Winter Updates - Air Racing

Things are moving along in the Air Racing world. Here’s a recap of what’s coming up in 2018.

Pylon Racing Seminar for 2018

Originally, we were unsure if PRS (Pylon Racing Seminar AKA Rookie School) would take place in 2018 due to runway construction at Reno/Stead Airport. However, a compromise was reached and while we would normally be flying during the week, the weekend will see most of the flying sessions, so the runway construction can go on as scheduled. This is a great thing for Rookies trying to get certified before the Air Races in 2018.

Speaking of the Races in 2018, they are schedule for September 12-16^th this year. Tickets are already on sale, so let’s start making those travel arrangements!

And the Performers have been announced. This is a nice mix of Civilian and Military shows to intermingle with the great racing you will see this year.

The Patriots Jet Team will be back to show their unique aerobatic performance involving 6 L-39s – the largest civilian jet team in the Western Hemisphere.

Also returning is the “Screamin’ Sasquatch” Jet Waco from John Klatt Air Shows. Another unique performance and a true crowd pleaser!

The Smoke and Thunder Jet Truck will be back. This is a great ground based show and allows for launching and recovering race aircraft – which is a great help to the Air Boss at Reno!

For Military Performers, we are lucky enough to have the F-35 Heritage Flight and the F-16 Viper Demonstration Team. I’m hoping at least one of these powerful jets will be able to take the pylons!

Ely and Other Locations

It looks like a race will be held in Ely, NV right after PRS from June 11^th through the 16^th. The Ely Race will likely be a two-class event. The airport was built for Air Racing – a enormous flat plateau. The course design is underway.

Other locations are also being discussed from the East Coast of the USA to the West Coast of Canada. There are also races schedule in Europe – including the fourth race in Portugal featuring three classes of Sport Racers.

While naysayers have been telling us that Air Racing is a dying sport – we say - HA!

NBC Sports Special

Circle March 31^st on your calendar. NBC Sports will be airing the three-part series of the 2017 Air Races featuring all three classes starting on that date. The other 2 episodes will be scheduled afterwards. AND – will be re-aired some time over the Summer months. Call your friends, alert everyone – we need more people to see this amazing event – so we can get more fans in the seats!

A Big THANK YOU to Stihl for their Sponsorship
Credit: Anthony D. Taylor

Speaking of Fans…

How do we reach out to the younger generation?

I belong to several aviation organizations and a common theme in the last few months has been – how do we increase interest in Aviation – in a Xbox World? How do we introduce today’s youth to mechanical things? How do we get them to come to the hangar early on a Saturday morning to learn how an engine works and how to pack bearings or rivet a fuselage?

The Reno Air Races have tried Drone Races (pssst – they’ll be back in 2018) and Motorcross demonstrations. We have also seen the Saab Demo Team (I loved that!). And after hours musical events – which was great for those of us who stay late.

We really need to reach out to NEW fans – not just keep the old ones. We need to share with them the exciting things that happen in the High Desert in mid-September every year.

If you have ideas on how to make that happen – let me know! I’m always open to ideas.

Sponsors

Another area we need to focus on these days is increasing the number of Sponsors we have for the Races and for individual Racers.

Each one of you who are reading these words may know someone who knows someone who either owns a company or works for a company who may be a great sponsor for Air Racing. Think about it – who would benefit by telling their story to the fans of Air Racing. Look at Stihl. Before they started sponsoring Andrew Findlay in the Sport Class – had you heard of them? Had you seen NATIONAL advertisement for their brand? Probably not. But someone on their Marketing Team said – this might be a great place for us to build awareness of our products.

There are other Stihl companies out there who could also build on their brand by sharing their products with the Air Racing Fans.

Again – any ideas? Let me know!

Justin Philipson in No Strings Attached
Credit: Anthony D. Taylor

 

Lots of exciting things are coming along and as they firm up – I will be sure to share this information.

