anthem.

What does that mean to the local Airshows?

In a recent poll taken by AVWeb, an internet aviation news service, only 7 percent of the respondents said, No Jet Teams, No Attendance. The rest were more positive, 54% saying they would attend with or without the teams, 24% said it would dependent on the quality of the rest of the show. So, nearly 80% are willing to go to a show, if we make it creative, interesting and exciting enough without the jets.  

Some Airshows decided to just cancel the event this year and either revamp or hope for better times in 2014. Other shows have gotten out their thinking caps and decided to use creativity to bring the crowds back this year.

Deb Mitchell was the Director of Marketing for AirshowBuzz and is now the Managing Partner of Latitude 31. She said, “There will be shows that rise to the challenge and press forward with modifications. Then there will be those who say it's impossible to make money without a jet team. My money is on the shows that reduce their spending, increase sponsorship and design creative marketing plans to lure people to an incredible family event.”  

She continued by saying, “The way forward is not easy but it's exciting to be able to re-invent your act or your show possibly attracting an entirely new audience.”  

What does this all mean to your favorite Civilian Airshow Performers?

Civilian Airshow Performers can be categorized into three distinct groups. The first group would be the highly sponsored acts such as Sean D. Tucker sponsored by Oracle and others, Kirby Chambliss flying for Red Bull and Michael Goulian for Goodyear Aviation, to name a few. This group has a contract with their sponsors that can include what Airshows and Events they need to fly as well as other Corporate Activities. They will likely not be impacted too badly this year, but if this austerity program continues, we may see a fall in sponsorship of these types of acts in the future.

Performers who have a full time job and fly airshows on weekends are in the next group. Many of the members of this group fly for an airline, which allows them additional flexibility – but there are also 9-5’ers who fly a desk Monday – Friday and then pack up and head out to their local show. Again, this group will survive this year – but their future may be in jeopardy also.

The final group consists of Performers who live day in and day out on their Airshow jobs. This group will be heavily impacted.  In speaking with several of the Performers, some have seen 30-50% of their shows cancelled for this year. This could be devastating to Performers in all groups.

How can Performers become more creative to expand their show base? In speaking with Skip Stewart, he mentioned expanding his geographical footprint. This year alone, Skip will fly in 6 different countries including many locations in Latin America and the Caribbean.  He will be joined by Kyle Franklin at their first show ever in California (Minter Field, May 11-12). While this means being away from home for longer periods of time, he feels it is worth it to bring his style of flying to more people. I applaud his creativity and his tenacity.

What should Airshows do to survive?

As Debbie Mitchell mentioned, creativity, marketing and sponsorship will be keystones in the future.

Darcy Brewer, Executive Director at California Capital Airshow, agrees and takes it further.

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom…not even federal budget restrictions will stop the 2013 California Capital Airshow from performing for the loyal and eager fans of the Sacramento region (and far beyond) this October 5-6 at Mather Airport.

We realize these are both exciting and challenging times for the air show industry.  It’s the ideal time for the industry as a whole to re-invent itself, be creative, roll up its sleeves, and remember why we produce these special events in the first place

·         to honor our veterans and heroes by sharing their stories and experiences

·         to inspire and educate our young people with any amazing asset we can share

·         to passionately share a century of aviation history and American ingenuity with our treasured guests

I encourage everyone to please take a weekend drive with your family this summer and support an industry that needs you by attending an airshow or two.  By doing so, you will show these dedicated teams and their armies of volunteers how much you appreciate their tireless commitment regardless of what’s going on in Washington.

Thank you, Darcy. I couldn't have said it better myself. So, I’ll let her words finish off this column.  

Hopefully, I’ll see all of you at an Airshow or two this season.  

Marilyn Dash

Pylon Place 
Ruby Red Racing

Special thanks to Bruce Croft for his excellent photography. These pictures were taken at Airshows around the country and are meant to show the importance of Airshows to our next generation.

Ten Years Ago.... the story of Meigs Field

Ten years ago, Chicago and the Aviation world woke up to see Meigs Field destroyed. Mayor Richard Daley took it upon himself to circumvent the law, the rules, and the rights of the citizens and pilots of the world to destroy a landmark. Many will remember waking up the next morning and watching the news in complete shock.

