Reno Air Race Warbird Class Ideas and Prize Money

[GRNDP51]

The first year that I attended was 1998 and they had a T-28 class that used the T-6 course. It was a lot of fun for me as a spectator and I've love to see it again.


Please, no. I've been an unlimited hydroplane fan since the early 70's and turbines completely ruined the sport. I don't even follow it anymore.

It could possibly work as a separate class. We already have the jet class, and it's got some of the same problems that ruined hydroplane racing for me. I'm not a fan of the equipment limitations that killed off the L-29/Viper combination. If I understand correctly, there is a fixed set of aircraft/powerplant combinations that are allowed and new ones have to be approved. Even if they stuck with a basic rule of straight wing and non-afterburning engine, the end result is that the planes would be too fast for the course and would need to be limited. And any race with speed limit is not a race to me (personal opinion). Plus, the sound just doesn't do it for me.

I'd love to see a true unlimited class. The only two equipment rules would be piston powered and prop driven.

Honestly, I'm really getting to be a serious fan of the sport class. There's real innovation happening there, and it doesn't have the problems that the current unlimited class has with airframe values and powerplant availability. And it's financially attainable (at least as much as anything aviation related could be).

I do have two suggestions for the sport class, both related to getting fans more involved: Get more of those planes painted or wrapped so that they are recognizable from the stands. And second, I really enjoy the announcer (whose name escapes me at the moment), but he tends to use just the pilot names instead of the aircraft names when calling the race. It would be good to use both the name of the aircraft and pilot more often so that it's easier to associate with what the fans seeing rounding the pylons.

I enjoy the jet class mainly because it’s fast and typically close racing. I do agree about the limitations though. What’s the point if a “record” will never be broken? Sport class is awesome, good ideas too. Rob Bonhamme (spelling?) is the announcer and I agree he knows his stuff for the most part. I like the idea of associating names with planes. Sport class is getting to have a lot of gold capable racers that generally come year after year. I don’t want to compare Reno with nascar, but linking people with pilots not only planes is a big deal and it helps build a fan base for sure

[Desertdawg]

I do have two suggestions for the sport class, both related to getting fans more involved: Get more of those planes painted or wrapped so that they are recognizable from the stands.

I had the same thought. A lot of time the whites ones all looked the same and it was hard to tell who was who.

#30 was easy to spot
#181 was easy

as were some of the others.

But the plain jane white ones need to be jazzed up a lot.

[Desertdawg]

I enjoy the jet class mainly because it’s fast and typically close racing. I do agree about the limitations though. What’s the point if a “record” will never be broken? Sport class is awesome, good ideas too. Rob Bonhamme (spelling?) is the announcer and I agree he knows his stuff for the most part. I like the idea of associating names with planes. Sport class is getting to have a lot of gold capable racers that generally come year after year. I don’t want to compare Reno with nascar, but linking people with pilots not only planes is a big deal and it helps build a fan base for sure

The live stream was really enjoyable, plus they did some in cockpit interviews right after a race and they showed photos of pilots throughout the show. Sure helped me put a face to a name.

[CubersWrist]

Not to get off topic but Jets don't want a speed limit anymore than we do. FAA is involved though, and they control the permits. Options include proving the splash area calculation is overly conservative and getting the FAA to raise the limit, slow the planes down, move the stands farther away, make every attendee sign a I-give-up-my-ability-to-sue-you form, or something. All unlikely or bad choices. So after 2011, I think it is what it is.
All that being said, I don't think anyone was in danger of breaking the speed limit this year. The limit is on lap average and #5 was "only" 505mph. So the limit does exist and that's annoying on its own, but I don't think it's actually effected anything......yet.

prettier sport planes is a good idea. Sean's working on the Glassair and should have a flashy new paint scheme.

Back on topic: Watching some of the DRL drone racing on ESPN I do think racing could be done in more remote locations (ie salt flats) and have crowd attendance primarily through TV and livestreams. You put cameras on each plane, cameras on some of the pylons, and the standard camera work from the livestream this year. You could remove speed limits, risk of collateral damage goes down with no spectators or nearby infrastructure (so insurance should be cheaper), and you get some viewpoints that aren't possible when you are there in person. Of course you would still want locals and dedicated fans to come watch, but that would be for the committed and passionate fan base rather than the primary market.

[GRNDP51]

Not to get off topic but Jets don't want a speed limit anymore than we do. FAA is involved though, and they control the permits. Options include proving the splash area calculation is overly conservative and getting the FAA to raise the limit, slow the planes down, move the stands farther away, make every attendee sign a I-give-up-my-ability-to-sue-you form, or something. All unlikely or bad choices. So after 2011, I think it is what it is.
All that being said, I don't think anyone was in danger of breaking the speed limit this year. The limit is on lap average and #5 was "only" 505mph. So the limit does exist and that's annoying on its own, but I don't think it's actually effected anything......yet.

prettier sport planes is a good idea. Sean's working on the Glassair and should have a flashy new paint scheme.

Back on topic: Watching some of the DRL drone racing on ESPN I do think racing could be done in more remote locations (ie salt flats) and have crowd attendance primarily through TV and livestreams. You put cameras on each plane, cameras on some of the pylons, and the standard camera work from the livestream this year. You could remove speed limits, risk of collateral damage goes down with no spectators or nearby infrastructure (so insurance should be cheaper), and you get some viewpoints that aren't possible when you are there in person. Of course you would still want locals and dedicated fans to come watch, but that would be for the committed and passionate fan base rather than the primary market.

Well fielding a drone and fielding an unlimited are a bit different.... and the sounds in person are a huge draw for most attendees. I think the speed limit and FAA restrictions are the least of the problems right now. Just sucks they’re there on top of the problems that are urgent...

[CubersWrist]

True it's not a copy and paste, and sound is a draw for a lot of people. But it's pretty common to find the comment that the jets are fast but don't sound good. And it's also to find the comment that the jet speed limit is stupid.

If sound doesn't matter and the speed limit is stupid, then you can kill both issues by going to a remote location and doing a kick-butt livestream. And if this were developed into a working format, then there is no reason it couldn't work for all the classes.

[wadeh]

The sound is definitely a draw for me, and the jets don't really provide that.

But I also like great racing. I was really looking forward to the jets this year because I wanted to see Just Lucky challenge American Spirit. For much of the week, it looked like it might happen, but the Sunday gold race was a disappointment in that regard.

As for the idea of having races in a very remote area, with the emphasis a screen based audience, that's a non-starter for me. I enjoy racing as a visceral experience, which I don't get at all watching on a screen.

Actually, I might still go to the races if they were truly out in the middle of nowhere. My main hobby is astrophotography. I've got a motorhome and portable imaging observatory that I take to harsh, high desert environments for a cumulative three weeks each summer. I'm fully set up for dry camping for extended periods, and this would just be another week of that.

[John]

Supersonic jet races up at Black Rock!

[CubersWrist]

Does the unlimited class have a website?

[knot4u]

Does the unlimited class have a website?

I doubt it.