Happy 2018 and let’s go Flying! 

Pylon Racing Seminar 2016

In 1997, it was decided there should be a better way to help prepare pilots for the National Championship Air Races held each year during September, in Reno, NV. Previously, hopeful race pilots may arrive a few days early in September and be taken through a series of air maneuvers the weekend before the races.  As the races started to attract more classes and more racers – a better, more structured training became necessary.

This June marked the 19^th Pylon Racing Seminar AKA Rookie School. And - for the fourth year in a row – a record number of participants were in attendance.  Between the 6 Race Classes, 79 airplanes and 130 participants from all over the world made their way to Stead to practice, to qualify to have fun.

“We are beyond excited to have hosted a record number of planes and participants at this year’s Pylon Racing Seminar, Mike Crowell, President and CEO of the Reno Air Racing Association said. “Not only is PRS an opportunity for new pilots to get a feel for the course and understand safety guidelines, it is also a chance for returning pilots to train for September. It was a great few days for the Reno Air Racing Association and we are looking forward to this year’s National Championship Air Races.”

There are only two periods per year when racers are able to fly on the course –during PRS and during Race Week. So, PRS doesn’t just attract new racers, but returning pilots and veterans who want to have a little fun or knock the rust off their skills.

Each Class spends part of the time in a General Session learning about NCAR and the Reno Air Races. Then they split up into their specific Classes and learn the specific operations for their group – basically Ground School. The final 2 segments of the training include specific Air Work, based on their Class’s requirements. Then, they can finally get on the race course.

Specific skills are required for each different Class. For example, if they have a ground start like the Biplanes and Formula Classes – they will practice take-offs with a maximum 10 foot deviation in either direction. And to ensure racers know how to get out of bad air on the pylons, they may be asked to do aileron rolls – right and left. If they have an air start, they are required to fly formation and simulate a typical join up and chute approach. And most classes will have the attendees perform a simulated Mayday to show their understanding of their aircraft and the flight characteristics during an emergency.

Something else which is relatively new is the ability for a racer to come to PRS and go through the General Sessions, the Ground School and hold the Air Work for September. This works great for people coming from further away – where flying across the country twice would be quite difficult.  It opens up the field to pilots who have always wanted to race, but couldn’t make both PRS and Race Week.

As expected, the Sport Class was the big winner with over 50 attendees, including rookies, returning racers who have not raced in the last 3 years - to recertify, veterans interested in practice or testing and instructors. Even with all of the attendees, in disparate aircraft and skill levels – the Sport Class worked like a well-oiled machine. Each session was planned out in advance with the instructors, flight leaders and rookies mixing it up and getting it done.

Over 20 participants in Formula 1 mark their best year ever. This seems to be another Class getting renewed interest from the Sport Pilot community. Philip Goforth and Jay Jones have been instrumental in locating pilots around the country who own Formula 1 racing planes and talking them into joining the movement. More on this Class in next month’s column – but for now – know that they are on the move!

The T-6 Clubhouse was buzzing with happy pilots. Jerry Thurman’s hangar has become the “Happy Place for the T-6 Class”. They do their pre-flight and post-flight briefs in this facility and rarely venture too far away. Some great new pilots have joined their #s including Chris LeFave and active duty USN Aviator, Peter Stavrides. Congrats, gentlemen!

Also, Eric Woelbing was there in preparation for his sophomore year. If his name sounds familiar, he is the proud owner of famous racing Sea Furys, Miss Merced and Furias.  But, he will be racing his T-6 – Eddie Van Fossen’s old Miss TNT. I expect we will hear much more from him and his racing team in the future.

Yes, you Unlimited Fans – there were Unlimiteds at PRS. In fact, 2 new pilots were certified – Joel Swager and Bernie Vasquez. Joel flew Argonaut while Stevo Hinton and Bernie shared Voodoo during the week, with Bernie going for his certification and Stevo looking to get some telemetry on the aerodynamic modifications they made prior to the 2015 season – but with their engine not making the power they expected – they felt they never were able to get clear numbers to justify the modifications. PRS is a perfect time to do things like this.