Meigs field had a deep history in the Chicago area. While it wasn’t the everyday home to aircraft, it was just for transient traffic visiting the downtown Chicago area. It was used frequently and was a treasure to many people who lived, visited or worked in the area.

History

Merrill Church Meigs was born in 1883, a newsman in Chicago at the Chicago Herald and Examiner. He was inspired to become a pilot after covering the solo flight across the Atlantic Ocean by Charles Lindbergh in 1927.

Later in life he became head of the Chicago Aero Commission and was instrumental in the development of Meigs field, which was named in honor of him and his hard work in developing the field in 1948.

Meigs Field – Before
Credit: Marge Beaver / Used with permission from the Friends of Meigs Field

Trouble

This troubled field was under attack most of its life. The future of the lakefront airport had been in dispute since the 1990s. Daley had hopes of turning it into a 91-acre park – but it looked like these plans would be blocked for years by the courts and legislative fights with those who considered it a valuable business amenity. So he ordered a stealthy and nearly irrevocable strike that began the transformation of Meigs Field back into Northerly Island and a park. 

The public and their laws can be so annoying! Hearings, court battles, compromise proposals, impact studies, etc., that whole messy governmental process thing that's really just a formality - in Chicago anyway – why do it properly when you have a few friends with bulldozers.

The Friends of Meigs Field, an organization dedicated to preserving the field, received a call in the middle of the night asking if they knew of any construction being down at the field. They were stunned of course and headed out there to see what they could find out. They weren't allowed on the field and were later told that the night was chosen specifically because only light aircraft were on the field that night.

The stranded aircraft were allowed to take off from the taxiway – or, the City of Chicago would “dismantle their aircraft and move it for them”. Um… seriously? I think I’ll take off from the taxiway, thanks.

And then came the lawsuits. Chicago faced a $33,000 penalty and up to $4.5 million in additional fines for the clandestine destruction of Meigs field. The fine was for shutting down a public use airport without giving the required 30 day notice.

The additional fines were from the FAA basically saying city officials improperly diverted $1.5 million in federal grants and airline passenger taxes intended for capital repairs to pay for demolishing the Meigs runway. The FAA could have ordered the city to repay any improperly used funds or impose penalties of up to $4.5 million if the city refuses to comply.

Regarding the alleged misuse of airport funding, a city official was quoted as saying, "Some funds were used to build the airport, and it was appropriate to use the airport funds to remove the airport."

When it was all said and done, the only repercussion from this, besides a public black eye, was the $33,000 fine. That’s it.

Now, Northerly Island, the old site of Meigs Field, is a 91- acre park on Lake Michigan. The majority of this space is dedicated to “strolling paths, casual play areas and a spectacular view of the Chicago skyline”. So, there you have it.

Caption: Meigs Field - After
Credit Precision Aerial, Mark Remaley / Used with permission from the Friends of Meigs Field

Is your airport next?

Is Santa Monica Airport next? Some people in that community have already developed plans to turn their local airport into a park also. It seems all of our local airports are under attack by someone or some group looking to use the land for their preferred interest. 

Be sure, Aviation as we know it is under attack in many ways and we need to keep our eyes open and be vigilant to make sure the next generation has a place to learn, experience and enjoy what we have dedicated so much of our time, energy, money and love. 

Final thoughts:

A friend of mine wrote this the other day and I wanted to add it here.

Here today, while there are still plenty of airplanes in the sky, I fear that this is a waning phenomenon. The administration has made it a top priority to demonize and vilify people who leave the ground for periods of time that exceed the time it takes to jump. One of the surest signs that a country has its shit together is when it can do things that are so potentially lethal so safely that no one ever seriously considers the downside of the activity when they engage in it. If we give that up, it is truly a sign that decline is only a modest way of describing the mode of the nation.

Happy flying. 

Aviation Events in 2013

Big things are happening this year in Aviation. Before we get too far into the New Year, I wanted to help you plan your vacation time. So, get out your Ruby Aviation Calendar http://www.cafepress.com/aviation_calendar and a pen and let’s get started.

Reno Air Races

Priority #1 to Air Race fans will be the 50^th Annual National Championship Air Races, which will be held September 11-15, 2013. If you only make one event this year, I am pretty sure this is the one to make.

