No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

[tex-fan]

This came right off RARA.com HOME PAGE


3 Feb 2006: Jet Class announcement

The Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) has announced that an L-39 Jet Class will not be in the race schedule for the 2006 Reno Air Races.

"The Jet Class in its current format has struggled to acquire pilots, planes, and fans, and has turned out to be very costly to produce. We are still considering other jet racing options and we are looking forward to working with the Jet Class to revamp jet racing and to discuss other formats", said Reno Air Racing President and CEO Michael Houghton.

[MRussell]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Excuse my ignorance but "costly to produce"
????

[Tin Man]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Excuse my ignorance but "costly to produce"
????

Perhaps they were giving away free jet fuel to the racers.

[speeddemon]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

They flew jets at Reno?

[jarrodeu]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

They flew jets at Reno?

Jarrod

[Victor Archer]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

I think it would be really cool if they raced 737's around the course.
Just think about it, 9 737's coming down the shute!

[W J Pearce]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

I think it would be really cool if they raced 737's around the course.
Just think about it, 9 737's coming down the shute!

Jeez, I think that would be cool. 757s might be better.

I stick by my opinion that a jet class is a cool thing. I'm not so big on the L-39 class, which is what it was. I think the jet class should be at Reno and open to all jets. If you are fast enough, you race. The only rule is no after burner. L-39, T-33, T-38, F-4, F-5, F-86, F-100, F-104, MiG 15, 17, 21, Venom, Hunter, Draken, BD-10, whatever... race it (with no AB). You could also have new civi-jets like the Javelin, ViperJet, etc.

I would want to see that race.

I'd still take the L-39s over most flipflops, Red Bull and most likely, rocket roman candle lawn dart racing. I thought they were alright, just needed more noise.

[SCEPTER]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Jeez, I think that would be cool. 757s might be better.

I stick by my opinion that a jet class is a cool thing. I'm not so big on the L-39 class, which is what it was. I think the jet class should be at Reno and open to all jets. If you are fast enough, you race. The only rule is no after burner. L-39, T-33, T-38, F-4, F-5, F-86, F-100, F-104, MiG 15, 17, 21, Venom, Hunter, Draken, BD-10, whatever... race it (with no AB). You could also have new civi-jets like the Javelin, ViperJet, etc.

I would want to see that race.

I'd still take the L-39s over most flipflops, Red Bull and most likely, rocket roman candle lawn dart racing. I thought they were alright, just needed more noise.

I agree with the above words

[jarrodeu]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Jeez, I think that would be cool. 757s might be better.

Why stop there? How about a 777, 747, A340, A380? It would be a great promotional tool for Boeing and AirBus.

I thought that the Jet Demo was really cool. I would like to see the racers in full afterburner but obviously limiting the speed to the sound barrier. Although if they handed out earplugs...
I think that someone broke the sound barrier at reno once, am I right?

Jarrod

[Propellerhead]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

I think that someone broke the sound barrier at reno once, am I right?

Jarrod

An F-16 demo pilot did once in the 90's on Saturday. I can't remember the exact year. It was cool though!

Rob

[spacegrrrl]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Ummm, the Air Force said it was a "compressor event' and not a sonic boom. (we of course know better) Sadly, the demo was performed by another pilot for the rest of the event. I heard that the gaff was not a career enhancing event for the pilot!

Michele

[AirDOGGe]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Originally quoted by Tex-fan
"The Jet Class in its current format has struggled to acquire pilots, planes, and fans.

Except for the "fans" part, that sounds like the reason why we lost the T-28 races. I enjoy the close racing action of the L-39s and never miss a jet race, but I always find myself wishing for a little bit more thrill...

Originally quoted by Tex-fan
We are still considering other jet racing options and we are looking forward to working with the Jet Class to revamp jet racing and to discuss other formats

Oh yea? Excuse me while I step outside for a moment....

(...sounds of someone outside jumping up and down & shouting with glee...)

Heh-heh. I'm back.

Sorry about that. I've been hoping something like this might occur one day. Fingers crossed.

Originally Posted by Victor Archer
Just think about it, 9 737's coming down the chute!

Just the sight of ONE doing so would make my eyes pop out like that! Gentlemen, We have a RACE (and a half!)!

Originally Posted by W J Pearce

If you are fast enough, you race. The only rule is no after burner. L-39, T-33, T-38, F-4, F-5, F-86, F-100, F-104...

If anyone decides they are going to try and get an F-104 around the pylons, I'm gonna go look for a bomb shelter to cower in until the race is over. Let me know who wins, 'k?

.

[Randy Haskin]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Ummm, the Air Force said it was a "compressor event' and not a sonic boom. (we of course know better)

I can tell you from personal experience that a compressor stall from a Pratt F100-PW-220 does make an amazingly loud bang...

I am pretty certain I was there when this event happened, behind the grandstands. IMHO, this was NOT a jet hitting the Number, but something else. If the AF says it was a compressor stall, I'm inclined to believe it, because I did not hear two booms.

My personal opinion only.

[MRussell]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

My dad was there and he will swear to his dying day it was the real thing (the "sonic" type of boom, not the compressor type). I think they reported vapor shockwaves coming from the airframe exactly-prior to the boom (I realize that's not proof of any kind, but it still counts as "evidence").
Randy, is it remotely possible that a P&W compressor stall could release enough sound-energy to even begin to approach the dB level of a sonic boom? And why would the compressor stall during a normal low-pass down the show line?
This audio on this clip isn't great, but how many booms do you hear in it?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=338907920311995235&pr=goog-sl

[AirDOGGe]

Re: No jet class,,,CONFIRMED

Posted by MRussell
I think they reported vapor shockwaves coming from the airframe exactly-prior to the boom.

You can see such vapor patterns from high-subsonic/near-transonic aircraft. Many photos claim supersonic flight because a visible cone of vapor becomes visible around the plane. I've seen them myself at airshows without any trace of a sonic boom.