Two other returning racers came back to take Ground School and will finish up their recertification in September. John Maloney and Jim Thomas will likely be flying John and Sue Paul’s P-51B, Boise Bee – and one of their P-40s (likely Sneak Attack) in September. A Big THANK YOU to John, Jim, and the Pauls for coming back!

Three Rookies were also in attendance for Ground School only. Ira Saligman and Olivier Langeard will be flying Yaks in September and Trevor Merton returned – but not sure what he will be flying yet.

Jay Consalvi attended PRS in 2010 in a Corsair. Since then, he hasn’t raced, but has always been around Warbirds. He is a retired Naval Aviator with time in both the F-14 and F-18. He is also the male lead in the movie Speed and Angels – which was touted as the “Real Life Top Gun”.  

Originally, Jay was looking to race Strega – but it looks like Czech Mate may be his ride this year instead. Either way, he is a welcome addition to the roster. With his name on the list, it looks like we will have approximately 18 Unlimiteds in September. Great news for you Warbird Fans!

Special thanks to all the volunteers who helped out at PRS – especially the photographers, race control and the TUG GUYS! The unsung heroes of keeping us on schedule! And of course, Anthony Taylor and Warbird Fotos for providing the amazing shots for this month.

There is more to come in the next few months. We will be focusing on a few racers who have a great story to tell and will keep the fans up to date with the exciting happenings in preparation for September.

Until then – Fly Low, Fly Fast and Turn Left!

Marilyn Dash
Pylon Place
Ruby Red Racing

Air Race 1 in Tunisia - and PRS News

I've heard the question a hundred times, why is International Formula One Air Racing called International? Well, Jeff Zaltman and his team have put the International back into IF1.

Last year, in their inaugural season, Air Race 1 put together a great race in Spain. This year, they have a 3 Race Series – starting in Tunisia and finishing in Reno, NV. They are revisiting their roots in Spain in the middle of the season. In fact, the teams are heading to Spain as we go to press.

First thing you’ll notice is a bunch of familiar names from the IF1 Class at Reno. Only 2 competitors are not Reno Air Races veterans. And the planes are very familiar as well!

This is the first Air Race to be hosted on the African continent. The crowds were treated to a series of great races and a few tricks here and there. Apparently, the rules in Tunisia are a little bit more lax than here in the USA.

Caption: Thom Richard, Jay Jones and Michael Mundell in the Gold

Credit: Used with permission from Air Race 1

Thom Richard, you know – Precious Metal Thom – ended up winning the Gold on Sunday with his new IF1 plane, Hot Stuff. You may remember this aircraft being built and flown by Brian Reberry several years ago. Now, it will be making the rounds in the IF1 Circuit. Congrats to Thom and the rest of the teams! I loved hearing the stories and receiving picture from everyone. I wish I could have been there!

Results - Class: Air Race 1 World Cup Monastir 2015

Round: Gold Final

Time: 16:00 Date: Sun, Jun 07 2015  

No	Pilot	Plane	Plane Name	Avg MPH
1	Thom Richard	3M1C1R	Hot Stuff	231.87
45	Jay (Jaybird) Jones	Cassutt	Quadnickel Racer	215.36
33	Michael Mundell	Cassutt IIIM	Second Wind	211.54
99	Kent Cassels	Cassutt IIIM	Margaret June	204.2
20	Philip Goforth	Cassutt	Pooder	175.24
53	Justin Phillipson	Cassutt	Kermit	175.24
87	Steve Temple *	Boyd GR-7 Panther	Madness	207.29

