N941WR
Legacy Member
EAA 309 (Charlotte, NC) is just starting to talk about hosting a weekend ground school on Dead Reckoning navigation.
A week or two after the school we would like to have a local air race where the ?students? can use their newly refreshed skills.
We are in the VERY EARLY planning stages and have not set a date or location yet.
Your input on the format of the race would be greatly appreciated.
Here is what we are thinking:
1) Distance & Location: Three airports, no more than 100 miles apart. (We would like to see things like Champs, Cub?s, and SLA?s participate as well as RV?s and fast glass.) We start and finish at the same airport, which will be located somewhere around Charlotte, NC.
2) Type of Event: It will be a bracket race type event. Each pilot will give their estimated time prior to departure and they will have to come as close to their estimate as possible w/o going over. No need to run 100% power, just hit your estimated time. Also, no need to class each airplane or do speed runs.
2.1) Route: Should we announce the locations prior to the event so the pilots can come with a prepared flight plan or should we give them a weather briefing in the morning, announce the airports and send them off to figure out their estimated time en route prior to departure?
3) Turning Points: Do we have a spotter at the outlying airports? Do we require a touch-and-go? Do we require a full stop to pick up a time card? Or do we just trust the pilots to turn in correct times? (I'm thinking NO to this last one.)
4) Estimated Fuel Burn: Each pilot will have to estimate their fuel burn. Start with full tanks and fill up at the end of the race. This is to keep people from sandbagging.
5) Navigation Equipment: The only navigation equipment allowed will be a compass and a timing device. Panel mounted nav equipment will be covered and handheld devices will be sealed in paper bags. If the seals are broken when you land, you are DQ?ed.
6) Starting sequence: Based on the format, should the planes be launched in sequence, slowest first, fastest last, the other way around, or in whatever sequence they line up?
7) Prizes: Bragging rights. Sorry no big cash prize to hand out.
Thanks for the help.
A week or two after the school we would like to have a local air race where the ?students? can use their newly refreshed skills.
We are in the VERY EARLY planning stages and have not set a date or location yet.
Your input on the format of the race would be greatly appreciated.
Here is what we are thinking:
1) Distance & Location: Three airports, no more than 100 miles apart. (We would like to see things like Champs, Cub?s, and SLA?s participate as well as RV?s and fast glass.) We start and finish at the same airport, which will be located somewhere around Charlotte, NC.
2) Type of Event: It will be a bracket race type event. Each pilot will give their estimated time prior to departure and they will have to come as close to their estimate as possible w/o going over. No need to run 100% power, just hit your estimated time. Also, no need to class each airplane or do speed runs.
2.1) Route: Should we announce the locations prior to the event so the pilots can come with a prepared flight plan or should we give them a weather briefing in the morning, announce the airports and send them off to figure out their estimated time en route prior to departure?
3) Turning Points: Do we have a spotter at the outlying airports? Do we require a touch-and-go? Do we require a full stop to pick up a time card? Or do we just trust the pilots to turn in correct times? (I'm thinking NO to this last one.)
4) Estimated Fuel Burn: Each pilot will have to estimate their fuel burn. Start with full tanks and fill up at the end of the race. This is to keep people from sandbagging.
5) Navigation Equipment: The only navigation equipment allowed will be a compass and a timing device. Panel mounted nav equipment will be covered and handheld devices will be sealed in paper bags. If the seals are broken when you land, you are DQ?ed.
6) Starting sequence: Based on the format, should the planes be launched in sequence, slowest first, fastest last, the other way around, or in whatever sequence they line up?
7) Prizes: Bragging rights. Sorry no big cash prize to hand out.
Thanks for the help.