Another thread mentioned the sometimes untimely and insensitive comments that are occasionally made by the race announcers. The bottom line is that these guys just plain talk too much. Why can't they just allow us all the opportunity to hear the sounds of the races...in particular when the racers are approaching the stands. A typical scenario goes something like this: Announcer #1: "Let's listen to the sound of the unlimiteds as they come around the last pyon"....immediatley after that announcer #2 starts to babble for the entire time. They do not always need to be saying something.
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Re: Race Announcers
I would like to see RARA take a look at the Red Bull aerobatic demonstration (notice I didn't call it a race) and put up a big screen or two that displays positions and lap times. Posted information would be awesome! That way the announcers would not have that much to say? In the pits, I can't hear the announcers anyway. Just a thought. -
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HERE, HERE, HEAR?, HEAR?!...D.Comment
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OH, did I forget to mention how much I Miss Sandy Sanders? Well, here it is!...D.Comment
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Aside from talking waaaaaay too much most of the time, from the reserved seats some of the announcers were UNBELIEVABLY LOUD, as was the music (does anyone else find the constant barrage of 15-second music clips during aerobatics, Snowbirds, USAF demos, etc., annoying?).
Tip to announcers: Less is more
Tip to performers: More engine sounds, less cheesy pop music
Tip to sound guys: Huh? What's that? I can't hear you because I'm deaf from the high volume!
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I thought they had one a few years ago, did they not? Maybe I'm thinking of the aborted Phoenix Air Races.Originally posted by Wayja
Wherever it was, it was a great idea...Comment
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I believe the year when Camel was a major player, there was a status board of some type, as I recall. It just seems like a natural progression. I know it costs money, and they have doing the races for years without one, but it sure would be nice.Originally posted by swatson999
WayneComment
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My wife and I were discussing airshow announcers the other night and we realized that even the youngest announcers are around 60 years old and there are no young ones coming along. Maybe that's one reason Mike Goulian has his whole narration on CD. Most of these guys are a wealth of information regarding aviation history, aircraft performance and describing aerobatic manuevers as well as maintaining control of the crowd when an accident occurs. Some are better than others and I'm glad they fired you-know-who a few years ago at Reno when he announced the wrong competitor had crashed. Sandy is the best race announcer ever but he's no young guy either and Frank and Steve, especially Frank, have gotten better over the years. Remember they only have one race a year to practice at!
Ron HenningRon HenningComment
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This has been a pet peeve of mine for a long time. I have been a box seater for eight seasons now. For the life of me I don't understand why it is so loud. I always assumed it so the fans in the upper reserved area could hear. But after reading your post I am understanding that it is too loud up there also. Maybe RARA thinks that since I paid 930.00 plus cooler tickets for myself and two boys that I deserve ringing ears for two days after the races. You cannot not talk to your partner under any circumstances. If you try to get a quick movie of the planes going by you can't hear them over clink and clank yanking their own chains.Originally posted by swatson999Aside from talking waaaaaay too much most of the time, from the reserved seats some of the announcers were UNBELIEVABLY LOUD, as was the music (does anyone else find the constant barrage of 15-second music clips during aerobatics, Snowbirds, USAF demos, etc., annoying?).
Tip to announcers: Less is more
Tip to performers: More engine sounds, less cheesy pop music
Tip to sound guys: Huh? What's that? I can't hear you because I'm deaf from the high volume!
They not only talk too much during the races, but between races too. Most of their dribble is plain stupid. Whatshisface smith is a true moron idiot. He is the only one who laughs at his anemic attempts at wit and humor.
I don't know what the legal sound limit is at such an event, but I will find out and bring some sort of meter with me next year to measure it with.
One more whine: The announcers were talking down the pilots who lost their lives last week. They were claiming that the accidents "had absolutely nothing to do with the Reno Air Races" ????? That was a very self serving thing to say and I lost a lot of respect for RARA after that was said
Steve.Comment
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I agreed with everything you wrote until you said that.Originally posted by Steve H
That part was specifically a PR move, and they may have been instructed by RARA (rightfully, if so) to make it. What they said was, "no matter what the television or newspaper may have told you, [the first accident] had absolutely nothing to do with air racing."
They were pointing out that it was an engine failure on takeoff as could have happened at any airport in the US on almost any day. They were trying to do some PR to protect the sport of air racing. The way they said it may not have been pretty, but it is absolutely necessary these days._________
-Matt
Red Bull has no earthly idea what "air racing" is.Comment
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Well you are probably right but it really rubbed me wrongOriginally posted by MRussell
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You're not alone. There was a much more diplomatic way to say what they said.Originally posted by Steve H
Something like "We are all deeply saddened by the loss of _________. It's important to note that this was due to a mechanical problem, rather than during a race, and is something that very rarely happens in aviation nowadays. It was a tragic accident, even if it was not something directly caused by an actual race. Our condolences to the pilot's family and friends."
What came out was something like this:
"It had nothing to do with racing. Everybody told him not to fly that plane, and he did it anyway and made a mess on the runway." Implied was "He was an idiot who didn't listen to all of us smart people and it was his own fault and not ours. Nyah nyah nyah."
VERY poorly done by someone who, by virtue of their job and visibility, should have known/done better.Comment
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Well said, Swatson999. The comment really rubbed me wrong, too. It still does.
Does anyone know what was meant when they said "Everybody told him not to fly that plane."Comment
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I had tried for days to figure out a nice way to bring up this topic.... I do not know all the history of the races nor do I know all the history of the announcers... But, I do know that these are not the two announcers that the Reno Air Races need if they want Air racing to continue to grow..
Every year it is the same miss-called racers.. Miss-called laps.. Miss-called speeds.. Talking when all you want to hear is the sound of the engines... Talking relentlessly, loudly and irritatingly....
Could they have done more to p*** off the performers... Saturday, when they were trying to pronounce the names of the aviators from Hawaii they broke down to Hiyaa, Ahsoooo, etc. etc Nice touch for all the Japanese Americans .... Sunday after telling everyone that the Hang glider performer was a paraplegic and should be an inspiration to all, He yelled at him as if he was some ramp cockroach loser.... "Get you and your truck and glider out of the way so I can miss-call this next race"... Then, and I don't know the reason, he did make the racer that lost his life sound like a loon... I could go on and on....
I don't see this helping to bring in Sponsor money or race fans..
Sorry for the rant.... It is my ONLY complaint (serious though) of the shows that I have been able to attend.. PLEASE RARA, look at other forms of racing and try to mimic the professionalism shown at those events...
Just my 2 cents...... okay 45 cents...Comment
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This has been a sore subject for me and my friends as well. For the most part i think the true air race fan can get past the missed calls, though it does seem strange that we cant have someone up there who knows a little about the sport and the pilots (where's Sandy when we need him?).
The I did'nt hear the comments about the Hang Glider performer but it does'nt surprise me, there seems to be no real organization to their form, it's like they're wingin it.
The volume is my biggest complaint, someone here already eluded to the inability to talk to someone next to you, that i can get around as well but i want to hear the music of the racers, not Bruce Springsteen and U2.
I can appreiciate that the calling of the races would be hard to do, given the distance they travel away from the stands, but please, shut up and wait till they pass in front of the stands. I'm sure it's much more complicated than it looks, but beside ALL of that.... TURN IT DOWN!!!!!
Cant always have it the way we want it, so i do most of my viewing from the pits
"dont believe ANYTHING you hear and about HALF of what you see"...................J. Mott 1994Comment
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