SARL race in Wennatchie, WA (EAT)

[Christopher Murphy]

So far there are only 3 RV types entered in the race at EAT on June 12.

If you have an RV and you like to have fun you should sign up and give it a try. You don't need to have the fastest airplane around, you don't have to be a former test pilot, and you don't have to thrash your airplane.

You will meet some neat folks, attend a professional briefing, have a chance to figure out how to use wind and altitude to your advantage, fly a precise course line, make a turn over a point on the ground without loosing speed or time, and then see how you did compared to other airplanes and pilots.

There are no giant EGO's involved in SARL racing, its about having fun and testing your airplane and your skills.

Chris M RACE34 Chairman TVAR and Speed Dash Oct30,2010 (9A4)

[Bob Axsom]

I have still have some limits to how far I can travel to race this year but if I could, I would be there. Some RV builders are still working on their planes and some are not sure what is involved. For those people who have never had a SARL race in their part of the country this would be a good opportunity to see what it is all about.

I suggest that it would be a good idea to go to www.sportairrace.org click on "Calendar of Events!", then "The Great Nortwest Air Race", then "GNAR Race Information", then "Route and Course Information". In the text on this page the course is defined in a lot of detail (more than usual which requires a little digging but if you click on the "Route and Course Information" the course is drawn on a sectional for clarity. There is a short course for planes in very slow classes but RVs will fly the long course. You should flight plan the race route just like you plan any cross country flight to get a pilot's feel for the task.

On race day armed with all of this insight go to the race site and see it happen. I would guess that you could squeeze in and observe the briefing and certainly watch the start up, line up, taxi to the runway, launch and finish.

Right now there are 14 pilots and airplanes entered in the race but only 3 are RVs. Bob Mills is flying a special RV-6 with a 540 engine and must compete in the Sport FX (fixed gear Sport) while Brent Travis in his RV-4 and Jerry Cochran in his RV-6A will compete in the RV-Blue class. There are a several other very interesting planes to follow as well.

The following racers have registered for the Great Northwest Air Race as of 25 May:

Race # Name Aircraft Class

Race 79 Jim Robinson Glasair III "Fastglass" Sport

Race 43 Bob Mills RV Super-6 Sport FX

Race TF Brent Travis RV-4 RV Blue
Race 18 Jerry Cochran RV-6A "Sophie II" RV Blue

Race 37 Red Hamilton Tailwind W-10 FX Red
Race 61D Tim Bovee Mustang II "Purty Pony" FX Red
Race 96 Kelly Mahon Tailwind W-10 "Idaho Wind" FX Red

Race 00 Paul Lipps Lancair 235 Sprint

Race 16E John Smutny Christen Eagle "Double Eagle" Biplane Blue
Race 18S Scott Bach Pitts S1S Biplane Blue

Race 1JX Gretchen Howell Mooney M20J "Cobbler's Child" FAC3RG

Race 448 Jim Porter Cirrus SR-20 "Plane Jane" FAC3FX

Race 94W Jeff Davis Piper PA-28 FAC4FX

Race 425 Norman Howell Aerostar 601P "The Thunderbolt
Grease-Slapper" Twin1-T

Bob Axsom

[benamyava]

And for those on the East Coast please review the SARL website for the 10 July Top of the Cheaspeake 150 operating out of Maryland/Delware/PA.

http://www.sportairrace.org/id4.html

10 July, 2010
Top of The Chesapeake 150

[hydroguy2]

Originally Posted by Christopher Murphy

.....If you have an RV and you like to have fun you should sign up and give it a try. You don't need to have the fastest airplane around, you don't have to be a former test pilot, and you don't have to thrash your airplane.........

Chris M RACE34 Chairman TVAR and Speed Dash Oct30,2010 (9A4)

Hopefully I'll be there next year. This sounds like great fun and good learning tool.

[corbinace]

Brian touches on a very real topic; that of learning. These types of events cause us to stretch from our normal comfort zones and when we stretch we grow. The number and type of skills learned from competition are many. You always take home a big bag of tricks/skills that you never knew existed. Your bag will be here waiting for you, so come on out and get it.

Just to reiterate what Chris said; it is all about fun and the slowest racer has just as much fun as the fastest (just less bragging rights).

Tim (zero bragging rights) Bovee