What would you change?

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: What would you change?

Promote it as an air race. The only one of its type in the world. Not as a place you can see the F22 demo or the Patriots.

[Idaho_cowpony]

Re: What would you change?

Promote it as an air race. The only one of its type in the world. Not as a place you can see the F22 demo or the Patriots.

Novel, just novel.

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: What would you change?

The Reno Air Races are, one of a kind. The racing classes need to be restructured, 350MPH to 400 MPH class 400 to 450, and 450 to 500, even up the competition.

Promote aviation, have 10 Glasair III's a lottery system would determine the pilots who fly the planes. Who is the better pilot?

Have time to climb events, 5, 10, and 20,000feet!

A duel between Strega and VooDoo all out race between the 2 fastest racer's!

I'm not sure if this would work, but have the Super Unlimiteds, ie Strega, Rare Bear, Voodoo...race with a clock timer where they cannot exceed a certain speed average for the entire race. That way they would be less likely to blow up their motors, but would be allowed to speed up to pass or position themselves, but must remain under a certain clock time for the entire race, ideally so they don't blow up their motors. It appears to me that they are pushing the limits of these engines too far, are blowing them up too frequently, then unable to race which defeats the purpose of the race. Running them at 5-10-20% less power, maybe they would last longer, slower laps, but more strategy.

Let the owners decide what speeds they can run at without blowing up their engines.

[thunderstangfan]

Re: What would you change?

what engine has blown up, other than 232 in the last bunch of years... strega has been running the same core since at least 08. the failure this year wasn't catastrophic, more like they shut it down so it didn't turn that way...
merlins magic had a catastrophic engine failure, that we all remember! so that kind of shoots your, slowing down saves equipment theory!
burnt pistons, burnt valves are expensive no doubt! but if you really want to solve the problem, find a way to pay the owners for their trouble instead of fleecing them for all their worth...
my .02 cents

[Frank C.]

Re: What would you change?

With due respect to all the racing classes(GO RUBY!), I think all the REAL race fans come to see The Big Iron! Pay the Unlimiteds a larger purse and drop the military displays, jet dragsters, etc......

Frank C.

[Big_Jim]

Re: What would you change?

I've been quiet on this thread, just sort of watching it play out. But at this point I think some people need to see the bigger picture on a few things.

Everyone on this site is a (to use the term Frank C. provided) "real race fan" and would more than likely be at Reno every September regardless. So that being said, you all need to remove 'yourself' from the equation. You can't look at what RARA is doing through YOUR eyes, because what RARA is/has/was been trying to do is not FOR you.

Lets look at the program and race poster this year. There were a lot of us that just took a look at them and wend "uhhhhhh.....whatever." We all agreed that it was something of a miss as far as we were concerned. But the point is, it wasn't made for 'us'. The hard core race fan that is going to be there every year is NOT the demographic. The 'Drone Zone'? Really? Promoting the F-22, promoting the Patriots? But it's an AIR RACE!!! What about the music and concerts that RARA was kicking around? Wasted effort? Again, all of those things are not aimed at us.

If it was just the 'real race fans' that came to Reno every year, the week-long attendance totals would be about 10,000...and that's the same 2,000 of us who are there every day for five days. The true race fans make up only a small percentage of the people coming through the gate, and to be honest our numbers are growing smaller every year as that crowd ages. It's the other 80% of the people through the gate that the things like the Drone Zone, the Patriots, the F-22 are aimed at. The look of the program and poster this year? That was aimed at a younger demographic who could relate to Instagram. RARA had a huge Twitter and social media push this year. Think that was for 'us'? Think again. We're already there to watch the racing. The Drone Zone? "DAD!!! DAD!!!! They have DRONES down there we can fly. Can we go? PLEASE????" Got to get something to get the kids interested...a future generation, a reason to come back...but once they are there let them discover that the racing is pretty cool too. Don't like the idea of a jet demo team taking up money? When the Blues or Birds fly at Reno, attendance is always up. ALWAYS. That's not because more 'race fans' are coming through the gate. FACT. It costs money...you have to spend money to make money...but you have to HAVE money to spend first. RARA doesn't have that. Coffers are dry.

That other 80% through the gate is the casual fan....the "Oh yeah, I've heard of the Reno Air Races...I'd like to go sometime", or the "Yeah, I went once about 10 years ago" fan. The other 80% is the people within the 'catch area'..."Hey honey, we should go out to the Air Races today", the locals from Reno, Tahoe, even into the Bay Area. It's just an airshow that happens to have racing for a lot of these people, and it's a novelty. But those same spectators are going to go "Oh wow...an F-22! I'd love to see one of those!" Those are the spectators who like the jet dragsters, who like the loop and spin aerobatic acts. Whether the 'race fan' likes it or not, you NEED to have aerobatic acts between the races to entertain that 80% casual spectator.

Unlimited only races? They've tried that. Often. With the exception of a repeat race at Denver...all of them one and done, and that was WITH good promotion and a strongly unified Unlimited Class. "We just need to pay the Unlimiteds more". FROM WHERE??? The cost of running/racing an unlimited is exponentially higher than it was even 10-15 years ago. I would have to honestly look at the prize money breakdown of the other classes, but let's say you limit the other classes to 14 entries each...just enough for a Silver and Gold field. Or hell, eliminate a class or two, and you take that money savings and put it toward the Unlimited purse. How much money are you REALLY saving by doing that? Given the cost of bringing an Unlimited to the races for the week--even if you just fill it with gas and run around in last place--how many more airplanes is that really going to bring to the table? Prize money for the Unlimiteds is only one slice of the pie that needs to be addressed if Big Iron racing is going to continue.

