First Timer...any tips???

[lowpasskid]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

get a back pack like the school kids use. it's good for carrying all the cool stuff your going to buy, and for taking your camera, scanner, sunscreen,parka etc you'll need when going in.
The Low Pass Kid
Ric Taylor

[boomtown]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

Don't bring the aerosol spray type of sunscreen. That is not allowed (learned the hard way). If you are coming down I-80 from Tahoe, I would recommend getting off at West McCarran and following that around to North Virignia and bypassing 395/80 Interchange. Big Jim covered everthing to a "T".

[tim]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

I agree with airpirate, the trip from Tahoe isn't bad. I've stayed there since my first trip in '91. Watch for the Nevada Highway Patrol around Boomtown, particularly on the way down the hill. Stay a while after the last race and hang around the pits until the traffic clears.

[bstocker]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

I may have a few C row box seat tickets for sale inline with the finish pylon. Your Box Seat package includes Pit Passes and VIP parking good for all five days of Race Week [Wednesday through Sunday]. Seats are located in front of the Reserved Seat Grandstands. Each box comes with folding chairs with backs and carpeting. These are the best seats in the event. We drop off coolers each morning with our favorite beverage to drink all day. Let's just say not much water just cans and bottles... We play and party hard so if this may be what you would like let me know. Cost is $315 plus your drink of choice.

[darrellmims]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

OK heres my story , I've been going out there since 1992 wife gave me the trip for my 40th B'day .Last year we did a day for her (Friday) and went to own and the Mall . I take the bus everywhere ,it's cheeper than a car and so easy . We take the shuttle out to races too , no car rental ,parking fee's. etc. well we had just got back to the Silver Legacy and had taken a picture out side and went up to the BBQ/Pizza place there (i think it the Gecko ) and had just started eating when the cell phone rang and asked if we were OK ! Thats when we learned of what happened. Of course the Grand Sierra has everything you would want in one place . It's nice also.

[Ron Lewark]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

Tigercat, lot's of great information from the group. Our first trip out in 1974 I landed at South Lake Tahoe and we (wife and two young boys) stayed in Tahoe and drove daily. Was ok but a grind. Next trip out in 1976, landed in Tahoe but stayed at the old Mark Twain motel in Reno, any of you old timers remember it? much better staying in Reno. We've gone every year since 1976 and stayed at most of the places in Reno over the years. Loved the MGM in it's hayday.

Went many years with several couples or more and always let the women go shopping one of the race days. Been in the box seats the last 18 years. Most of the women quit going around 2001, yea, we don't know what's wrong with them, and our group started being a guys trip. My two young sons I took in 1974 are now 47 and 50 and have been going since 2002. We've been staying the last 15 years at Circus-Circus. Most of the hotels are cutting rates, (economy, and two many Indian casinos built the last few years around the San Fransico area). If you and the wife would be interested in box seats up front (row A) we might have two available, we fill two boxes every year. What ever you two do, enjoy the Reno Race experience, it doesn't get any better.
Ron

[N22252]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

OK heres my story , I've been going out there since 1992 wife gave me the trip for my 40th B'day .Last year we did a day for her (Friday) and went to own and the Mall . I take the bus everywhere ,it's cheeper than a car and so easy . We take the shuttle out to races too , no car rental ,parking fee's. etc. well we had just got back to the Silver Legacy and had taken a picture out side and went up to the BBQ/Pizza place there (i think it the Gecko ) and had just started eating when the cell phone rang and asked if we were OK ! Thats when we learned of what happened. Of course the Grand Sierra has everything you would want in one place . It's nice also.

Your account of that Friday afternoon made me shivver. I too had spent the afternoon doing non-air-race things in Reno with my wife. We had just finished an early dinner/late lunch at that brew-pub place in the Silver Legacy/Eldorado and headed back to our room as I wanted to check aafo.com and the RARA site to see what We'd missed at Stead that day. Of course, the newest posts here said it all and we spent the next hour watching the TV.,.until that coverage became infuriating... So, back to aafo.com, but alas, Wayne had pulled the plug... very lonely night in Reno

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

Be careful of the Sun and it's rays. You are at 5,000 feet altitude and the sun can easily sunburn your arms, legs, feet, face, head in minutes.

1. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN.
2. STAY HYDRATED, DRINK LOTS OF LIQUIDS.
3. WEAR COMFOTABLE SHOES. You may be standing or walking alot.
4. BRING EVERYTHING IN A DAY BACKPACK, ie clothing, food, drinks...

Check the weather daily and dress accordingly. If it's going to be warm/hot, wear long sleeve light colored shirts, long and short pants, a large brimmed light colored hat and bring sunscreen lotion if you use such. PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THE SUN.

Dress in layers, cool in the morning, warmer during the day, cooling off at night. Bring the clothes, food, drinks... in a backpack with you so you don't have to go back to your car, which saves time. Bring Rain/Gore Tex clothing so if it does shower, you can still be partially comfortable. You can always go inside the Formula 1/Bi Plane or the Sport Class hangar for shelter from the sun/wind/rain if it gets too much being outside.

