Near Real Time Internet Coverage 10-17-09
From the head Sport Air Racer Mike Thompson:
Greetings, Race Nuts.
This weekend is the Tennessee Valley Pumpkin Dash and Air Race in Courtland, Alabama.
This race's timing will be a bit different, registration starts at noon, then the dash will run from 1300 to 1500 with the cross country race to start as soon as the dash is over.
By Saturday, high pressure should dominate the central United States and great weather is expected.
The temps are forecast to be 56F for the high and 36F for the low. Brrr...!
Dress and pack accordingly.
This race we are going to do some cool techie things that you may be interested in - especially for those of you who cannot be at the race.
First, we are going to have the scoring sheet on line and you will be able to watch from your internet-connected computer as we enter times and compute speeds for the race(s).
If you will direct your browser to the following URL starting at, oh, 1300 Saturday:
http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0AgBp43GExJZWdGpUeGltck5CcUxfWk1iSXFQMllPZlE&hl=en
You will be looking at a Google Doc web site, and specifically at the TVAR II race results.
There are four sheets to this spreadsheet - the tabs are at the bottom. they are:
Cross Country Race Results: This will be the summary after the speeds are calculated. You can watch this sheet as the speeds come in, or
Cross Country Race Worksheet: This will be the actual sheet where we're entering start and finish times.
Cross Country Race Start Order: This is a static sheet that just shows the entries in their start order. This may change once we get everybody together.
Speed Dash Worksheet: This will be the computation worksheet for the Speed Dash.
So keep a browser open to that url to "watch" the race! The sheets will update every few seconds!
If you want to really watch the race (well, some of it) direct another browser to
www.justin.tv/sportairrace
This is a "channel" I have created on a website that provides a free, basic video streaming service. We will have a video camera there and we will be limited only by our ability to make an internet connection with the FBO's wireless LAN. This means we won't be able to go very far beyond the hangar... but we'll show you everything we can. We may even set the thing up to webcast the awards ceremony.
Be prepared to curl up with your computer Saturday afternoon and join the festivities! We don't know how well this will come off, but we won't know until we try!
It's not too late to make the race, either! Come join us in making SARL history!
As you make your way to Alabama, remember or write down our contact numbers so you can let us know about cancellations or trouble enroute:
Mike Thompson - 512-663-2184
Chris Murphy - 970-219-9295
Oh - one more URL for you. I will be running my SPOT tracker all day, so you can watch me fly from Taylor to Courtland Saturday morning - I expect to launch around 0800 - and then during the race I'll have it on. The positition reports only go out every 10 minutes, so this race will have a half-dozen or so including taxi and such. We're busily working on alternatives for next year's races!
Anyway, keep track of El Lento here:
http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0HFy96yUjK1RlgEjJvOfIg3m3BoCjjixG
If anyone else has and will run their SPOT tracker, shoot me the URL and I'll publish it for you.
It's been a goal of mine from day one of this organization to make our sport more "publicly accessible". We're taking the baby steps beginning this weekend, and you can help through your participation and feedback.
Let us know how it goes from the "audience" perspective!
- Mike
