News release - Course Change

[Desertdawg]

http://www.ktvn.com/story/18588898/ap-reno-air-races-plans-to-change-course-this-fall

[flyingjibus]

Re: News release - Course Change

I think this is a bad idea and do not support it at all.

[Big_Jim]

Re: News release - Course Change

I think this is a bad idea and do not support it at all.

This is probably one of the reasons why you were not included on the Blue Ribbon Panel.

[AirDOGGe]

Re: News release - Course Change

I see nothing wrong with the proposal. As long as they don't try to restrict air racing to 400 ft minimum altitudes and/or limit maximum speeds, I'm OK with it.

Whatever it takes within reason to keep the unlimited races going, we must do.


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[spacegrrrl]

Re: News release - Course Change

Until we see the new course hard to say if I'd be happy about the change. In the end it is basically sort of stupid since the unlimited racers could fly quite a distance in a short time so it won't make things much safer.

Spacegrrrl

[Coyote Chris]

Re: News release - Course Change

I find it amazing that any true race fan would worry about a course change when the alternative might be no races at all, which for me would be a terrible. Somehow, RARA got the 100 million insurance for only four times the normal price....the news said a 1.7 million dollar increase. There is a public appeal to buy tickets. I am gonna buy tickets and patronized the vendors and see if there is any other way I can get money to RARA, like getting enough true race fans together to become a sponsor. I think the only real hurdle now is the waivier, which shouldnt be too hard.

Instead of complaining about the darkness, maybe there are those on this forum that should spend time thinking about how to light candles.

[flyingjibus]

Re: News release - Course Change

So none of you can see any potential safety issues with changing a course that the pilots have been flying for decades?

And don’t try and come at me with comments about all the other course changes that have taken place in the last 15 years or so. None of them were that dramatic, and none of them really changed the actual line these guys are flying either.

Granted the changes could be equally limited in their impact, but I have a feeling they are going to be bigger than you might think.

Yes, I would rather have no races if the alternative is a change that puts more lives in danger. Some of you seemed to have already forgotten that this was the first time a plane went into the stands.

Nothing was broken with the course design. Changing it is stupid and dangerous.

I don’t give two ****s if you are unable to see that.

[flyingjibus]

Re: News release - Course Change

This is probably one of the reasons why you were not included on the Blue Ribbon Panel.

Hilarious

[gokrt driver]

Re: News release - Course Change

I only listened to a short part of the press conf, but I am sure I heard Mike say that it was a complete whole course shift to the north and some changes to last turn.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

Gonna buy some RARA stuff and get those tiks. Get that cash flow goin'

[N22252]

Re: News release - Course Change

We've held our breath for 8 months hoping and praying there would be racing in 2012, so let's not B*TCH too much about this

At this point, we all need to be thankful there is an event and support it to keep it alive. Everybody buy your tickets, pit passes, and t-shirts. Book flights, hotels, rental cars, etc. and generally buy out the town of Reno for race week.

Let's reserve judgement until we see unlimited racers on the new course, and then maybe on Monday 9/17 we can all meet back here to armchair quarterback the course change.

Predictions...
It will be the best pylon racing you can see anywhere
There will be both tears of joy and tears of sorrow upon walking through the gate
My wife will complain about the weather
Whatever changes with the course, someone will speculate about how fast Dago Red would be on said course.

[Guest]

Re: News release - Course Change

We're all entitled to our opinion...no question.

That said, does anyone on this thread know with certainty exactly how the course will change?

Let's just take a deep breath, be glad we can play in RARA's sandbox again this year and let those who have the pen use their best judgment in making the changes all can agree upon to ensure the insurance carriers, Airport Authority, FAA, NTSB, et al, are appeased.

Just my humble opinion. Frankly, when I left the field Monday after the accident I felt incredibly melancholy and took and extra long time just staring at Home Pylon...fairly certain I'd never return.

