| Noise Speed and
Propellers — Pylon Racing School Reno
Air Races Update
 The morning of June
19th will bring noise, speed and
propellers to the skies over Stead. As
the empty ramp awaits fledgling racers,
we will await their true tests of
airmanship. This upcoming stellar group
of aviators will gather at Reno-Stead
Airport to begin yet another challenge in
their aviation careers.
The ultimate challenge.
Observe — Someone buys
a 50 plus year old airplane for an amount
of money they certainly could never
justify, even to the shrewdest of
accountants. Now, they gather together in
groups of six or eight of these airplanes
—in close formation with each
other— in the sky near Stead. With
spilt-hair timing, they will point the
noses of their WW II era airplanes toward
the desert sands at redline power  while accelerating
to redline airspeeds. Then when they are
only 50 feet above the cement-hard desert
floor, they will level off and almost
immediately roll into a 70-85 degree
banked turn, trying to stay as close as
possible to the 48 foot pylons scattered
all over the northern acres of Stead
Airport. And remember, they are not there
alone. The other racers in this formation
are all aiming for the same point in
space and time.
In the true spirit of
competition, only the fastest and
smoothest racers will get to that pylon
first. The others will take space just
outside their leader — but only by a
few feet.
Is this insanity, or what?
What draws successful businessmen and
professional aviators to test their
envelope? The challenge begins.
But first, they must plan
the flight, then fly the plan
—Precisely—
This year, the plan unfolds
at the Reno Hilton starting on Thursday,
June 19, at 2 p.m. with a Welcome and
Introduction by Joey Scolari, Chairman of
the Reno Air Racing Association.
Following Joey, the World of Air Racing
will be presented by the Director of
Operations, Bill Eck and several of the
other dedicated, committed professionals
who  make the Pylon
Racing Seminar as safe as they possibly
can — considering the environment
these racers will face. Trust that
everything has been considered and well
thought out. Many details must be
addressed by this group of professionals,
including: Contest Rules; Crash Fire and
Rescue (CFR) resources; FAA rules and
waivers; Pylon Judges views and how race
laps are timed, just to name a few.
Unfolding the plan one more
page, Mike Houghton, President and CEO of
the Reno Air Races and Jeff Turney, Air
Boss, will lay down the precise rules of
engagement, but only one time. If the
racer misses what's said then, they will
get yet another chance to understand the
rules when the different classes of
racers breakout to brief their specific
class' rules and plan.
 Least we not forget
the behind-the-scenes efforts of
Mike’s staff (air racing’s more
dedicated professionals): Dave, Ellen,
Kathy and Anita. Thank you for all you
do. For without your help, none of this
would be possible. Sometime during the
weekend, each racer will have the
pleasure of your company.
This first afternoon meeting
will present many, many years of
experience and planning. These RARA
officials are unpaid professionals who
have dedicated an enormous amount of
their time and energy to make the Reno
Air Races what they are today — the
fastest motor sport in the world —
and the only place in the world where
racers can take their steeds and
themselves to the ultimate limit.
Let’s move on to the
challenge.
 Friday and
Saturday, June 20 - 21, class is in
session. From 9:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m.
copious amounts of 100LL Aviation fuel
will be converted to noise and speed.
From the mighty Formula 1 racers to the
agile Biplanes, from the new and sleek
Sport class racer to the venerable T-6
warbirds and from the group of unlimited
modification larger, faster warbirds, to
the Czechoslovakian L-39 Jet trainers.
All will circle the pylons just a few
feet north of Stead's east-west runway
and only a few feet above the desert,
learning the ways of closed-course pylon
racing.
Then on Sunday, June 22nd,
their opportunity will exist only until
1:00 PM. This will give newly qualified
racers the time to return to the reality
of their everyday work and home.
 By some, air racing
is considered the final frontier. So far,
this may be true. But, to take themselves
and their valued airplanes through this
very demanding course will require
physical and mental stamina, and the
agonizing anxiety of the unknown —of
themselves and their airplanes— not
to mention the unknowns of the other
racers on the course at the same time.
What brings normally sane
aviators to act this way? Is it the
thrill of victory or the agony of defeat?
No — it's the challenge of
competition. Their challenge is to take
their many years of flying experience and
bring it to a new high level of skill, in
a very new low level world!
Go back years ago when your
flight instructor tried to teach you how
to push and pull on the elevator, how to
squeeze just the right amount of rudder
at the exact time needed to stay in
coordinated flight. Remember when you had
to roll into a steep turn leaning forward
to scan the airspace ahead and to the
side of you without losing any altitude
in the process? You were at least 1500
feet above the ground, we hope. Now try
that very  same maneuver at 50
feet above the ground challenging
yourself to stay as close as possible to
the upcoming pylon. Not enough of a
challenge? Let's put another airplane six
feet off of your right wing tip trying to
do the same maneuver. Ladies and
gentlemen, this sport is not for the weak
at heart.
Air racing requires a
personal dedication that will keep you up
at nights. And when exhaustion takes
over, you'll fly the race course in your
dreams. Your dreams will make you think
about the possible engine failures, the
turkey buzzards that could fly up into
you flight path, and the dust devil that
will make you wish you had more aileron
throw just to stay wings level. Even in
your sleep, the adrenaline will peak
enough to break beads of sweat in your
cool, comfortable Reno-Hilton room.
That’s the price
that’s paid to race airplanes. And
by Saturday morning, many of these racers
will be at the airport hours before the
morning briefing just to rub on their
airplanes. That really means checking the
oil and fuel levels, and tightened panel
screws. Those  annoying little
prop nicks take on a whole new meaning in
air racing. Can that inspection panel
with the pan-head screws be changed to
flush screws? That mist of oil on the
leading edge of the cowling will really
change the airflow. Every remnant of
flying creatures that have gone before us
on the leading edge of the wing will
affect airflow... Clean it off.
To all racers, this weekend
is a flight school. Some will come away
saying this is exactly what they
envisioned it to be. Others will convince
themselves that they may not be totally
up to the challenge. Either way, each
person attending the Pylon Racing Seminar
will come away with a new understanding
of aviation and of themselves.
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