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Bob Axsom

Well Known Member
U. S. Air Race, Inc. is putting together the National Air Races on September 23 through September 30 that gives almost every regular pilot an opportunity to race competitively. There are three races actually and they are all handicapped to give everyone a shot at winning. One race is a 300 mile triangular race out of Mesquite, Texas near Dallas on Sunday September 25. All electronic nav aids will be blocked for this race and you have to fly the course and find the turn points using charts and pilotage. There is also a race following the exact same format out of Monroe, North Carolina on Friday September 30. In between there is a 1,800 mile race with all nav aids available starting on Monday September 26 at Mesquite, Texas and ending on Wednesday September 28 at Monroe, North Carolina. You can enter one, two or all three races and pay the entry fees accordingly. There are trophies for all three races and cash prizes as well as the trophies for the long one. I have entered our RV-6A in all three races and it is the only experimental currently entered. Jay Blum had entered his Long EZ but if you saw his smiling photograph on the inside rear cover of the AirVenture Cup Race Program you know he was killed in a formation flying accident on July 10. It would be good if we could get some more entries. The web site is http://www.us-airrace.org. If you look at the "events" link there you will see much more is going on for the participants than the racing.

Bob Axsom
 
Air Race

Just out of curiosity, do they start the faster aircraft first or last? I'd hate to be moseying along in my Mooney and have a faster aircraft, with a pilot trying to find a landmark on his sectional, visit me from behind.
 
I don't think so but I'm not certain

I've flown in their races twice before but I'm not certain. As I recall in the long one at least they start in race # order with a 1 minute launch gap -maybe 30 sec. [email protected] could tell you for sure. I have been passed by faster planes but the rate is not as great as it might seem when you subtract the speed of the plane being passed from that of the passor. There are a couple of Barons entered that are pretty fast but I don't expect a problem. All airplanes are now required to have a crew of two so the extra set of eyes helps avoid the situation where no one in the overtaking plane is looking.

My biggest problem in those pilotage races is finding the turn points at low altitude. You are not given the turn point information in the pilotage races until the night before the race. One thing I observed being done by a couple of SR-71 pilots (Harlon Hain and Charlie Daubs) that might help is to carry a detailed road map that I have coordinated with the sectional. At 1,000 ft AGL if you don't come pretty close to the turn in a part of the country you have never seen before, you probable will not see it at all. It is an attention getting challenge as you suggest and the extra set of eyes may be helpful - it never has been a savior for me but it can't hurt.

They are very safety conscious and have never had an accident in their races. They would probably consider it if it meant they would get more entries. They know the top speeds of all the entries so it is not something that couldn't be dealt with effectively.

Bob Axsom
 
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Extra Trophies

I see at the us-airrace.org website that manufacturers Beechcraft, Cessna and Piper have stepped forward to inspire participation by pilots of their products in addition to the trophies and cash prizes being awarded by the race organizers. Nothing from Mooney or Van's but with only one RV entered I wouldn't expect anything else (well there is another reason). These are the announcements I found at the website:

July 22, 2005
The U.S. Air Race welcomes VAN BORTEL AIRCRAFT,INC. as a sponsor of the 2005 National Cross Country Air Races. Cessna's by Van Bortel is the premier Cessna dealership in the United States. Mr. George Van Bortel is sponsoring a pair of trophies to be awarded to the Highest Scoring Cessna entry.

July 3, 2005
The U.S. Air Race, Inc. welcomes Piedmont-Hawthorne, Inc/Garrett Aviation/Associated Air Center as sponsor of the Highest Scoring Beechcraft Trophy for the 2005 National Air Races. The world's largest Beechcraft dealer is pleased to honor the Beech pilots who can go the distance and have the right stuff.
The big question is....will it be one of the "Battling Barons" that takes the prize or will a very special Bonanza from Florida smoke the field. Maybe this will be the year that 1998 event winner Nancy Toon flies her own Beech Duchess! XC racing counts many loyal Beechcraft owners in it's ranks. If you fly a Beech, join the camaraderie and go for those trohpies.

June 30, 2005
The U.S. Air Race, Inc. is pleased to announce New Piper Aircraft is again sponsoring trophies for the Highest Scoring Piper entry in the 2005 National Air Races. New Piper Aircraft continues to build on its solid reputation and proudly recognizes the accomplishments of their loyal owners with this special award.
Cross Country Air Racing is a complete test of all pilot skills. The aircraft flown in these races are, for the most part, the owners personal planes. Piper has been well represented over our 10 year history. Winning teams have flown Piper Lances, Piper Comanches, a Piper Cherokee, a Piper Arrow and a Piper Geronimo. Competing Piper models have ranged from a 1947 Clipper to a shiney new 2003 Saratoga.
New Piper awarded two very spectacular trophies...they were huge...in 2004. Reports are, New Piper plans to make the winners in 2005 very happy with their awards. If you fly a Piper....here is one more reason to join the fun in September.
 
