Race To Ridgeland
 

Just a quick reminder about the Race To Ridgeland to be held at the Ridgeland Airport (3J1), May 2, 2009. You can check out the details at www.racetoridgeland.com. In brief, there will be two races this year, the fourth annual "Race to Ridgeland" and a points paying, national championship Sport Aircraft Racing League race as well. The SARL race takes off first at 8:00am sharp to be followed by the "R2R" at 9:00 am. There will also be our popular annual spot landing contest, formation flying, glider displays, a ballon breaking contest and much more. Food and beverages, T-shirts and caps will be available with the proceeds supporting a local church youth group. Trophies will be presented for the R2R and for the spot landing contest.

Come have good time with us and enjoy some wonderful flying and camaraderie!

We Plan to Be There
 

Weather permitting my wife and I plan to be there to fly in the SARL race. Are you racing or do your duties prevent that?

In you material you say to race in the SARL race you must be a member of SARL. I didn't think that was required in the past but I may be wrong. However that turns out, joining SARL involves no cost - you just go to the becoming a member link at www.sportairrace.org and tell them you want to be a member. That's it, you're a member.

Also in your instructions you say the timing is the responsibility of the racer and the honor system is applied for properly flying the course and recording the time. Upon completing the race the timing device (stop watch) is to be presented to the officials to register your time. After doing that would it be possible to depart for a mini vacation to Myrtle Beach while the Race to Ridgeland racers are on the course?

We plan to fly to Ridgeland from Arkansas on Friday and have reserved a room at the Comfort Inn. Not sure when we will arrive yet, we will have a fuel stop and I would like to see what the turn point airports look like. We will be begging a ride to the motel which has a free continental breakfast but to get to the airport (begging a ride again) we will bring some donuts and use the in-room coffee maker so we are ready to race on time (many years of road warrior experience).

Bob Axsom

Hahaha!! Good response, Bob. Looking forward to meeting you and your wife. The honor system stuff applies to those in the Race to Ridgeland race. However, you guys normally handle timing in the SARL is fine with us. And yes, either way, you guys can get out pretty much any time and depart the area. Also, I only assumed someone needed to be a member of SARL to race in SARL, sorry if that confused the issue.

We will have people assigned to take SARL racers and any others who come in early to any of the local motels and to pick them up in the morning. We'll have an SARL briefing area set up and information (maps, etc) available on the course. Turn points for the Palmetto 125 are easy, they are all the airports on the route. I still have not heard from Mike Thompson as to who will be the race boss for the Palmetto 125. Do you have any information on that?

Regards,


Lee...

Results? Photos
 

Lee or Bob:

The weather seemed pretty good yesterday. Any photos? How was the turnout? Race results? I hated to miss something so close, but I'm still down for about another two or three weeks.

Inquiring minds want to know!

The weather was great and there seemed to be a bigger turn out than last year. I think there were four or five RV's there. It was a good time as usual thanks to Lee's hard work!

I never got off the ground
 

The weather went bad late last week and it still has not left. Low ceilings, poor visibility and continuous thunderstorms for three days and counting. We filed IFR and loaded the plane but that is as far as we got. I hate it that we were not able to make the trip. Pierre may have some news.

Bob Axsom

I never got off the floor!
 

Found myself in the hospital instead of in the race. I was really looking forward to sparing with Bob and Pierre. Next year guys! :D

Get well soon Ron
 

There is going to be another opportunity in about a month and a week or so (June 13, 2009) at the airport at Courtland, Alabama. I have started converting the plane back to cruise configuration for a trip to California (tip tanks, stock tips with lights and steps). While I have the tips off I am plugging the recesses at the ends of the ailerons and flaps. Then after we get back I have to reverse the process for the Tennessee Valley Air Race at Courtland, Alabama. Early in the morning they are having a cross country air race (the course is defined at www.sportairrace.org) and later they are having a unique event where racers make a two-way run through a speed trap over the runway. Maybe we could all get together there to make up for the missed Ridgeland opportunity. I plan to be there.

Bob Axsom

Yeah, Ron...
 

......boy, some guys do anything to get a little attention:D

The fastest airplane there was a pretty Lancair 4 retract, with twin turbochargers on the IO-550 Conti and he blew by me near 230 MPH down low while I was showing right at 200 MPH at 2758 RPM and 500 AGL. He told me later that he turned the revs back to 2500 but boosted it to 38" since the cylinders only have an 800 hour life.

I guess the weather also prevented the Rocket from being there as well as Bob Axsom. Looked like about a dozen airplanes participated.


Regards,

My apologies to everyone for not getting the results of the Race To Ridgeland out publically yet. I had to leave on a business trip early Sunday morning the day after the race and just got back (to work). Haven't been home yet and don't have the results here at work. I'll get them out tonight.

The weather at Ridgeland and on the course cooperated magnificently (it always has!) and we had a great race and a great day. Though the Palmetto 125 had to be cancelled for a lack of participation, mostly due to weather, the Race To Ridgeland went off without a hitch and was hotly contested. The Spot Landing contest was a lot of fun too as it always is and our new "test" event---balloon busting, was a huge hit with both the pilots who participated and with the crowd. We will make that a feature event next year. Thanks to all who participated. I'll get the results on-line tonight when I finally get home!

Regards,

Lee...