The planning has started to have many old time racers in attendance. I will continue to update as plans become more solid throughout the year. But, circle this one, and consider coming for the entire week. Qualifying starts on Monday, September 9^th.

With all the rumors floating around for the last few years about this being the final Reno, if your bucket list contains, “Race at Reno” – you need to go to the Pylon Racing Seminar, PRS, aka Rookie School. This will likely be held the week of June 10^th. You need to attend PRS if you want to race, so to check that box on the Bucket List; you need to be here in June to be there in September. 

I should also mention that I don’t believe the rumors, I didn’t believe the rumor about the Mayans either – and they were wrong too.

Reno Air Races action, where else can you see racing Mustangs

Paris Air Show

Speaking of 50^th Anniversaries, the Paris Air Show also celebrates this milestone June 17-23. The Paris Air Show is a biannual event which is much more focused on the business side of Aviation. You will see the latest from companies like AirBus, Sukhoi, Dassault and Bombardier. You probably won’t see a Pitts or an RV-6 in the bunch.

The Solar Impulse is scheduled to be there. This is a long-range solar powered aircraft being used to prove the concept of solar flight at night. The ultimate goal is to fly around the world – stopping only to change pilots. The Around the World flight will likely take place in 2014 or 2015, but several more test flights are scheduled – so keep an eye on this energetic crew.

Air Race Teams tossing t-shirts to the fans – only at Reno!

WAC 2013 – USA

The World Aerobatic Championships, also known as the WAC, will be held in the United States for the first time since 2003. The site will be North Texas Regional Airport (KGYI) situated between Sherman and Denison in Grayson County. This is basically the Olympics for Unlimited Aerobatic Competitors.

So, what can you expect to see at WAC2013?  Projections initially indicate that at least 12 countries will be represented with up to 75 pilots in competing. Because the event takes place in the USA, we also expect to see several Independent pilots flying outside of their national teams.

The USA hasn't won a championship since 1988 when the team of Henry Haigh, Kermit Weeks and Clint McHenry won it all in Red Deer, Canada. We have won the 4-minute Freestyle two of the last three events. Rob Holland won it in 2011 and Zach Heffley in 2009.

The team needs sponsorship, volunteers, spectators, and donations. So, check out http://wac2013.com/ for more information and to follow the action. Head over to http://www.unlimitedaerobaticsusa.com/ to meet the US Team.

US Aerobatic Team headed to WAC in October

Credit: US Aerobatic Team 

Sun-n-Fun

The USAF Thunderbirds announced that the SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo has been included on this year’s schedule. The announcement was made last month at the International Council of Airshows Convention in Las Vegas, NV. 

The 2013 SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In & Expo will be held April 9 – 14 at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport in Lakeland, FL. Most new Airshow Acts try out their new routines at this event each year. So, if you’re in need of Aviation, Sun, and Fun in April, Lakeland is your place.

Oshkosh - Airventure

This year Oshkosh, the EAA Fly-in known as Airventure will take place from July 29, 2013 - August 4, 2013. As a pilot, if you’ve never been you must go. Fly-in, drive-in, hitchhike if you have to – do whatever it takes, but get there, at least once in your lifetime.

There is something for everyone at Airventure, from the homebuilder workshops to the exhibits to the amazing airshow. You will be among your people, talking, living and breathing everything Aviation.

Flying Legends Air Show at Duxford

And if you want to see something completely different, try the Flying Legends Air Show at Duxford which takes place July 13 – 14, 2013. The event takes place at the Imperial War Museum Duxford, a branch of the Imperial War Museum in London, near the village of Duxford in Cambridgeshire, England.

This event is exactly what it sounds like, a celebration of legendary aircraft which fly most of the afternoon. The mornings are free to wander around the museum and explore the aircraft and other exhibits available. This is definitely one for that Bucket List.

Others

If you can’t make any of these events, look for a local Aerobatic Competition or Airshow in your neighborhood. Take a friend and make a commitment to introduce someone else to the world of Aviation this year.

Happy 2013! See you at the show!

Early morning biplane action at Reno

Photo Credits

Anthony D. Taylor
http://warbirdfotos.com/

That is One Fast Glasair …

Honoring my commitment to cover all of the Race Classes at Reno, not just the Unlimiteds, I wanted to introduce you to Jeff LaVelle, the 2012 Sport Class Gold Champion and his Glasair III. A seemingly mild mannered Glasair III, one that looks remarkably like the others you may see each weekend flying to the next $100 Hamburger location. However, this one is special --- very special.

