jdub
New Member
Working on my Cassutt
Posts: 23
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Post by jdub on Sept 22, 2019 11:06:33 GMT -6
So, when I run, I do a lot of thinking. For fun, it started out with donkey softball. What does this have to do with air racing? I do not know. But it progressed to "if only I could" thoughts. If only I could build 4 racers and sell them fairly locally to get a race league started, wouldn't that be cool? How about just keeping them and recruiting pilots and charging a fee? It would be sort of an exhibition air race...like donkey softball...
Then, another...why not open this class up? I saw a post from 2012 kind of along the lines I'm thinking, but that was about including RV's and then kind of steering to SARL. SARL...well it's pretty much toast except for the Oshkosh race and maybe Texas. Flying my Cassutt to Texas and burning my precious vacation time to run as maybe one of one or two is not exciting to me. The Oshkosh race...maybe...I need more fuel! I would be on Fumes at best at the end (that is my given callsign btw-don't ask). The last Great Northwest Air Race had 4 show up despite marketing. Opening the class up to me would be any VW powered aircraft with a minimum qualifying airspeed. That would potentially bring in Sonex, Onex, 2 seat Sonerai, etc. A "formula VW class" could still be run, and maybe even a formula 1 on the short course (read jockying throttles). Exhibition races...that is where I think the best chance is at. Trophies, ok...monetary winnings probably not since this would be for fun and pride. Let the restricted planes go to Reno. And, I'm not taking away from that either. I'm actually looking to complement the big guns down there and generate more interest. Air Race 1 drew crowds wherever it went. Hopefully the eplane will too.
Thoughts?
Jerry
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Post by Supervee on Sept 23, 2019 6:25:36 GMT -6
Jerry, All interesting thoughts. From my past experiences, getting 15 to 20 people committed to a cause is the problem. It takes that many to put on a race, and my experience over the past decade seems to indicate that we may never get 5 people to commit to getting organized. We need a half dozen qualified airplanes and willing pilots to even consider putting on an event that would include insurance coverage and FAAWaiver/approval. I have been a broken record with these comments for a decade. Then you need timers, pylon builders, pylon judges, tech inspectors, insurance liaisons, air show announcers, and a willing airport that get shut down from normal operations to accommodate our flying/contests. Supervee exists, I have been handing out preliminary rules packages for years, only asking for comments and a willingness to give some help in making it happen. I have always said that the outback and challenge competitions that I have proposed are a walkway to return to closed course pylon racing. We have to crawl first, and it seems that we cannot get the manpower to even do that....ED
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Post by dmar836 on Sept 23, 2019 6:47:59 GMT -6
Jerry, We have had similar discussions. If I can speak for most of us, the design isn’t really what is the speed bump - it’s the lack of motivated people. You are right - exhibition (races), that parenthetical part said under breath, is the way to go. A group in a row at OSH, maybe an OSH demo(if we can get to the right people), and general activity is likely what will, if anything, spark interest. We live in this modern age of affluence and relative ease and that hasn’t helped with the skills and perseverance required for building. Add the stress and money issues and... Inclusion of RVs, Sonex, etc. has been discussed. Could help get some talk going but(and this is personal) I’m afraid many builders are soft skinned. Differentiating oneself with a kit build means adding weight, money, and complication. To me that’s just an irrefutable fact. If a guy with his shiny, heavy, $80,000 RV is going to feel anything but top dog he will likely just avoid such an environment rather than adapt. In competition bragging rights come after results are shown and that formula works in racing but not in the rows of RVs. Racing requires vulnerability - you risk failing, embarrassment, and submission to others. The humility required to improve ones racing results has long been exhausted by the check book. Include that mentality too early on in SV and it would be like a trailer park HOA. Too much drama. Taken to its extreme we could do speed dashes or poker runs with 172s. Yet nobody cares about that. I’m afraid we’ve come to the reality that today people want to be entertained, cheaply, and with no walking please. Those seeking a challenge today find it on the forums and nitpick those who are actual doing something. It’s all quite discouraging. Dave
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Post by dmar836 on Sept 23, 2019 6:49:11 GMT -6
Oops. Looks like Ed and I were typing at the same time. Off to read his post! Dave
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jdub
New Member
Working on my Cassutt
Posts: 23
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Post by jdub on Sept 23, 2019 16:09:56 GMT -6
Guys, I see where you're coming from. I saw some promising things this summer and my airport is really active-gets/got me excited. I saw another complaint from the Arlington show that "the good old days were long gone." I wanted to reach though the computer and smack the guy. I get it-there's no longer 4 planes in every pattern. When I was talking to the guy with the V Witt parts there were only two at my airport in the pattern-half of what I guess that were there in the good old days. Here's the a really weird takeaway from this year-I saw more warbirds (P-51's, P-40's, T-28, T-6's, Stearmans, Waco's etc) than I did homebuilts at the flyins/airchows. WAAAM had more factory certs and antiques, along with a couple of warbirds. I got asked by one of the organizers of Wings and Wheels at Richland how would we get more homebuilts to ours-there honestly were more big radials. It started making me wonder where the homebuilts were hiding. I need to get out and do some legwork. It all comes back to one high item on my bucket list. I want to do something to further aviation for the next generation-no matter how big or small. It's not about being remembered-heck almost 100% of people that ever lived are forgotten. It's to inspire someone to carry the torch. I let a lot of kids sit in the Cassutt and get their pic taken by appreciative parents this summer. I started asking them to promise to take a lesson in the future. An enthusiastic yes really made my day! I have been asked a couple of times to attend PRS next year and go to Reno. That is something I would like to do-but also expensive. I could go all in and be broke. My Cassutt would not be competitive yet-I have a lot to learn. But on the other side, I need money to learn those things haha! Going year after year to learn makes it many times more. How fun it would be though! It would be cheaper for me to fly the little John Deere to Oshkosh to be honest. The other thing that may seal the deal is my Dad asked this year if I could bring it to the local fly in last July-he is not doing the best anymore. Unfortunately I had a work trip. I figured out a way to work around it next year, so I'm looking at going for it. I'd be proud to park beside you guys at Oshkosh for sure! Any other racer type airplanes can join me if they like. We could designate an airport to meet at and do a group arrival. I'll head that up if there's interest! If not, I'm still going Jerry
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Post by dmar836 on Sept 23, 2019 18:07:56 GMT -6
If OSH would have a homebuilt review flight more than just once during the Tuesday afternoon air show I would be much more optimistic. I’m thinking if we had our 6 or so racers lined up at OSH and had lots of interest we would be waiting year after year for acknowledgement and a chance to do a flight. Hate to be that way but I have seen more than one guy promised a flight during the air show only stand down several days until the week just passes by. The mini B-17 was the most recent but I can’t say I know the whole story. This enthusiasm is what we need though!
Dave
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jdub
New Member
Working on my Cassutt
Posts: 23
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Post by jdub on Sept 23, 2019 21:11:27 GMT -6
Right before the airshow...maybe a full on buzz for the midget and VW racer designs! Quick, over, lots of people see it-a sound second only to the WW2 big iron.
Pipe dream, I know. I think a good first step would be a group arrival and park together, carry the banner, promote the designs, etc. I'll have some patches made. You'd love the kids saying "Mom, Dad, that plane is my size!" I've been half heartedly looking for a broken RC controller as a prop. Yep, want to fly it? Just don't press this button...
A kid actually asked if he could start it up and fly it. I told him probably, but he'd have to wrestle me for it...parents got a good laugh with that one.
Jerry
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