I, for one, am extremely grateful to everyone who has busted their arse to make it possible for all of us to bang away on our keyboards these long and quiet months, with reasonble expectations we can race.

A simple "Thank You" to everyone at RARA for all their efforts. If you aren't appreciative of those efforts and the knowledge and expertise it took to get here (Blue Ribbon Panel...I trust everyone one of them in every way), then I'm at a loss to understand what one's expectations may have been.

If the course change, whatever it is, is what the powers that be deem appropriate, and RARA, BRP, and others deem those changes workable, well...

LET GO RACIN!

[ignomini]

Re: News release - Course Change

While I agree that we should wait to see what course changes really mean, I've spent the last nine months telling folks it wouldn't make much difference if they moved the course a mile away. How many seconds would it take an Unlimited at speed to cover that distance? Answer, not much. Isn't the course already up against the northern airport boundary?

I was in the middle of it last year. Any change which moves the aircraft further away will reduce the quality of spectating and have little effect on safety. having said that, I will go regardless, and has been said by others, I will enjoy the show and spend with an eye toward keeping RARA afloat.

[Mystical Power]

Re: News release - Course Change

Pull pylon #8 in 100 feet and " Gents you have a race".

[AirDOGGe]

Re: News release - Course Change

So none of you can see any potential safety issues with changing a course that the pilots have been flying for decades?

Not really. It's not like long-time unlimited race pilots run the track twice a week, or even race around pylons at other locations at any time the rest of the year.

I'm no race pilot by far, but I'm sure everyone with previous experience at Stead has to re-discover their "groove" every race season all over again. Three hundred and fifty something days between events is plenty of time to get rusty.



And with Pylon Racing School coming up, all qualified racers, be they new this year or multi-decade air race veterans, will get stick time on the new course, which I would naturally assume will be laid out before PRS next month (it wouldn't make sense to train/qualify pilots on one course and race on another).

Between PRS time and experience gained during practice and pre-race qualifying, I think any course changes will be tolerable to all. It may be a bit of a bummer if the main straight and home pylon are a bit farther away from the spectator stands (and pits), but at least the races will be out there.

Count your blessings they didn't try to turn it all into a lame version of the still-born rocket races, with planes racing a mile overhead and all the action viewed on huge, trailer-mounted monitor screens!

Yes, I would rather have no races if the alternative is a change that puts more lives in danger. Some of you seemed to have already forgotten that this was the first time a plane went into the stands.

But not the first time aircraft have come down, especially outside of the course. Imagine if dear Gary had suffered airframe failure mere seconds and one turn earlier, when he was pointed at the pits and spectators instead of away from....



These guys trying to fix things have pretty good heads on their shoulders, and I think it's worthwhile to give their changes a chance before cursing them to burn in dark places.

Let's all wait until after mid-September to praise or condemn. By then all assumptions will be proven or buried


Miller time...


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[Big_Jim]

Re: News release - Course Change

So none of you can see any potential safety issues with changing a course that the pilots have been flying for decades?

And don’t try and come at me with comments about all the other course changes that have taken place in the last 15 years or so. None of them were that dramatic, and none of them really changed the actual line these guys are flying either.

How is that different that the first time they changed the course in 1971 from the oval to the triangle? How is it different than the time they moved outer 4,5, and 6 in that cut almost a mile off the course? You don't call that 'dramatic'?

Using that logic, how were the pilots able to negotiate the course at Mojave? Hamilton? Phoenix? Kansas City? Dallas? Denver? Tunica? Oh my gawd...those courses were different from the Reno course that they had 'been flying for decades'. How on earth did they ever find the course and race at those venues?

Come on, dude. These are professional pilots. You find the new course, you practice on the new course, and you race the new course. If it changes your racing line, you slow down to negotiate it until you're comfortable going faster.

Just my observation, but my gut feeling is that Steve Hinton Sr. and Jon Sharp have more experience coming down that valley and negotiating that turn than you do...and they wouldn't have recommended it if they didn't feel it was workable.