But, all that is special is on the inside. Jeff LaVelle, like so many other Race Pilots, started out racing something else, for him it was Motorcycles. He always had competitive spirit that made him look for ways to improve. He became a pilot about 20 years ago and later attended the Reno Air Races, setting his sights on competing there.

Jeff LaVelle rounding the pylons in his Glasair III Bruce Croft  - http://www.twozerowest.com/
 He founded a company in 1989 in aerospace manufacturing providing products to industry giants including Boeing, Lockheed Martin and Northrup Grumman. Watching and learning and finally taking some of his ideas for his clients probably helped him create his plan of attack at Reno.

He purchased a Glasair kit in 1998 and his focus turned to the brand new Sport Class. This provided him the perfect opportunity to use his piloting skills, his love for speed, and his knowledge of mechanical things. He attended PRS in 2007 and won Rookie of the Year for the Sport Class that year.

His first qualifying time in 2007 was 292.193 – over 100 mph less than this year. Now, that is serious improvement. By 2008, he was already making incredible strides qualifying at 335.180 mph that year. In 2009 his number was 357.863 and another smaller improvement in 2010 to 362.481.

A much larger difference was made by 2011. He qualified FIRST at an amazing 396.730 and really turned some heads. Unfortunately, the Races were canceled and he never got a chance to back up that number with a win. John Parker was crowned the Winner in 2011 based on the Sport Class Heat 2A Results on Friday. Jeff performed a precautionary landing during that race, based on an errant radio call. He assumed he had the weekend to make up ground, but things didn’t work out that way.

The changes he has made include turbochargers, a larger engine with more horsepower, different propellers and some aerodynamic changes. He says they do something each year, trying to make those modifications pay off. And they finally did.

This year, he wanted to win. He has been making changes over the years and this was his time. He won Fastest Type, Fastest Qualifier, every Heat Race and then the final championship race on Sunday.

He is missing only two records at this point: fastest qualifying time (409.297) for the class and the championship race record (402.896) – both records currently held by Jon Sharp with his NemesisNXT. Jeff has a new engine ready to be put on the Glasair for next year and he has a few other changes up his sleeve. I believe he will capture Jon Sharp’s records next year. And, I will be happy to cheer him on and wish him luck.

Jeff preparing for a practice session at PRS in June Bruce Croft  -  http://www.twozerowest.com/

Aviation Calendar

Don't forget to buy your Ruby Calendar - 2013 for all the pilots on your holiday gift giving list!
http://www.cafepress.com/aviation_calendar

See you next year!

The Return to the Races

We expected it to feel different, and it did. We expected it to be more difficult, and it was. But, we never expected it to be so cathartic.  At least I didn't.

The week started out earlier than usual. Racers were to be on the field by the noon on the Saturday before the races. This is by far the earliest we were told to be there. But we were there and we were together.

It was good to see some of the new aircraft, new paint jobs, new owners, etc.  And, of course, it was good to see all the new rookies and our old friends. Lots of hugs were exchanged and stories were shared about the off-season and how most of us were absolutely certain we wouldn’t be standing there – but we were.

Before I review the races, I wanted to share a quote from Tim Cone, Rookie Sport Class Racer: What do they call the pilot who places LAST in the Bronze heat of a Reno Air Race? An Air Racer! – And he’s right! Congrats to all the racers and especially the rookies.

International Formula 1

The race in IF1 was for 2^nd place. Endeavour and Steve Senegal wrapped up the Gold with ease qualifying over 10 mph faster than Vito Wypraechtiger of Switzerland – his closest competitor. Steve flew the best he’s ever flown and had a great week. He had three aircraft competing, including Miss Demeanor in the IF1 Silver and his RV8 in the Sport Class.

Steve Senegal and Endeavour with Crew Chief, Cash Copeland 

Brian Reberry raced his new design September Fate in the Gold and Tony the Tiger, a stock Cassutt III-M in the Silver – bringing up the rear. September Fate was fast, but has much more potential. We look forward to whatever tweaks the Reberry team decides to bring in the future.

