Operation Saving Reno

[f1-69]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

I've always been a very vocal supporter of the other classes at Reno, this mentality that only the unlimited matter has got to stop , yes they are badass and I have my own favorite but there are about 100 other airplanes of all types and classes coming also . We are just as serious about racing and our teams do more to promote the races than any unlimited team shy of the Precious Metal team and they are also an f1 team so they get it.
Promotion is the biggest thing younger,bigger,more , I hate that when I tell people I race airplanes it's always the same answer "you mean like red bull" . Most people outside of aviation don't know about NCAR , but they do know about red bull .figure out how to fix this and the races might keep going, that being said I can't wait for Reno , come by and have a beer with us in the f1 hanger

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

I've always been a very vocal supporter of the other classes at Reno, this mentality that only the unlimited matter has got to stop , yes they are badass and I have my own favorite but there are about 100 other airplanes of all types and classes coming also . We are just as serious about racing and our teams do more to promote the races than any unlimited team shy of the Precious Metal team and they are also an f1 team so they get it.
Promotion is the biggest thing younger,bigger,more , I hate that when I tell people I race airplanes it's always the same answer "you mean like red bull" . Most people outside of aviation don't know about NCAR , but they do know about red bull .figure out how to fix this and the races might keep going, that being said I can't wait for Reno , come by and have a beer with us in the f1 hanger

Like put Jeff Zaltman in there somewhere?!

[Desertdawg]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

Wild Bill,

Thanks for posting that picture. Good to see that.

[Desertdawg]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

I've always been a very vocal supporter of the other classes at Reno, this mentality that only the unlimited matter has got to stop , yes they are badass and I have my own favorite but there are about 100 other airplanes of all types and classes coming also . We are just as serious about racing and our teams do more to promote the races than any unlimited team shy of the Precious Metal team and they are also an f1 team so they get it.
Promotion is the biggest thing younger,bigger,more , I hate that when I tell people I race airplanes it's always the same answer "you mean like red bull" . Most people outside of aviation don't know about NCAR , but they do know about red bull .figure out how to fix this and the races might keep going, that being said I can't wait for Reno , come by and have a beer with us in the f1 hanger

You bet, the hangers are always fun to check out. This year I had special Section 3 decals made. I will be cruising through the hangers during race week and handing them out to you'all.

The more we can get on planes the noisier Section 3 be!

[Pylon1_Mark]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

Promotion is the biggest thing younger,bigger,more , I hate that when I tell people I race airplanes it's always the same answer "you mean like red bull" . Most people outside of aviation don't know about NCAR , but they do know about red bull .figure out how to fix this and the races might keep going

That's what television coverage & a big time sponsor does for ya... that and it's a series of events, not just one. NCAR falls into a totally separate category - but still - without TV coverage it just won't happen. I think us old timers remember when ABC's Wide World of Sports covered the races, and one of the things that got me initially hooked.

If the Sports Class could get Red Bull as a sponsor and have more venues - that would make things happen in a big way. The rest of the classes would benefit by the trickle down effect and we all would win! It's a lot easier said then done... but not beyond the realm of possibilities. As hard as people might not want to admit it - it's this class of racers that could pull it off where the Unlimited Class could not and has not. IMHO the long term future rests with the Sports Class.

[f1-69]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

The f1 class had three races this year in three diff countries. Tunisia , spain , usa with full tv coverage on all but reno

[Wild Bill Kelso]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

The f1 class had three races this year in three diff countries. Tunisia , spain , usa with full tv coverage on all but reno

And that is just sad.

[ShermB]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

Those IF-1 racers are hard core!
I got hooked in 1985 when 10 of them and 3 T-6's raced in my town.
The IF-1 also had a booth at ICAS and promoted both themselves and Air Racing. They did it for years.
So happy to see them at it again - they are doing it, and not just bitching about what someone else ISN'T doing.
Good job, IF-!
Betty

[Fence Sence]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

If I was looking for a big money corporate sponsor for my unique motor sport, I would be beating down the door of LUCAS OIL PRODUCTS, sponsors of all sorts of unique motor sports events. They have brought drag boat racing back from the dead. Same with tractor pulling. Tractor pulling dammit! Surely they could drag air racing away from the edge of the cliff. They already have their beak in there. It sure would be nice to see them take that next step. Perhaps they could be persuaded. http://lucasoil.com/motorsports

Down a different road, one thing I've seen the last couple years is a couple of the sport class planes out on the T6 course messing around. It's damn exciting. It's like short track racing. I wouldn't mind seeing an exhibition race with an actual start and finish.

How about a "road course" for some of the slower sports? Left and right turns. It sure would be dramatic looking from just about any vantage point.

Just throwing ideas out there. You may now shoot them down Big Jim. Just trying to light candles as opposed to cursing the darkness.

[John H]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

No Mike Brown in the ex Risky Business on the entry list - I guess he changed his mind ?

[GRNDP51]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

No Mike Brown in the ex Risky Business on the entry list - I guess he changed his mind ?

Plane wouldn't be ready yet, didn't even qualify at PRS to race

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

There are some really good ideas and lots of interesting comments.

Larry Ellison founder of Oracle Computer Software, a Billionaire, I believe he was responsible for taking the Americas Cup Sailing to a whole new level by using 50mph foiling hydroplaning Carbon Fiber 70 foot Catarmarans with hard wing mainsails, GPS units on each boat and on the boundaries of the course, multiple cameras and sound on each boat, cameras on chase boats, cameras on helicop

[fastpace]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

[I]Well Right now Airshows are getting bad press Starting with Reno after the one in the UK this week end. They start listing the miss haps at Airshow's people hurt and it starts with Reno.

[LoveOldPlanes]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

What do you consider "youth"? I was just at the Camarillo airshow today and saw plenty of kids interested in the warbirds. Me being 19 I still consider myself young and VERY involved and obsessed with the races almost too much and I don't want to see a small unlimited field. But yes I do somewhat agree that it's getting harder and harder for the next generation below me to relate to warbirds, which if it was easy for me I feel like it should be just as easy for them. WW2 ended 50 years before I was born and I'm OBSESSED with warbirds and always will be!!!!

I don't see how the sound of a full race Merlin can't attract a teenager to Reno, there is not a sound better in this world

While I totally appreciate your interest....what you haven't seen is the dramatic decline in youth involvement in aviation. While you may have seen a lot of kids at the recent show, they don't hold a candle to what was around in the 60's and 70's. Not bragging at all, but pointing out that aviation in general has dropped far out of the limelight it once held. In addition, the nature of society has changed from doing and seeing something you are a part of into sitting at a screen and acting like it. It's a gamer's world today. The issue is reaching the gamer generation who have never heard a real engine, have no idea anything about engines and by now are checking their Facebook anyway. Oh....Merlins...pfftt. GRIFFONS sound better....!

[SkyvanDelta]

Re: Operation Saving Reno

...In addition, the nature of society has changed from doing and seeing something you are a part of into sitting at a screen and acting like it. It's a gamer's world today...

The youth of today are adapting to what is available to them at this moment, just like we did as youth. It's much easier to buy a $250 xbox or visit your friend that has one and play a flight simulator, battle game than it is to earn the money by working (many jobs are not available to youth today as compared to the Baby Boomer Generation where we had paper routes in the 6th, 7th, 8th grades) and pay for real flight lessons.