My 2 cents

[Matt58]

Just to let everyone know, this year was my first trip to the races in Reno. I am an avid air-shower but have never made it to Reno for this spectacular event. I have been wanting to go for the longest time, but with college football for the past 6 years, t has been really hard. I told myself that since I graduated this year, I was not going to let anything hold me back; no matter what. I must say, I am a fan for life!!! Some people I talk to say that the Reno Air Races are no big deal, but this event was I life changing experience for me. I have always been interested in aviation and flight, and have even logged a few hours in a 172, but this event gave me permanent goose bumps. There is nothing else like this in the world. The feeling that Rare Bear and Dago Red gave me along with every other plane invloved in this event is undescribable. I have already requested the week off for next year and you can plan to see me everyday next year. Thank you Reno, racers, owners, and planes for something that changed my life forever. You now have my full attention and will be hearing a lot from me in the future. Thanks again.

P.S.

Where can I find a VHS or DVD of this years events. I am dying to get my hands on one.

[dclemans]

Video of this years races

Get in touch with RARA. They were taking orders for one at their booth (the association one; next to the replica Thompson, etc. race trophies) this year. ($25 for vhs, $30 for dvd (or something like that)). They said production would take 45-60 days, so people who put in a preorder at the booth would get them in November or early December.

Presumably they'll make more than just what they need for the pre-orders.

[claylemon]

Re: My 2 cents

Originally posted by Matt58
I am a fan for life!!!

Once airracing gets on you, it's on you. You'll be sitting around doing whatever you do and all of a sudden the unique sound of Rare Bear or a Merlin will blast through your head. You stop and look and the calender to count the days until the next NCAR.

At least, that is how it is for me. If I need a psychologist, let me know.


Clay

[Leo]

Addict

Sounds like you are hooked.
Seek help immediately! If you don't, you are doomed to a life of strange sounds in your head, daydreaming and just sitting around with a stupid smile on your face. The simple mention of Air Racing, or the sound of an aircraft engine, will have you talking in toungues nobody else understands.
Each year in August you will start to get the fever. Non-Air Race fan friends and family will start to avoid you because they know the binge is starting. Soon you will be reduced to a slave to your goal, and you must GET TO RENO at all costs. As the 3rd week in September nears, you will be starving for news on your favorite racer. All of your spare time, and some that is'nt spare, will be spent searching the web and publications to satisfy the cravings.
Race week arrives and you are single minded. Everything, work, relationships, bills, etc. are on hold until it's over. You will rise early before the first engine roars, so you don't miss anything, and you will linger there until the last whiff of av-gas and kerosene.
Each nite you will return home sunburned, dehydrated, hungry and broke, arms laden with shirts and trinkets.
Your only comfort is being surrounded by fellow sufferers who wander just as aimlessly among the planes with glassed-over eyes and crooked smiles. each getting his fix in his own way.
When the week is over you are more sunburned, more dehydrated (stop for food, drink or lotion? I might miss something!) and ready to eat anything, even the $7.00 hamburgers they sell at the races. But you are beyond broke.
So you head home, vowing to never let the fever take you that strongly again. But before you can escape, you hear the sound of a departing Mustang.
Next year...It'll be even better. Only 358 days to wait.
Psychiatrist? I need a rubber room the rest of the year.

Leo

[Race 29]

Leo,
THAT is the most accurate description of what my life is like! I thought I was all alone, just a freak! I never knew there were others out there who went through the same withdrawls! We need to stick together. We need to start N.L.A. (Normal Lives Anonomous) If anyone gets the urge to watch a NASCAR race, we could call someone to bring over a corndog, a Skyfire video, and talk us out of it!

Race 29

[Leo]

We need support! Thru the years all of my Air Race memorabilia has slowly been banished from the house. some is in the garage, but most is hanging in my office at work (Except the Rare Bear Brew, that would,nt last 5 minutes there). It starts some interesting conversations, but I have to be careful because like all serious fans I can bore any non-fan to tears in nothing flat!
Whenever I get the shakes, I find a quiet, darkened room to meditate in. I then surround myself with piles of Air Race videos, put on the ten-pound pin hat, turn up the surround sound and smile in anticipation of a genuine Air Race high....

Who needs drugs?


Leo

[claylemon]

Originally posted by Leo
We need support!

Leo, we have a support goup! It's called AAFO.COM. Otherwize we would be relegated to a padded room with doctors who had never been to the races.

Our therepist is Wayne who keeps us from getting too out of hand on thi... Wait was that a Bear Cat I just heard fly over?


Clay

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by claylemon
Leo, we have a support goup! It's called AAFO.COM. Otherwize we would be relegated to a padded room with doctors who had never been to the races.

Our therepist is Wayne who keeps us from getting too out of hand on thi... Wait was that a Bear Cat I just heard fly over?

LOL Clay!

I'm at the "I don't care if I never see another friggin airplane" state of mind at the moment (don't worry... happens after every "marathon" air show, or event I go to) My feet hurt, my lips are chapped.. I've got several gigs of photos to go through the "Oh $hit" process with (where most of what you shoot is crap, and you have to dig through that to get to the ohh, ahhh, ahhh, ahhh images)

But I'll have a "fix" or three coming up soon... gotta synch my lappy to my desktop and move the final batches and then get started...

I've got a couple days worth of stuff that I shot while the cam was malfunctioning... (shooting waaaay off color balance) I've found that they are recoverable for web use, at least, none would make decent prints, at least as I see them now.. but they are, apparantly, repairable to a certain extent..

Unknown what went wrong with the HUGELY expensive camera that I bought in 2000, but it's going off to Nikon for a looksee asap.. And... if the budget can bear it.. a D2H is on the horizon as a replacement...

Phew... I don't need to eat.. right!!

Wayne

[claylemon]

Who has time to eat when there are pics to post.


Clay

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by claylemon
Who has time to eat when there are pics to post.

LOL... first, you have to have the $$ to eat...

Wayner

[claylemon]

You should have come back to the barbeque Friday night. I'm sorry I missed you. You walked right past me and loaded onto the golf cart and were gone. Sharon told me that you was you. If you need some cash I will buy any Rare Bear brew that you have left over.

Clay

[AAFO_WSagar]

Originally posted by claylemon
You should have come back to the barbeque Friday night. I'm sorry I missed you. You walked right past me and loaded onto the golf cart and were gone. Sharon told me that you was you. If you need some cash I will buy any Rare Bear brew that you have left over.

LOL.. no brew here!

Friday I had to go pick up "Beer Nazi" from the airport.. thinking we had a "free night" to play... Just as I got there, I got a call from Stacy that they were down two cylinders and only had one...

We did return to Stead but the BBQ was over (ate cold leftovers that *someone* left) and hung till later to make sure that someone stayed with the crew for moral support and coffee runs..

Sorry I missed ya but "Beer Nazi" is pretty important to me and I wanted to get there as on-time as possible and was kidding myself that if I got out early enough, I could wash off the pylon dirt... no time.. hadda' go all stinky and stuff..

Wayne

[claylemon]

Originally posted by AAFO_WSagar
I had to go pick up "Beer Nazi"

I would never expect you to make "Beer Nazi" wait because of me. We'll just do it again next year. It's only three hundred and fifty some odd days 'til the next race.



Clay

[radialnut]

I for one would like to thank you wayne for hanging around that night we were changing #2 cylinder it was a night we will all remember thanks again for your support. we will get them in 04

[claylemon]

And we will be there watching you do it.


Clay