Little gremlins plagued many of the other competitors including Stephen Partridge Hicks who had all sorts of problems; Rookie Justin Phillipson had problems but was able to work them out and ended up finishing second in the Gold. Kevin Anderson another fine Rookie also had gremlins – which prevented him from completing his week. He put up a nice qualifying time and hopefully, we’ll see him again next year.

An influx of young blood was honored with Kevin Broughall winning Crew Chief of the year and Justin Phillipson earning second place in the Gold and Rookie of the Year. Congrats to you both and to all the IF1 racers and crews for making it such a great and safe year.

Justin Phillipson our IF1 Rookie of the Year 
 

Biplanes

The Biplane Gold was won from the back row by Tom Aberle flying Phantom. Tom was disqualified in the final heat race for low flying (something that happened quite frequently this year in all the classes) which placed him in the back of the pack for the final Gold Race. This meant that Tom had to pass everyone to win, and this time he only lapped six of the competitors. Karl Grove in Drag Racer started on pole and was the only biplane not lapped. Tom continues to amaze with his purpose built racer.


The Biplane Silver was won in fine style by Chris Schaich in his second year of racing. I ended up third in the Silver – at one point listed as second due to a low flight call for Casey Erickson. This penalty did not withstand the test of time and was somehow overturned, which put me back into third. Still, this was the best I have ever finished and my team is happy with our results.

Ruby with 232 watching over her shoulder


We are hoping for new competitors to join us at PRS in September, if you’re interested in racing, in any of the classes, drop me a line and I’ll help you.


T6

The T6 class was competitive as usual. Nick Macy won the Gold with a new record of just over 247 mph. Dennis Buehn was in second place and John Lohmar came in third. John Zayak toasted his engine (technical aviation term) and was unable to finish out his week.


Gordo Sanders won the Silver with an amazing race against Gene McNeeley earlier in the week to take the pole position. Gene cut a pylon and Gordo was able to keep his position and was thrilled with the results. This was the first time Gordo has won. Congrats!

 Close racing between Gordo Sanders and Gene McNeeley in the T6 Class


Sport Class

The Sport Class has had their ups and downs over the years, and I believe they are really hitting their stride. In the beginning, it was Glasairs and Lancairs with a smattering of the Metal Mafia (RV-4, 6, 8, Rockets, etc.). Then, we had the Super Sport which was meant to increase the competition for larger engines and elevated designs. Now we have a mix of both.


Jeff LaVelle qualified at 395 mph in his highly modified, incredible Glasair III. If you took a quick glance at it, you’d think it was a perfectly normal Glasair, but alas, you would be wrong. We will cover more information about Jeff in future columns, but let’s just say, that is not your normal Glasair. Jeff qualified first, and ran all four races in the front without a flaw. He had a great week and we’re happy to see him do so well.


John Parker in his Thunder Mustang, Blue Thunder II, finished second, but was over 16 mph behind our leader. Lynn Farnsworth finished out the top three with Lee Behel in his beautiful GP-5 coming in a very respectable fourth place.


Jet Class

Rick Vandam owned the Jet Gold from beginning to end. He qualified fastest and won each heat race and the final Gold in American Spirit the super slick L39. Rick and Phil Fogg were the only aircraft the entire week to put up 500mph + times – and that was only in Qualifying.

Rick Vandam and American Spirit - Jet Class Gold


The 250 foot maximum altitude, which I’ve written about in earlier articles, was quite significant in the Jet Class (and Unlimiteds). Several of the racers were called for “High Flying” and were disqualified for their sessions. 


I would say that flying was watched more carefully this year and the Contest Committee, the final voice in penalties and disqualifications, were kept busy all week.


Unlimited

Steven Hinton and Strega provided the fans with a decisive win on Sunday in the Unlimited Breitling Gold Race. After winning in 2009, “Stevo” was named the winner in 2010, the Year of the Wind and in 2011, when racing was cancelled due to the tragedy. This year, he wanted to win it in the sky, the way you’re meant to win an Air Race.

232 and Dreadnaught battling for second place during final Gold Race


232 flown by former Astronaut, Hoot Gibson finished second with the Sander’s Dreadnaught coming in third. But, the final finish doesn't tell even half the story of 2012.


