No Red Bull Air Races This Year?

Crap. One of the things I planned on doing was attending one of these races if it was in San Diego again or somewheres near by this year. Really disappointing. I love these races. Been watching them on tv for three years now.

I understand they feel the need to take some time off and reorganize and implement better safety procedures, however. I hope it will become a much more viable sport in the future and keep growing and that they will find a way to stabilize the schedule. Then find a way to even the playing field so that its more a competition of pilot and crew skill rather than who has the deepest sponsorship wallets. I surely dont want this to become aerial Formula 1 in that regard. Limit the amount of airframe modification during the season, too. In the off season teams can test and submit templates for the aircraft they will be flying and they will be forced to use that shape for the season w/ maybe the exception of wing tips. Otherwise it will again be like formula one where you have body parts specific to every track which increases cost to the point where many teams wont keep up and it will even the contest between metal(edge 540) and composite(mxs-r) constructed aircraft Also move towards a more standardized engine, keep the lycoming 540s but limit the teams to performance parts that can be had by anyone off the shelf rather than one of creations. Also I think the gates should be flown at whatever orientation suits the pilots line rather than knife or level I think this will improve safety and competition on windy courses where one pilot my fall victim to a gust another didnt have to navigate. So hopefully, they are rethinking some of these issues and will institute the proper changes for the betterment of the sport.

They need to do a much better job of not making last minute dates/publishing of venues which do a disservice for event attendees planing for time off, flights accommodations at the venues. They need have set venues/dates and not keep changing them last minute.

I hope this will not be the end of the races, but only a new beginning.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PlIqi55Q6uo


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdxzpeFyFSQ&feature=related


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwuW6SXNtTM&feature=relmfu

I don't always get to watch TV, but this was always fun to watch.

About leveling the playing field, I agree with you, but I just don't see that happening, unless you restrict teams to the same amount of money. No matter how much you try to standardize the parts the teams get. The teams with deep pockets will be able to do R&D that will lead to them being faster than those that do not. IMO.

I do hope however that this racing does come back. I was unaware that it had gone. When it does come back, I do hope that they can level the field and let the best pilot with the best talent win.

Heck I just found out today when I went to look at the 2011 schedule! What a shock! I wasn't happy camper needless to say. You are right about the deep pockets though and that is why I would like to see it more standardized to make it fair. But that probably won't happen. In every sport, it's all about who has the money anymore. Well, at least I will be making a few days of the Reno Races in September. Haven't been in years. Decided last year that I was going to go this year. Harrahs here I come!!! I seriously have planned a few trips this year and a few more dates off here and there. I only hope it happens. I worked waaaaay too many hours last year. (yet I worked 6 days in a row for three weeks in tandem last month) lmao The best laid plans and all of that. I keep planning time off and then I wind up working. What is up with that crap? I need a clone. How are you buddy???

You bring up Harrahs at Reno, I actually managed to park my truck there at Harrahs once. This was during all the construction that was going on. I came up to the turn I had to make and there was a construction worker there and he said "you can't possibly make this turn" I said "yes I can no problem, just move a few of those cones out of my way and I got it". The rooms there are very nice and I didn't have to spend a lot on the room.

As far as how I am doing, I am doing pretty good for the most part. I had to chain the truck to get over I-80 from California going into Nevada. I decided to go and do it. I had time on that load and I could of just sat there in Sacramento, but I said to myself I'm going. I wanted to put myself in a position that I had to do this. I did it, I had to drive on those chains for 40 miles and they held up. It took me a while to do it, but I did it and I felt pretty damn proud of myself for doing so.

I look forward to getting home in about the next month. It will be so good to get home.

That is some brutual work chaining a big rig and especially of course in the freezing weather. Ugh. I know I couldn't do that. I am glad you were on the side of saftey as usual. No fun to drive on either I imagine. We had some nice ice and some hail in and around Carson City and some real hairy storms up that way and some crappy downdrafts coming in. Frisco was no picnic either. You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you will be going home next month!!!! YEAH!!! Really great news. Man, it's about damn time, my friend! You so deserve a break and some time with your Dad. YEAH again!!! You'll be counting the days soon enough.

I don't know the full story behind the cancellation of the Red bull series, but we were told the cancellation is only temporary and came about at least partially due to the fact they had their first "in race" crash during last years' round held here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShaNzOWvWiU&feature=player_detailpage

Yeah I saw that crash, during the race (on tv). He was luckily not have been really injured. That was RB's first and only accident since this sport began. It looked like the port wing stalled from his bank (that simply was a bit too far over), it lost it's lift, dropped and then the tip caught the water. Not much he could do being so close to the water. Just no time to recover.

I'll tell you what was an amazing feat of piloting skills, and that was Matt Hall when he made this stall recovery.......talk about quick reflexes and focus! Bejebsus!! He's the third generation pilot in his family and a former Royal Australian Air Force Fighter Combat (Top Gun) Instructor. He flew F18's so he certainly knows about stalls and recovery. lmao He even spent a few years here in the States under an USAF exchange program and flew F-15's and performed some missions in Iraq. He soloed at age 15. He has also flown aerobatics and performed at air shows for a few years now. He owns several planes (I already hate him plus my wife thinks he is really hunky) including a P51. He is a very skilled pilot. He's going to be flying at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon in Victoria next month. Wish I could see that, even on tv. He's going to be in a few other air shows but I think they'll all be your way LRM. Wish he'd come to OSH, I am going there this year. I believe he was there in '08.

You can see with the cockpit cam, how heavily he was breathing after that! Must have scared the piss outta him! I bet his heart was pounding a mile a minute! That's a serious pucker moment! lol

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFSvfrTq2JU

I was there and actually saw it happen.

Mate, I've been in, on and around car racing for more years than I care to remember, and that has got to be one of the most stunning examples of the level of skill and control required to be at the top level of any of the speed sports.

Simply amazing.

Did you??? Okay, now I am majorly jealous! Here is a great cockpit cam of Matt and his apperance at the Australian International Airshow and Aerospace & Defence Exposition at Avalon in Victoria this past Saturday. I bet it was covered on tv there. All I get is you tube! Crap.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m3wSDJDt6pE&feature=player_embedded#at=16


Here, He does a complete stall and fall spin! Cripes, that MXS-R flies like a *******! I can't imagine the G's!

His wing over wings and flips are fricking amazing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ySbHn5UQCM

The half and full wags are so crisp! Side spins, reverse spins.... man, he does it all!! He is one truly talented pilot! Just fantastic skills! I've watched this video about ten times now. Look at his take off! What rotation? lmao He just throws and pitches his plane into the air! lol Love it!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJJNCxTnYrw&NR=1

Quote:

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Originally Posted by A Life Aloft

Did you??? Okay, now I am majorly jealous!

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The race venue was just outside the CBD:

http://www.redbullairrace.com/cs/Red...jpg?1241806890

The course is right in the center of the area between the Barrack St jetty and the Causeway: http://www.whereis.com/wa/perth/the-...e#session=MTI=Map of The Esplanade, Perth

The river runs virtually through the center of the city and so admission was free to the public, other than for a relatively small "premium viewing area" on the opposite side of the river from where the above pic was taken.

The weather at that time of the year is stunning, so why wouldn't anyone go to watch ???

The Matt Hall recovery video was amazing. I don't think you can come any closer than that to wrecking. That had to take extreme concentration to bring the wings back to level with hardly anytime to do so. The slightest panic, or second guessing would of meant wrecking.

Wow.