EAA Hotline Support

This appeared in the EAA Hotline today:

U.S. Air Race Events in September
Shelby Bowles and Jim Reed are set to defend their title in the 2005 U.S. Air Races next month. Events include the Cowhand 300, a navigational challenge that starts and ends at the Mesquite, Texas airport on September 25; the 1,800-mile Marion Jayne Air Race and Cruise, September 26-28, from Mesquite to Monroe, North Carolina; and the Carolinas 300 in Monroe September 30. Events are open to all pilots and all piston-powered aircraft. For complete information, including registration, rules, and regulations, visit www.us-airrace.org.

Shelby Bowles flies a Skymaster and has raced it in this event several times. The last time I checked the http://www.us-airrace.org website there were only 13 race numbers reserved and according to Pat Purcell who is putting the event together I have the only experimental entered. Jay H. Blum had entered his Long-EZ #78 but he was killed in a formation practice accident. I never met Jay and it is my loss - he was so popular that a full page is devoted to his memory in the Program for the AirVenture Cup Race. I'm sure that he like myself would like to see this race preserved as more and more are being shut down. If you are thinking about it checkout the website and contact Pat Purcell to get your entry rolling. They take entries right up to race time but there are some hoops to jump through and that always takes time. Hope to see you in the launch queue.

Bob Axsom, Racer #11
 
Current Entries as of 8-31-05

I was told that another pilot entered in a Cessna 172 but I don't have the details yet. Here is what I have been able to dig out:

Race # Pilot Airplane
3 Marvin Guthrie F33 Bonanza
5 Larry Morris B58 Baron
7 D. Hackler Arrow
8 D. Waters Tiger
11 B. Axsom RV-6A
12 Dale Frump Cherokee 180
21 L. Chubb Skyhawk
22 J. Wigney Europa
25 S. Morse Tiger
29 A. Mott Barron
39 Henry Punzi Mooney M20C
41 S. Bowles Skymaster
53 N/A - Reserved Only No Entry Yet
54 M. Giltner Mooney
 
Bob Axsom said:
22 J. Wigney Europa
Click to expand...

I know John and have flown his Europa. Good plane built and flown by a pilot. He will be a tough competitor. It has fallen on his shoulders to hold up the honor of our EAA chapter, or so he claims.

Bummer I have to pay my building bills or I would go out to the airport as they come through this area.
 
Starting Order and New Entry

There are three races involved in this event. The two 300 milers and the first leg of the 1,800 miler will start in Race # order with a fixed launch interval. Each airplane has a handicap to level the playing field as much as possible and the throttles are firewalled (these are not rallies or proficiency demonstrations). The 300 mile race in Texas and the 300 mile race in the Carolinas are speed dashes with no stops where the 1,800 mile race (my favorite) consists of several roughly 300 mile straight legs with time lines at the beginning and end of each leg. All of the subsequent legs must be completed in three days (there is a official start and end of each race day - no night flying and no IFR) and the teams get to decide when they fly all but the first leg.

#53 dropped out and #10 has entered Ann Elise and Bobby Bennett in a Cessna 172.

Bob Axsom
 
Reroute Due to Katrina

This change announcement just appeared on the http://www.us-airrace.org website:

SEPTEMBER 6, 2005: The U.S. Air Race has changed a portion of the route of the 2005 Marion Jayne Air Race. Stop #3, Pagcagoula, Mississippi has been ravaged by Hurricane Katrina. The relief efforts in that area will continue for many weeks. This stop has been replaced with a stop at Glasgow Municipal Airport, Glasgow, Kentucky.

As of this date, the Official Route for the 2005 Marion Jayne Air Race is Mesquite,TX-Miami,OK-Tunica,MS-Glasgow,KY-Gadsden,AL-Waycross,GA-Monroe,NC.

We look forward to having PQL on a future race route and wish them well during the process of rebuilding.​

Bob Axsom
 
Two more entries today

Pat Purcell e-mailed me a note saying two more entries came in today - what great news for her. She is working so hard to keep the event going and every single entry means more than most people imagine ( http://www.us-airrace.org ). One of the new entries is an experimental "Tailwind" - that should be fast.