The Qualifying Sessions ended with Strega having a slight lead over Rare Bear, being flown by veteran racer, Stewart Dawson. Furias, the beautifully restored Super Sea Fury, qualified a distant third, however, on landing, Matt Jackson had a landing gear issue and Furias ended up in a dust cloud in the desert. Matt was okay and by the time he got back to the Pits he was already telling stories about how it all came to be. Sadly, Furias was not okay and is going home on a truck.


Our fourth highest qualifier was Precious Metal with Thom Richard as the pilot. Their speed of 463mph was the fastest that airframe has ever gone. Unfortunately, their gear door disappeared coming down the Chute on Sunday and he was the first mayday of the race.


Dennis Sanders flying the families Super Sea Fury, Dreadnaught qualified fifth and as always, flew perfectly awaiting the series of maydays that were sure to come. 


Some of the best racing during the week included watching Dennis Sanders in Dreadnaught trying to overtake Thom Richard in Precious Metal. Watching “The Buick” struggled to keep upright while flying closely on Thom’s wing reminded so many of us of watching Czech Mate and other racers struggled to stay behind Dreadnaught. The wake created by Dread really knocks the air around, and this time Dreadnaught was eating some of her own medicine.

Precious Metal tossing nasty wake at Dreadnaught


During the final race, Rare Bear pulled off the course after the penultimate lap, presumably with overheating problems, which plagued them all week. This left the door open for Rare Bear’s little sister 232 to jump into second place.


232 had a dismal qualifying time, but had been nursing early issues during the week. Electrical problems were the rumored cause of their gremlins. Fixed by Wednesday, each day they refined their racer and started to go faster. The second place finish was the best for Hoot and he had a great time working with the 232 Crew. 


Sawbones, flown by Curt Brown and Miss America, flown by Brent Hisey finished fourth and fifth in the final Gold Race. Both putting up very respectable times and both flying beautifully all week.

Miss America, Rare Bear and Sawbones in close racing on Sunday


This was Strega’s 11^th win, Stevo’s fourth, and this will be their last as a team. Tiger Destefani, Strega’s owner, has confirmed that he will no longer campaign Strega at the races in the future. 

What does this mean? Will Strega end up in someone else’s hands and continue to race? Will Strega end up in a museum – or maybe become a flying museum?


What does this mean for our young champion? Will he end up racing another aircraft? Will he leave air racing? Continue racing in another venue?


The Strega Team worked as a well-oiled machine all week. It is sad to see them disperse. But, I would like to take this chance to thank Tiger for being Tiger and bringing Strega to the races for our entertainment. And, for giving us Stevo Hinton.

Tiger Destefani and Steven Hinton proved to be unbeatable - again


Final Thoughts

The crowds were not at pre-2011 levels, but the fans came back. The racing wasn’t edge-of-your-seat-action all week, but it was good and it was safe. There was a smattering of maydays, but only a few aircraft unable to fly home. All in all, I believe this was a successful comeback for NCAR. 

Congrats to all competitors and to RARA for putting on a great event.


Next month, we’ll get into more detail about the races and discuss some of the more interesting competitions happening on the course. We will take a closer look at some of the teams and what makes a team work well together. And, we’ll talk about the tragedy, the ceremony, the survivors and the future of the Reno Air Races.


Until then…

 
All photos used with permission from Bruce Croft - http://www.twozerowest.com/

Reno Air Racing Prep - 2012

Keeping up with the news surrounding the Reno Air Races this year has been exhausting. Racers and fans alike have so many questions, i.e., are we racing, what changes will we see, who will be there, who won’t, will the fans notice any changes? These are all good questions. I hope that I have, through this column, helped everyone understand what the process has been following the horrific event of September 16, 2011. I have tried to listen to the questions the fans have been asking and answer them here.

NTSB Review Board

NTSB Review Board provided their findings in a Press Conference on August 27^th. Many of their recommendations have been discussed in this column earlier in the year. The final determination of cause was reviewed during this meeting. I have been following their investigation closely and am incredibly impressed with the depth of information they obtained, the amount of analysis which was done and their efforts. Generally investigations such as this one could take over two years to complete. Because they wanted to provide the information in time for the 2012 Reno Air Races, they pushed to get final recommendations and analysis done in time.