If it's pouring rain, maybe do something else since I don't think anyone will be flying, but if it's a chance of showers, go anyway. The racers are always there and they'll fly between the showers and you may see a rainbow on the course.

If you bring a small cushioned pad to sit on, you can sit anywhere you find comfortable and rest.

Bring Binoculars. Allows you to see more up close and not have to hike around as much.

Early morning test flights by the Unlimiteds at 6-7am, are cool. The crowds are still sleeping and the lighting is soft and low on the horizon. It's interesting to be chilled by the cooler air from the prop wash as they run up the engines and taxi out for take off.

Get there the Saturday/Sunday before the Qualifying and you can see the Reno Balloon Races from 5am-9am, then go to Stead and watch the planes arrive and the crews setting up the pit area from 10am-8pm.

The Qualifying times on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday prior to the Races on Thursday, Friday Saturday, Sunday are good times to see alot while the crowds are smaller. There is no announcer, no air show, but Qualifying is interesting and the mechanics are always wrenching and the planes can be partially torn apart during these times. You may be able to watch them pull a prop off, remove and replace a motor...

Stay past Sunday into Monday and you can watch the planes depart.

A pit pass is a must have. That's where the action is. The deal where you buy a week long pit pass and General Admission for one price is probably the best deal. It's easy to spend the entire day in the Pit Area and never sit in the bleachers.

From the Pit Area during practice and qualifying, watch the Unlimiteds start up, taxi out, take off, fly the course, land and then be tugged back to their pit space. That's where you'll see the 400-500mph speeds and hear the difference between a Radial Air Co nSnap oled and an Inline Water Cooled, ie Rare Bear vs Strega, while there's only 1-2-3 planes in the air.

The other classes are interesting also. You can watch them push the Formula Planes, Bi Planes and Sport Class Planes out of the hangar to the start up area.

At some point, take a walk from the pit area and head east to the end where there are the static display of older planes, military planes and some local Stead planes. Sometimes you can sit inside the cockpits of the Military Planes.

If you bring a bike, you can lock it outside the pit gate, and shuttle yourself quickly to the car to get more supplies if you don't want to carry everything.

After all that, relax and enjoy the show.

[RAD2LTR]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

Go, have fun. Tell your friends how awesome it was, come back next year.

Will

[Leo]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

They have lightened up a little at the gate, not storm troopers like the first year they did this.
I bring a 2-3 regular size bottles of water (we let them into most venues I work security at, as long as they are sealed) and a couple of PBJ's. I am diabetic and let them know if questioned and they don't hassle me. The key is to not be greedy, I bring in the bare minimum I need. I have seen people bring much more in so it probably depends on the gate and the checker/supervisor.
Be polite, chat them up a little and they will treat you nice back. Imagine having to do this to thousands of people every day, following rules you did not make up, and having a large percentage of them p.o.'d about it. From experience, it ain't fun!

[degroodtt]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

All great advice. One thing depending on where you are staying. Make sure to at least get out early 1 day. Some of the best side by side, close racing is done in F-1 and the Bipes. We were able to camp last year. The family got to sleep in and I would get to go out and watch the early action.
Also, how do you know you have had a great time at Reno. After the races are done for the day and everything winds down you hear a noise in the distance. You run to the side of the camper, then walk back telling everyone "Oh it's only a stock mustang". If I saw a stock Mustang on my home airpost I would go nuts... but Reno is not real life, it's utter fantasy come true.

[Sky Critter]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

I have to agree with the above post regarding camping at Stead. We've been staying in town or at Tahoe for the last 20+ years until last year. We finally took the RV to the races and stayed in the West lot (right behind the Bipe/IF1 hangar). What a treat! One of my fondest memories now is walking the pits late at night.

[Big_Jim]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

I have to agree with the above post regarding camping at Stead. We've been staying in town or at Tahoe for the last 20+ years until last year. We finally took the RV to the races and stayed in the West lot (right behind the Bipe/IF1 hangar). What a treat! One of my fondest memories now is walking the pits late at night.

My family has had a spot in the Optimist Club RV lot for almost 30 years now. Whether I stay 'on-site' or at a place in town, my father (who is now pushing 80 and first came to the races in 1968) has always driven down for the full week and parked in the same spot for since I'd say...1989 or so (you move to the front row with seniority). Once we discovered it, THAT was the way to go. I think there's quite a few people on this message board and the others who know where the "Speedy-home-base" is located. It's right across from the access gate by the wash rack.

The best part being, that the same group of people camps out there every year, so it is like old-home week with everyone having big cookouts and playing music every night. The years that I choose to stay in town and rent a car, I always feel better knowning that 'friends' are close by should anything happen to my dad.

I give it two big thumbs up.

[Bob]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

I have been camping there for about 10 years now, wouldnt even consider anything else. Like Al said there is a great group of us the hang out there. We are a big family now. And well getting woken up at all hours of the night by some loud nasty race motor is just plain awesome. Oh and the early "dawn patrol" flights is the sweetest alarm clock I have ever had.

[ShermB]

Re: First Timer...any tips???

@Jim
How is that going to happen this year with him in San Diego with the boats?

Or are you bringing the camper with DJ?