Race # Pilot Airplane
3 Marvin Guthrie F33 Bonanza
5 Larry Morris B58 Baron
7 D. Hackler Arrow
8 D. Waters Tiger
10 Ann Elise Cessna 172
11 B. Axsom RV-6A
12 Dale Frump Cherokee 180
21 L. Chubb/E. HutsonSkyhawk
22 J. Wigney Europa
25 S. Morse Tiger
29 A. Mott Barron
39 Henry Punzi Mooney M20C
41 S. Bowles Skymaster
54 M. Giltner Mooney
58 D. Berelsman Tailwind
64 Unknown Couple Cessna 172 RG


Bob Axsom
 
Rita is a problem

I received the following message from Pat Purcell this evening - it looks like all the hard work put into this by her team is being washed away:

Bob Axsom

Bob,
Most likely will have to cancel Cowhand 300...forecasts looking worse by the minute for north texas... best soluntion is to get as far east as we need to so we can be out of the weather...Tunica MS our stop 3 on the MJAR may be it...won't know till tomorrow ...make official decision by noon.
It is just one of those years when the best laid plans.............go right down the......
Pat
PS...Mesquite airport has planes calling to come up from gulf to tie down and all the tie downs there are heading up to the north to tie down somewhere else to get out of the winds....yes, the hotels are full...it was that way before the hurricane...major events going on in Dallas.
 
9-22-05 web update

This was posted on the http://www.us-airrace.org web site 9-22-05:

September 22, 2005: The Start of the 2005 National Air Races has moved from Mesquite Texas to Glasgow, KY. Hurricane Rita is predicted to have a serious effect on a major portion of the original route of the air race. To ensure a safe event, the routes have been moved to the East and at this time the events will take place as scheduled but in a different location. Stops at Mesquite, TX, Miami,OK and Tunica, MS have been cancelled.​

If they allowed single pilot competitors I would still participate but I can't ask my volunteer teammate to deal with the delays, time away from home and risks involved with the Rita induced thunderstorms forecast for NW Arkansas starting Saturday. If it were just me I would fly to Glasgow, KY today and come back when the weather settles down.

Bob Axsom
 
Weather Problems Force Changes in Plans

Unfortunately Cross Country Air Races are prone to weather problems and safe events demand that VFR only rules apply. Here is the latest on this years U.S. Air Races Inc. event:

September 26, 2005: The 2005 National Air Races are now safely positioned in Monroe, NC. The finish location is now hosting the start and finish of all the events. With Hurricane Rita bearing down on the Texas/Louisiana coast the race repositioned the start to Stop #3, Glasgow, Kentucky. The Begley's at Glasgow Aviation were able to handle the early arrival. They had already set up for us on short notice as Hurricane Katrina washed out the Pascagoula, MS stop and Glasgow,KY replaced them. Again, the weather would no cooperate. On Sunday, conditions would not improve and again the start location was repositioned....now to the finish at Monroe, NC. All racers are now in Monroe,NC and will start on an amended route on Tuesday for the Marion Jayne air race and continue as scheduled for the balance of the week.​
Bob Axsom
 
Part of the much modified long race is complete

From the us-airrace.org website 9-28-05:

September 28, 2005: The first day of racing for the Marion Jayne Air Race is now in the history books. Weather conditions were favorable but provided a good challenge with winds having a mind of their own. The course provided three legs in opposing directions. Racers used many different strategies trying to find the best winds....there were early arrivals and there were arrivals just before sunset.... The competition is keen, the camaraderie is at an all time high. Racing for this event concludes today at 5:00 pm EDT at Monroe, NC. The pilots again take to the skies on Friday, Sept 30 for the Carolinas 300.
 
From the us-airrace.org website 9-29-05

September 29, 2005 Monroe, NC The Marion Jayne Air Race concluded on Wed. Sept 28, 2005 right on schedule. Weather dictated every other segment of the planned schedule of events and racing competition. After moving the racers from a hoped for start in Glasgow, Kentucky on Sun. Sept 25 to Monroe, NC weather did not allow actual competitive flying until Tuesday. New routes were laid out by the race officials and with the GPS Loggers in each race plane the racers rose to the challenge. Results are in for the Marion Jayne Air Race but will not be officially annouced until the awards ceremony on Friday, Sept 30. The Carolinas 300 takes place on Friday and good weather looks like a favorable bet. Cumulative results from all events determine the winner of the Marion Jayne Perpetual Trophy. All winners can be justly proud of their piloting as new routes were presented daily and a revolutionary new timing system was employed. Camaraderie and high spirits were abundance Thursday, Sept 28 at the finish line celebration and Carolinas BBQ held at Monroe Regional Airport.
 
Final Results

I received this e-mail message from Pat Purcell this evening:

Bob,
Could not get to computer on SAt...traveling back to Texas....Marvin Guthrie and Esther Grupenhagen took the Carolinas 300 and the Perpetual Trophy....Arthur Mott and John Dawson took the Marion Jayne air race...will get all the details up on the web site by Monday.
THose trackers are a miracle...no race this year without them....the racers love them...we printed out the tracks from the Carolinas race and it was quite an eye opener to the pilots...no question on any penalties either.
Just landed after two days of peddling a C172 back....
More later...Pat P
 
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