If you didn’t watch the Press Conference live or via video from their website, you missed some riveting information. I won’t go into the details, but the NTSB placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of Jimmy Leeward as race pilot and aircraft owner.

My problem is; the checks and balances have always been in place. The FAA requires annual condition inspections, which are required for all aircraft – even experimental, exhibition and racers. RARA requires these documents be submitted each year with our racing packets. The class technical inspections are only required to make sure the aircraft adhere to the class requirements – they aren’t supposed to replace this annual condition inspection. If changes are made to an aircraft, the FSDO (Flight Standards District Office) must be notified in writing. A specific testing program is outlined to verify these changes are safe, generally a specific amount of time must be flown in the configuration and a final sign off by the pilot is required stating the changes were tested in accordance with the program and everything went well.  

To campaign a Race Team may look easy. It’s not. From the fastest Jet or Unlimiteds to the slowest IF1 or Biplane – special attention is taken to make sure the aircraft and the pilot are ready for the task at hand. For those of us who have been racing for years, we have seen our share of friends hurt or killed – so we know the level of risk involved. Our maintainers are keenly aware of their place in the event. We rely on each other to do the right thing and to present on race day the best possible aircraft we can. I truly believe this is everyone’s focus. No one tries to cut corners, to my knowledge.

With all of these checks in place, how could things get so far gone? To hear the NTSB describe the state of the Galloping Ghost was chilling. It clearly wasn’t ready to “beat Strega” as Jimmy stated a thousand times. I wish he was more cautious and less aggressive. But, he was a racer. And he was my friend, which makes it so much harder to hear those words spoken by the NTSB.

How do things look for 2012

While the number of competitors is down, we can still expect some terrific racing. Strega will be back for probably her final year. She’s still the one to beat and Steven Hinton is still the Wunderkind. Just in his mid-20s and already one of the most brilliant racers of our time.

Rare Bear will be flown by Stewart Dawson. He has been getting seat time and they are tweaking things to give her the best possibly chance in September.

Furias will be there in her new paint. She looks GREAT – thanks to Bucky Dawson’s paint scheme and amazing work (as usual) from the Sanders. Matt Jackson will be in the pilot – and he’s ready.

232 aka September Fury will be flown by Hoot Gibson. The aircraft has been going through some serious review to make sure she is ready. The rumor is the 232 crew wants to beat her big sister, Rare Bear. It’s a good natured competition – which is just what we need right now.

Dreadnaught aka The Buick is ready to jump into the lead if any of the front runners sneeze. They are always poised for great things.

Precious Metal has been reworking many things this year. Their team has been burning the candle on both ends and are working hard to toe the line the FAA has put down regarding aircraft changes and engineering reports. My understanding is the PM Team has completed all their paperwork and is finalizing the testing program and should be on the field with bells on for the first Pilot Brief of 2012. Thom Richard and crew are the only team in the Unlimited Division making major changes this year which now require these engineering reports.  It’s all new procedures for us and we’re just doing our best to figure things out.

That should be our top six in the Unlimited Gold. Miss America and Sawbones should round out the group. We will all miss Voodoo and Czech Mate, but the show must go on. At this time, we have just 21 Unlimited Racers scheduled to attend.

Other Notables

I wanted to make a special comment here stating that Lee Behel is bringing back the beautiful GP-5. His tenacity knows no bounds. I have always been a big fan, but his efforts with this aircraft are herculean. I wish him the best of luck.

I also wanted to mention that Mike Dacey, who had an engine failure and subsequent hard landing the day before the Galloping Ghost Incident is recovering. He will not be racing this year, but insists that he will be back. His determination is inspiring and I wish him the best as he rebuilds.

Final thoughts

To all the racers and crew who have decided to come back this year, I applaud you. We were not sure we were racing until the last minute and we had to have faith to put our time and energy into the difficult preparations to be there in September, as we have been for so many Septembers before.

To the Rookies who showed up at PRS and have decided to join our family, you are to be applauded as well. You came forward to try your hand at this incredible sport, without knowing what would happen. You have great faith, or you’re crazy -- but either way, I thank you!

To all the fans and volunteers who have decided to join us, we appreciate you. Without you, it would be just a bunch of really cool planes and friends looking for a race.

