The
Bear Is Back
Sometimes
things just happen for a
reason, at least that is
what one very good friend
of mine often tells me.
Rare
Bear’s week at Reno
got off to a somewhat
shaky start during
Sunday’s practice
session when on the first
flight of the day, the
tail gear doors stuck
open.. Could this have
been indication of the
beginning of just another
frustrating week for this
race team? Certainly,
that was the question on
the minds of many at the
time.
The fix was
an easy adjustment, and
the afternoon test flight
on Sunday went well…
the team was set for a
run at the clock on
Monday.
As we wrote
in our message on the
Hangar Talk message
board, on Monday, things
did not quite work out as
planned. Low compression
was found on the very
critical number 2
cylinder, and the team
set up for a
"Thrash," an
all night repair session
to replace the ailing
cylinder. We stayed with
the team last night
(Monday) until they were
into the clean up phase
of the repair (an
experience we’ll
share with you in more
detail after the races
are over).
Upon our
late arrival to Stead
today, the Rare Bear Crew
were in the process of
preparing their charge
for flight, we were told
that some easy time on
the engine was all that
was on the flight plan.
Moving out to
"Vultures Row"
the photo stand at the
northwest end of the
field used by the media
for photography, I did
not expect too much from
the flight session with
Rare Bear..
As other
raceplanes took the
course, John Penney
circled overhead at about
15,000 feet, doing just
what the team had on the
flight plan… there
*was*, however, one item
on the flight plan they
did not mention! Rare
Bear Engineer, Bill
Hickle and John Slack
(borrowed from Dago Red
to lend his expertise for
the engine work) had told
John that he should apply
some hard power to the
engine to
"seat" the
rings in the new cylinder
if all felt OK after some
"slow timing".
What better
place to put some power
to the airplane than on
the race course!
So it was,
today, September 08,
2003, in very windy and
chilly conditions, at the
Reno Stead Airport, John
Penny, flying Lyle
Shelton’s Fan
Sponsored Rare Bear, took
the clock and turned in a
qualifying speed of
495MPH and change.
After nearly
six years of hibernation,
a year with a new crew,
with the help of
thousands of very loyal
Air Race fans…. THE
BEAR IS BACK!
Will Dago
Red go back out and
snatch back the pole, try
for the 500mph lap? Risk
their engine? One more
day of qualifying
remains..
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