Results - Class: Air Race 1 World Cup Monastir 2015

Round: Silver Final

Time: 14:00 Date: Sun, Jun 07 2015

No	Pilot	Plane	Plane Name	Avg MPH
20	Philip Goforth	Cassutt	Pooder	184.01
53	Justin Phillipson	Cassutt	Kermit	177.15
11	Des Hart	Cassutt IIIM	Hart Attack	171.61
2	Trevor Jarvis	Shoestring	Silver Bullet	DNF
15	Dave (Homey) Holmgren	Cassutt IIIM	Last Lap Player	DNS

Caption: Thom Richard in Hot Stuff

Credit: Used with permission from Air Race 1

Pylon Racing Seminar – 2015

For the third year in a row, PRS had record breaking attendance. The increase in Air Racing Students is a serious sign of faith for the upcoming event in September.

The breakdown was 3 Biplanes, 8 IF1, 10 Jets, 12 Sport Class, 2 T6 and just 2 Unlimited Students. In fact, the 2 included Dan Martin who has been racing at Reno off and on for years. He will be sharing the flying duties with Sal Rubino on Grim Reaper.

Mike Brown, a former National Champion Unlimited Racer in 232, was unable to attend with his aircraft. He recently purchased Risky Business and some changes are still being made and the racer wasn’t available. We are hoping to still see Mike and Risky in September.

Other interesting notes include 2 new types of Jets – one is the L139, which is a one off aircraft, bridging the gap between the L39 and the L59. Vicky Benzing will be flying this beautiful Jet in September. The other is a Soko G-2, which is a Yugoslavian Trainer – looks a bit like the T-33 – but definitely Eastern European. Rookie, Peter Ireland will likely be flying her.

See you in September?

Entries were due June 26^th – which means we should hear what the preliminary numbers are soon. Full packages are due towards the end of July – so we have a few more minutes to get our paperwork together.

We certainly hope you have scheduled your vacation, purchased your tickets, reserved your hotel rooms and made your flight arrangements. We are racing in September – and we hope to see you there!

If you are looking to sponsor a Biplane Racing Team, check out our RubyRedRacing.com website. There is a Donate button on the left side. Also we’d love to talk with you about other opportunities.

Marilyn Dash

Ruby Red Racing

Caption: Goforth and Philipson going for the Silver

Credit: Jane Jarvis - used with permission from Air Race 1

Pylon Racing Seminar – 2014

A record number of attendees joined forces at Stead Field outside of Reno, NV to qualify and practice for the 51st National Championship Air Races to be held September 10-14th.

The 2014 PRS Graduating Class

IF1

International Formula 1 continues to earn their name – by the addition of Frenchman, Christophe Delbos flying Spaniard, Bill Paradi’s aircraft, N-A-Rush. Bill and his new wife are expecting a baby around the same time as the races, so Bill asked Bobos to fly his plane for him. (This is very bad timing, Bill!).

Some of you may remember Christophe (aka Bobos)  from the Big Frog Racing Team in the Sport Class. The Diesel-powered NXT flew only one year before the engine failed and Bobos had an off field landing, Strawberry Fields Forever.  He’ll be back in another Sport racer in the future – but will be an IF1 racer this year.

Biplanes

Biplanes added three new Rookies to their ranks. Father and son team, Alan and Brian Hoover, recently purchased Brett Schuck’s Pitts. Brett raced it last year and decided to move to a 2-seat Eagle this year. So, the Hoovers bought his Pitts. Also, Philip Ensley will be sharing flying duties with Casey Erickson in her Pitts.

Jeff Rose, a rookie last year in his Pitts, recently purchased Frank Jerant’s old Mong, Reno Rabbit. He wisely brought it to PRS to get some time on the course – knowing he would be seeing 40-50 mph increases in speeds from last year. His dedication to the sport will be chronicled in a future column. Stay tuned for more on Jeff and his team.

