Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

[AirDOGGe]

The first team to join the Rocket Racing League™, Leading Edge Rocket Racing™ LLC., announced late Friday that it is officially leaving the league effective immediately.

"After working with Rocket Racing League for the past 17 months, we have concluded that our vision, business practices, and communication standards are incompatible with those of the league," said Robert Rickard. "We had very high hopes for this enterprise and tried very hard to find a common way forward."

The full article can be read at:

http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=bf150a48-74b4-4203-bfc0-574965a3489a

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[T. Adams]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I see this whole thing going nowhere, fast.

[Randy Haskin]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I see this whole thing going nowhere, fast.

Going nowhere? That implies that it was somewhere to begin with!

[Skyracer]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I see this whole thing going nowhere, fast.

But "fast", with reference to rocket racing, may be accurate.

[dclemans]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

Maybe the rocket racing league is going to start moving... I just saw a news release that they are going to do a 2 team, 2 lap exhibition at Oshkosh, followed by something at Reno, Aviation Nation in Las Vegas, and then an "X Prize" cup in Las Cruces, NM.

http://www.rocketracingleague.com/media/press_releases/2008_4_14_oshkosh.html

[Victor Archer]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

GO! TEAM LAWN-DART

[ebutner]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

GO! TEAM LAWN-DART

Team lawn dart... Now that's funny right there!

[T. Adams]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I see this whole thing going nowhere, fast.

hmmm... I stand by the above quote.

[dclemans]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

Out of curiosity I did a few internet searches. Suppsedly they've had successful test flights since last November. They do not yet have FAA approval though for their exhibitions, though "they don't anticipate any problems".

All of the events this year and into next are supposed to be exhibitions. Real racing is supposed to start by 2010.

[jarrodeu]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

Out of curiosity I did a few internet searches. Suppsedly they've had successful test flights since last November. They do not yet have FAA approval though for their exhibitions, though "they don't anticipate any problems".

All of the events this year and into next are supposed to be exhibitions. Real racing is supposed to start by 2010.

Yeah, they were supposed to race last year and maybe the year before too. I'm with Tim, I'm not holding my breath.

Jarrod

[AirDOGGe]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I still think that if the races take place far from the spectators, then this may become a TV-only sport if it survives at all.

I CERTAINLY wouldn't pay for a ticket to any other sport, for example, a football game, if my seat was positioned a mile from the field, and I had to watch everything on a big video screen.

I might as well stay home to do THAT, and save some money and (precious these days) gasoline.

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ANYWAY, here's some footage of a rocket racer test flight. Reminds me a bit of my early days of watching U-2s/ER-2s climb steeply out of Moffett in the 70's/80's...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJJT8639Weo

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[laminar]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I think the concept is as silly as the next guy, but watching that thing fly has been impressive. The sound is ferocious, and the plume is clearly visible even when the airplane is too small to see

[HiredBitSlinger]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

I think that this operation should be sponsored by "Red Bull Racing". Could be be Red Bullsh*t Racing.

Dan Plunkett

[Skyracer]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

According to today's Avweb, RRL aircraft will test fly in May at Mojave and, if FAA buys off on them (and the whole concept of racing rockets) there will be exhibition rocket races at Oshkosh (AirVenture), Reno (NCAR), Las Cruces (X Prize Cup), and Nellis (Aviation Nation).

OMG, I am so 'whelmed (under or over, I'm not sure which) I can hardly wait. Just imagine the spectacle of rocket powered Velocity's flying through computer generated gates way high in the sky, and watching all the live action on giant screen TV.

[dclemans]

Re: Rocket Racing League loses first entry team

If the FAA allows it, they might be far enough away to need the tv screens. The rrl commercial on youtube does show the planes going by a nascar-like grandstand, if anything closer than the Reno home pylon. I'm skeptical though that the FAA would allow it.