To the NTSB, I am grateful that you took your task so seriously. Also a big thank you to the civilians who assisted them, including Bill Kerchenfaut and Mike Luvara – to the aircraft owners who gave them access to their aircraft including Bob Button – to the Blue Ribbon Committee who came back to help the NTSB understand what we do including Jon Sharp and  Steve Hinton.

To each Race Class Leadership, you don’t get the credit you deserve, especially this year. Your dedication has been unwavering.

To RARA, thank you for not giving up hope and for continuing to pave the way for us to race again.

This entire process has just reminded me of how wonderful this community is and how close we were to losing the one event that brings us together.  Let’s all hope for a clean, safe and fun 2012 Reno Air Races.

Marilyn Dash
Ruby Red Racing

Let’s go RACING!

First the GREAT news!

As we are going to press today, we received word that we are in fact racing in September. The much publicized shortfall of $1M towards the event insurance was eradicated when the NCOT (Nevada Commission on Tourism) came forward to provide the final $600,000.

This was the last hurdle to racing in September. All of the waivers, permits, and requirements have been satisfied and now the final checkbox has been ticked and we are on the road to Reno!

Alan Crawford rounding the pylons at PRS
Credit: Bruce Croft

Other good news includes the addition of a new racer in the IF1 Class. Brian Reberry’s new racer, September Fate, has been completed, tested, approved and registered to race in September. It has been two years since the first time I saw an artist’s rendering of the racer – and it’s now real and ready.

Reberry was introduced to the Reno Air Races through the late, great Gary Hubler, another Boise, ID pilot and long time IF1 Winner. In 2005, he started racing with N-A-Rush. He sold N-A-Rush and put the time, money and energy into building his new racer. You can see the resemblance in the gear to Tom Aberle’s Phantom, which has dominated the Biplane Class for years. 

Brian gives plenty of credit to his team, sponsors and his wife for all the assistance over the last two years.

Reberry’s Racer, “September Fate”
Credit: Sherawn Reberry

Will Reberry’s design dominate the IF1 class? Will he give Steve Senegal and Endeavor a run for the Gold? We will find out in September.

Now for the not so great news…

It looks like Czech Mate will not make it again this year. Czech has been going through a speed increasing and airframe strengthening for the last several years. We had all hoped the work had been completed, tested and the racer would be ready for September, but sadly, that will not happen.

Czech Mate Fans will be disappointed this year
Credit: Tim Adams

John and Marcia Moore have owned the racer since 1997. They have made significant changes to it since it was owned by Bob Yancey and have always said they would not race it if they felt it wasn’t ready – and by ready, I believe they mean tested and tested and tested, again. We will miss Czech this year, but we know they are doing the right thing and it’ll be racing when it’s ready.

Other not so great news…

The numbers are down. For all classes except the Sport Class, we do not have full fields. This fact, coupled with the low attendance at PRS would normally send a slight panic through the air racing world. However, so many folks were waiting to hear that we were DEFINITELY racing in September; there was a “wait and see” attitude. It’s too bad the news has come so late. If we had heard by April, perhaps PRS attendance and the race numbers would have been higher. 

We still have time for late entries and there is always the hope that this will happen – but even if we’re down in numbers, we expect to see a full field of fans and fun!

The variety of classes racing in September
Credit: Bruce Croft

More info on Air Racer 3D

I wanted to end this column on a very high note. We have been working with the Executive Producers of the Air Racers 3D movie about possible venues to view the movie during the Race Week.  

I can now confirm that "Air Racers 3D" will be screened at the four existing multiplexes in Reno for an exclusive 2-week engagement (Sept. 7-20). Show times will be at 7:00 PM and 8:15 PM every day. Audience can already book tickets online at via the Cinemark Theater Website or through the new movie website http://airracers-thefilm.com/.

We are planning on a Team Ruby event at one of the theaters during race week and will make sure we give everyone more details as they become available.

New Ruby Logo
Credit: Thanks to Phil Riek and Tina Leong for creating and tweaking the new design

Finally…

Our fans have been giving us feedback about our Ruby t-shirts. They fact that our current logo only works on light colored shirts and apparently working on airplanes is a dirty business, so we have a redesigned logo which will work on black t-shirts. You can purchase items with the new or old logo through CafePress. http://www.cafepress.com/rubyredracing

See you in September
Marilyn Dash
Ruby Red Racing