OH BABY!!!!

What can I say about today but, "Oh baby!" We arrived just after 8 a.m., and the first race of the day was already underway. As the day progressed, the planes went faster, got louder, and I loved them more. I loved the planes. I loved the people. I love pylon racing!

Okay, let's get to some detail. The Reno National Championship Air Races are about full-sized aircraft flying around a closed course as fast and as low as they can. There are various types of aircraft competing in different classes. (Follow the link or google Reno Air races if you want to know more.) The first race of the day was a class called Formula One. When I started flying r/c pylons racing--too many years ago to admit--this was the fastest class of r/c plane I ever flew. Our models were loud and just about as fast as the real Formula One aircraft, pushing 200 mph.

We decided to get a pit pass today and go backstage, so to speak, where the pre-race action is. It took us almost six hours to make our way down the pits to the far end as we stopped all along the way to look at aircraft, take pictures, and watch the next heat of racing. We didn’t need a program to tell who was up next, because we could watch as they would pull the airplane out of the pits onto the apron and start them up. I took a shine to the CzechMate, a Russian Yak. Later in the day, she would nose out to win the field favorite, only to be knocked back to 5th for cutting a pylon. Damn those pylon judges! I smell an American conspiracy here!

Between racing heats, we were entertained by stunt planes and military teams. The Blue Angels performed for us. They are no Snowbirds, but they are pretty good. We were also treated to some great stunt planes and a special flyby of the new U2, plus many more great flying displays. Okay, I will stop there as I am sure most of you are bored now.

Here is the thing: All day, my mind was on the brink of overload--just the place I like to be. I could feel myself in those planes; feel the pull, feel the snapping of my head, feel the hard G-forces through the corner, all the while planning how I was going to get past that plane in front of me. I spent much of the day in the cockpit with those pilots. I am tired and sore from holding on so tightly! When I wasn't pseudo-flying, I was planning my next plane, a CzechMate, for our e-racing, and a ducted fan version of the Vampire jet.

It was great to share today with Murray, and I haven’t forgotten about those of you back home, but today I was not thinking about anything that didn’t go fast and turn left. What an awesome day! Now, I wonder if there is any way I can learn to surf on the way home.

And here are thoughts from Murray... I also had a very enjoyable and informative day. I don’t have background knowledge about aircraft, so I experienced sensory and information overload all day, even though I was asking basic questions. But I did learn a lot. There were always interesting things going on, and just as one was finishing another was starting. This was also a day with many photo opportunities and a time to practice with the camera. Digital is great! We just took pictures all day and filled the memory cards, then culled in the evening to get the good ones. What a great day! The only downside? I underestimated the Nevada sun....I should probably use sunblock tomorrow.