Jets

The Jet Class is also seeing some international flavor with Charlie Camilleri from Australia coming back to finish his certification this year. Terry, “SkinS” Fornof was also back this year – passing easily. Doug Matthews was on hand with his SIAI-Marchetti S.211. We hope we’ll see it racing this year. Otherwise, it’ll be a collection of L29s and L39s rounding the course again.

Doug Matthews’ SIAI-Marchetti S.211

T-6

The best thing to happen to the T-6 Class was their Club House. Jerry Thurman of Reno, NV has provided the T-6 Class with access to his wonderful hangar for PRS and the Races for several years now. This has increased the camaraderie of that group and developed a special air around the whole thing. Strong leadership and a tightly knit group have made this a solid class.

This year, Gordo Sanders not only joined the ranks as an instructor, but he also provided Mike Kennedy of Airplane Repo Fame, with instruction and loaned him his T-6, Big Red, for PRS. A total of six students joined the T6 class, giving them a very good chance of having a full field this year.

T-6 Lineup

Sport

The Sport Class originally had 15 students signed up, for some reason only 11 attended. I wish all the classes had 11 Rookies!  The students brought a collection of aircraft from more RVs (6, 7, and 8s), to Thunder Mustangs, Harmon Rockets and even a few Long-EZs.

This year, we even had an Engagement as part of the PRS entertainment. Andrew Findlay asked his lovely girlfriend, Jackie Fair, to marry him… right there at PRS. Congrats to you both!
Other good news in the Sport Class, early information says that Daryl Greenamyer’s Lancair Legacy has been sold and will be at the races in September. I am waiting for confirmation – and the lifting of the cone of silence, before I share more on this interesting deal.

Again, a strong leadership group and a close knit community have created great success in the Sport Class. I have said this for years, but THIS is the class to watch for the future.

One of my favorite paint schemes – Alan Crawford’s Lancair Legacy

Unlimited

And now, the Unlimited Class.  While 4 students (3 rookies and a returning racer) had signed up for PRS, no one actually took the course. Why? Good question.

Jim Tobul had signed up to attend. He is a very highly respected Warbird pilot on the East Coast in his gorgeous Corsair. Unfortunately, a few weeks before PRS, he had a landing incident which changed his plans. He is hoping to get the Corsair back on her feet and ready to go by September, and wanted to attend PRS for Ground School only – hoping to be able to complete the airwork before the races.

Jim Lawrence and Trevor Merton also attended PRS – saying they were working on purchasing “a couple Mustangs” before the races. Hmmmm… okay. We all know a few of them for sale… even RACING Mustangs. So assume there is something interesting in the works.

Tiger Destefani was there to get re-certified in Strega. Since he hasn’t raced since 2008, he is outside of his race certification and needs to go through PRS again. Strega was there, but again - - he didn’t take the course. Not sure why – rumors were flying, but airplanes weren’t.

Who will fly Strega this year? 

So, while the Unlimiteds had students, no one passed PRS because there are both ground school and airwork components. The newbies are talking about racing in September, but none of them has completed the airwork. Right? So, the only way to get them certified is to have another PRS-lite.

For many years now, RARA and the FAA have required the Racing Classes to put together their Racing Training Syllabus and have it reviewed by both governing bodies. If the Unlimiteds were to change their training, they would need to clear it with the FAA and RARA. Not an impossible feat, but not a walk in the park either.

Several racers have said that it is difficult to bring their aircraft from the East Coast, for example, to Reno for PRS and the Races – and it would be easier for them to have the airwork done around Race time. And, if the Unlimiteds get a “Second PRS” – do the other classes get that chance, too?

We're hearing rumblings that there may be up to 18 Unlimiteds there in September - that would be great news!

More good news, I have put my paperwork in to race Ruby again this year.  We’ll be keeping an ear out for interesting Air Racing stories while we all get ready for the 51st National Championship Air Races.

Until then, Fly low, fast and turn left.

Marilyn Dash
Ruby Red Racing
Unicom Buzz
Pylon Place