Updates from Reno...

[Fence Sence]

Smoke clearing much slower today. Flags are moving a little bit so starting clear. STOL guys are firing up.

[ZacYates]

Thanks for all the updates guys, I really appreciate it! The livestream, while welcome, does not paint a pretty picture of the smoke conditions.

Glad to hear Graeme and co made it there!

[RAD2LTR]

Today sucked. Smoke was bad. We loaded up and went out to the pylons and waited... and waited, and waited some more. We came back. We went back out to the pylons and waited... got 2 IF1 races, one T6 Drag race, and that was it.

I really hope the smoke clears out so we can get some racing in during the next couple days.

Will

[GRNDP51]

Finally made it to Reno and got the chance to head to Stead this afternoon around 4. It was smoky when I got there, wind picked up, and was even smokier around 6 when I headed back into town. Not fun as everyone else has said.

I did get the chance to talk to Scotty for about a half hour and got tons of great info. In my years of going to Reno, there are a few pilots that have stuck out as EXTREMELY nice and genuine, and I can easily add Scotty to that list. Even after all that’s transpired this week he has his head held high. Here are some details -

There has been some info floating around about his DQ for “low and erratic flying”, and it seems like the “erratic” part is what put the nail in the coffin this year. From what I gathered in the conversation, Monday was really the first time that he’s tried out the ADI system. Supposedly there wasn’t anywhere near his home airport in Idaho where he felt would make a good testing area, and thought that just going up to altitude and giving it a go would not be indicative of how it would perform on the deck at Reno (fair enough). He went out on the course and did 4 laps, all within very close margin of each other, he was on rails. As has been mentioned, he was cutting P4 and making a somewhat aggressive turn back in for P5, and did this each lap. He said he wasn’t doing this at PRS and candidly said he was a little nervous to get out and rip on the course, and the haze/smoke didn’t help him out.

The contest committee (I have no idea who is in this committee), all said it was the end of the year for him, and he had tons of well respected pilots come up to him as well as try to vouch for his cause (talking Stevo, Steve Sr., Dusty, Tiger, the list goes on). I forget which one specially said it, but one of these guys told the contest committee that “Scotty is one of the best and safest damn pilots out on that course”. That meant a lot to him. The contest committee themselves also said that it’s generally easy for them to say “no” to “protests”, but Scotty went about it so humbly and professionally that he has the utmost respect from everyone out on that ramp from the contest committee to the other pilots, to Fred Telling, and beyond.

A few positives came out if this. Steve Sr. told Scotty that the list of people who want to be his backseater in the Unlimited pace jet is 100’s of people long, but he wants Scotty to be his backseat for Sunday’s gold. Scotty said he probably wouldn’t ever have this experience if this whole thing didn’t happen.

Looking to the future, Scotty is ticked off that it cost him a good chunk of change to show up with nothing to show for it, but he’s VERY determined to come back next year. He’s already started putting plans together to drop a “real race engine” into her next year.

As I said previously, Scotty is really one of the good guys, and I can’t wait to cheer him on next year. That plane is seriously bad ass and Scotty’s the perfect pilot to take her around the sticks.

[GeeBeeZ1931]

Finally made it to Reno and got the chance to head to Stead this afternoon around 4. It was smoky when I got there, wind picked up, and was even smokier around 6 when I headed back into town. Not fun as everyone else has said.

I did get the chance to talk to Scotty for about a half hour and got tons of great info. In my years of going to Reno, there are a few pilots that have stuck out as EXTREMELY nice and genuine, and I can easily add Scotty to that list. Even after all that?s transpired this week he has his head held high. Here are some details -

There has been some info floating around about his DQ for ?low and erratic flying?, and it seems like the ?erratic? part is what put the nail in the coffin this year. From what I gathered in the conversation, Monday was really the first time that he?s tried out the ADI system. Supposedly there wasn?t anywhere near his home airport in Idaho where he felt would make a good testing area, and thought that just going up to altitude and giving it a go would not be indicative of how it would perform on the deck at Reno (fair enough). He went out on the course and did 4 laps, all within very close margin of each other, he was on rails. As has been mentioned, he was cutting P4 and making a somewhat aggressive turn back in for P5, and did this each lap. He said he wasn?t doing this at PRS and candidly said he was a little nervous to get out and rip on the course, and the haze/smoke didn?t help him out.

The contest committee (I have no idea who is in this committee), all said it was the end of the year for him, and he had tons of well respected pilots come up to him as well as try to vouch for his cause (talking Stevo, Steve Sr., Dusty, Tiger, the list goes on). I forget which one specially said it, but one of these guys told the contest committee that ?Scotty is one of the best and safest damn pilots out on that course?. That meant a lot to him. The contest committee themselves also said that it?s generally easy for them to say ?no? to ?protests?, but Scotty went about it so humbly and professionally that he has the utmost respect from everyone out on that ramp from the contest committee to the other pilots, to Fred Telling, and beyond.

A few positives came out if this. Steve Sr. told Scotty that the list of people who want to be his backseater in the Unlimited pace jet is 100?s of people long, but he wants Scotty to be his backseat for Sunday?s gold. Scotty said he probably wouldn?t ever have this experience if this whole thing didn?t happen.

Looking to the future, Scotty is ticked off that it cost him a good chunk of change to show up with nothing to show for it, but he?s VERY determined to come back next year. He?s already started putting plans together to drop a ?real race engine? into her next year.

As I said previously, Scotty is really one of the good guys, and I can?t wait to cheer him on next year. That plane is seriously bad ass and Scotty?s the perfect pilot to take her around the sticks.

Pretty please any chance we could see some pics of this mythical ship?

[GRNDP51]

Pretty please any chance we could see some pics of this mythical ship?

It’s the second pic in the 2022 photos thread.

[Fence Sence]

Finally made it to Reno and got the chance to head to Stead this afternoon around 4. It was smoky when I got there, wind picked up, and was even smokier around 6 when I headed back into town. Not fun as everyone else has said.

As I said previously, Scotty is really one of the good guys, and I can?t wait to cheer him on next year. That plane is seriously bad ass and Scotty?s the perfect pilot to take her around the sticks.

Thanks for that update. I saw every lap but that was from the fence. Tough to see exactly where the plane is around 4 from there. I?m glad the rest of the guys stuck up for him. That?s awesome. Looking forward to seeing him back out there next year.

[shadow]

Much less smoke this morning. Not sure if it'd be good enough for all but it's already much clearer than either Wed or Thu's mornings.

STOL taxing now.

[wadeh]

Conditions are much better today. I can easily see the guide pylon from the stands. It was not visible most of yesterday.

The biplane heat just started, so we are racing again.

[wadeh]

And a great race, it was. Race 6 led race 84 most of the race. 84 kept running into turbulence. The air is calm, and wake turbulence is not blowing away quickly.

84 went hard at the last 1/4 laptop, and caught 6 right at the checkered flag. I couldn?t call it from here.