I understand and agree that Reno is a unique event. Those of us who go there for the racing have understood that from the start. It needs to be promoted as an air race with a great supporting airshow. And if RARA has any street smarts, they'll utilize something out of Saturdays "Strega/Voodoo" finish to showcase that. BUT, bottom line no matter how unique and special Reno is as the air racing mecca, it's still an airshow. The issues above are issues the entire airshow industry struggle with each and every year.

Go ahead and tear the post apart. I already have a few names in mind of the people who are going to pick apart every line that I posted because 'they know better'. But as a guy who works for essentially the 'trade magazine' for the airshow industry, I have a bigger picture view of what RARA is against here. They're not close to perfect. They never have been. They are often standoffish, arrogant, and belligerent. But they are trying to work the event in a bigger picture way to bring in more of that 80% of the fans to ensure the events survival. The 'real race fan' is not going to save this event. Everyone posting and complaining on this thread (though your points are all valid) needs to take a step back and look at that bigger picture. It's not about you.

[GRNDP51]

Re: What would you change?

Steve Hinton Jr. and Farrihn Enos should go to colleges with RARA to promote. If not inspire people to come to air races maybe inspire some future Merlin builders? Both Stevo and Farrihn are GREAT to promote the sport. The ladies will love talking to Stevo because he has that fun personality. And Farrihn is a good looking girl that the guys will like talking to. Hey if we wanna get the younger generation we should probably focus more on college kids rather than the 5 year olds that won't be able to do anything for at least 20 years.

[Big_Jim]

Re: What would you change?

Steve Hinton Jr. and Farrihn Enos should go to colleges with RARA to promote. If not inspire people to come to air races maybe inspire some future Merlin builders? Both Stevo and Farrihn are GREAT to promote the sport. The ladies will love talking to Stevo because he has that fun personality. And Farrihn is a good looking girl that the guys will like talking to. Hey if we wanna get the younger generation we should probably focus more on college kids rather than the 5 year olds that won't be able to do anything for at least 20 years.

NAG and RARA have been hosting schools for 15+ years on Wednesday, Thursday, and Fridays. Field trips out to the race site, actual 'learning experiences'. That's grade school through high school. The word does get out.

[gp70442]

Re: What would you change?

maybe inspire some future Merlin builders?

There must be at least one job per year available nation wide as a Merlin engine builder....

I'm afraid Big Jim is on the money with his post. The racing part of the air races appeals to a VERY limited number of people. It has always been that way but the hard core fans are rapidly thinning out.


GP

[Master_Rod]

Re: What would you change?

New guy to the board, but not new to the races. This was my 34th year.

I'm a race fan, and I'll keep going regardless. How how about changing the super stale airshow acts? The Horsemen, or Rob Holland? How about something along the lines of what Lefty used to do, you know warm up crowd before the Unlimiteds. I enoyed the Jet Waco, but unless he adds some more maneuvers, the steep climbs are going to get old quick. What happened to the car drop? I really miss that. Kent Pietsch in the Cadet was great, especially for the new folks who have no idea what hes all about.

Beyond that, how about just simply doing a better job of having an actual race? The CAF had planes in the pits just for filler. I don't know about you, but I'd love to see the Zero and Spit fly, if only just making passes...Don't even get me started on the announcers. Why not have some color from someone within each class?

I was there from Thursday on......it was DEAD! The pits after hours activities seems more subdued than ever.

Rod

[Guest]

Re: What would you change?

Big Jim...spot on my friend...spot on.

For as much as it seems many on this blog live only for the races in general (and some on here for the Heavy Iron guys only), that is incredibly short-sighted. Most everyone on here would show up if they raced in Bum#&%*, Egypt every other year. That's not the issue. I'm always baffled by those who grip and moan about attendance, $$$$, marketing, etc. yet feel this event should be all about racing at the expense of the very thing(s) that puts even more butts in the seats...air show acts, jet teams, jet-powered porta-potties and jet cars, drones, Heritage, statics, etc.

Guys, Reno has long since ceased being all about an air race. Market and financial pressures have forced RARA's hand to a degree that it must...MUST...embrace as many facets of the the aviation community as possible in order to survive. Meaning, if you want your UNL Heavy Iron fix, you need to get over the fact that the air show component and all the rest that goes with that is the pusher-man for your addiction. Without them, you're going cold turkey. We all have our favorite non-race events/acts. Just remember, you may not like the SAAB Demo team or a certain aerobatic act, but there's probably 100's or 1000's of others in the stands...casual fans...who will go home talking about it. And that, as much as anything else, will help sell this thing to the uninitiated.

In some measure, if this thing is to survive, it will likely morph more and more into a full blown air show with an off-the-chart air race woven into the week. Not unlike what's been going on here in Seattle with Seafair. Seafair was for decades all about boat racing. I grew up on it. Slowly but surely it's becoming a bit more air show wrapped around a boat race. Ask yourself why? And it's no coincidence that the history of Unlimited Hydroplane racing is closely tied to Unlimited Air racing. Let's hope RARA continues to evolve such that we can all enjoy ALL aspects of this unique and incredible event.

OK...loins are girded...fire away.

[Leo]

Re: What would you change?

Big Jim and Air Judge, exactly!
After 38 years I am a hard-core fan. I have sat in the snow with a garbage bag for a poncho waiting for just ONE something to fly, but I do not represent the normal, sane public that they are seeking for attendance.
It is obvious in my workplace what my hobby is. It's also obvious that I am virtually alone with it. I get questioned for the weeks leading up to it about what acts will be there, what jet teams, what military, what is worth seeing. Many in my office go for a day. They go to see the noisy, smoky, flashy stuff, to them racing is just a bunch of planes turning left. Most believe the racing is choreographed, like wrastlin'.
Racing will never bring them out with the wife and kiddies.