Warbird Information Exchange

Deadly crashes bring FAA focus on Reno air races
Sunday, September 7, 2008 1:09 PM EDT
The Associated Press
By MARTIN GRIFFITH Associated Press Writer


RENO, Nev. (AP) — It's billed as "the world's fastest motor sport."

Critics have another label, calling the Reno National Championship Air Races "the world's most dangerous motor sport" after three pilots were killed during competition last year and another racer was killed during a practice flight Saturday.

The crashes have prompted the Federal Aviation Administration to place greater scrutiny on the races, and local school officials for a time reconsidered whether to continue student field trips to the event.

Mike Houghton, president of the races, insists that organizers go out of their way to make the event as safe as possible in an inherently dangerous sport.

"Safety, safety, safety is the one thing people get tired of hearing me talk about," Houghton said. "But in every competition there is risk, and ours is the same. If you did away with the risk, you'd have checkers and pingpong."

About 150 of the nation's top racing pilots will compete Sept. 10-14 for $1 million in prize money at Reno-Stead Airport just north of Reno.

Mark Daniels, a former Army helicopter mechanic and air traffic controller from the central Nevada community of Dyer, contends organizers have made the races more dangerous than any other motor sport.

"They put on a good show of safety, but that's all it is," said the 52-year-old aviation buff. "Absolutely, the event's future is threatened by the safety issue. People don't want to come out and see other people die."

The competition is like a car race in the sky, with planes flying wingtip-to-wingtip as low as 50 feet off the sagebrush at speeds sometimes surpassing 500 mph. Pilots follow an oval path around pylons, with distances and speeds depending on the class of aircraft.

Reno has the world's only multi-class air races, with six classes of aircraft competing, said Don Berliner of Alexandria, Va., president of the Society of Air Racing Historians and author of several books on the sport.

At one time, air races were staged all over the U.S., but only the Reno races remains, Berliner said. He said two air races are still staged in France, but they feature only a single class of aircraft, called Formula One.

There have been 19 fatalities since the Reno event began in 1964, including the three last year in the deadliest single week.

On the ground, Daytona International Speedway has had 27 race-related deaths since it opened in 1959, and the Indianapolis Motor Speedway has had 67 deaths, dating to the pre-500 races of 1909-10. But officials point out that both speedways hold more races each year than Reno's single event.

Berliner said he was unaware of any overall statistics on air racing fatalities since the sport began at Reims, France in 1909.

FAA spokesman Ian Gregor said his agency is stepping up its presence at Reno in an effort to promote safety.

He said an FAA inspector provided briefings at organizers' "Rookie School," which is held each June. Rookies must pass certain criteria before they are allowed to compete.

"The briefings stressed the need to comply with federal regulations and remain focused and concentrate during the event," Gregor wrote by e-mail.

In addition, inspectors will give pilots safety briefings at the beginning of the races, pay closer attention to pilots' records and place more scrutiny on aircraft modifications, he said.

The FAA thinks organizers are complying with rules and regulations, and taking sufficient safety measures, Gregor said.

Ray Sherwood of Placerville, Calif., a Formula One racer at Reno from 1986 to 2005, suggests the pilots should be more closely examined.

"I can tell you, in my opinion, there's a time when guys get involved in air racing and they shouldn't get involved in air racing. It's not for every pilot," Sherwood said.

The recent Reno crashes prompted local school officials to meet with organizers and re-examine whether to continue student field trips to the air races, said Steve Mulvenon, spokesman for the Washoe County School District.

"Part of it was the potential psychological impact a crash would have on students," Mulvenon said.

However, school officials eventually decided to continue the field trips because they allow students to learn about aviation, Mulvenon said.


Mike in Florida
USAF Aircrew Life Support
Now Known As
USAF Aircrew Flight Equipment
"Your Life Is Our Business"

OK, time for me to display my ignorance again. What must a pilot do to qualify to race at Reno? How many hours? What kind of previous racing experience, etc.?

I come from auto racing background and the days when top Formula 1 drivers who wanted to compete at Indy were sent packing for being under-qualified!

In my quest as a "hero" I drove sports cars, midgets, and sprint cars all in the efforts to get sufficient competition experience to get considered for an Indy ride. Dirt tracks and local bull rings were the only way at the time.

How do Reno pilots get that competion experience if there is only one race a year? There's no local "1/4 miles" to race at every Friday night to gain experience. Are there "flying schools" that specialize in air race pilot training? This is kind of a tough one. NASCAR guys are leary of new drivers and have to have some time to get comfortable with a driver running side by side. How do they do that at Reno? The veteran pilots have to have some concern over new pilots and experience.

I can see how a once a year event can present a greater risk for incidents if the racers don't race together often and the organizing body does not have really tight control.

Help me here.

_________________
"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

The qualifications vary by class. You must have a certain amount of hours total, plus time in type, and time in that particular aircraft. All pilots must attend a rookie orientation (PRS) at which time they must demonstrate proficiency in formation flight, unusual attitude recovery, and emergency procedures. The unlimited class has the tightest piloting standards by far. The accident that occured Sat had nothing specifically to do with the air races. It was an accident that could have occured just as easily in any test flight at any airport. Are the races dangerous? Yes, but are they more dangerous that any other low level formation, or aerobatic dispaly seen at airshows? Maybe, but probably not by much. I hope we can have a safe week at the races this year, and put last years tragedy behind us, and the general publics mind at ease.

I also heard that the T-6 and unlimiteds are planning on requiring FAST cards.

_________________
Don't touch my junk!!

I'll get clarification when I get up there tomorrow, but I think the T-6 class already does require FAST.

I can understand all that but where does the training come from to pass a plane in a competition situation? Do I start high and dive low? Do I stick a wing under him and make him move over? Can I " out brake" him into the corner? You get my drift. I don't see where these guys get the wing to wing competition training.

I did it in a two dimensional world in sprint cars. We didn't have the added factor that in a steep banked turn you also can mush through and have to account for "horizontal altitude" changes. Seems a whole lot different than just formation flying.

What am I missing?

_________________
"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

That is also included in the PRS instruction. Basically races are flown like any formation situation. All passes must be made to the outside, and the overtaking aircraft must keep the other aircraft in site until the pass is complete. You cannot stick a wing in on a guy, etc. "Outbraking" isn't even a possibility as the racers are all flown wide open all the way around the course. The only time a throttle comes off the stop is in an emergeny. The pilots are put on the course at PRS with slower training aircraft in front to allow for plenty of passing practice. They are then put on the course in front of faster aircraft to get them comfortable with being passed. There have been very very few mid airs in modern racing history. Most deaths have occured due to structural failure, and failed emergency landings.

What am I missing?

$$$$$$$$$$

Here is a good video that was shot from an instructors RV-8 at PRS flying passing practice with a Cassutt. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4jmWTTOnfA

I'am sorry for the loss of life and the hurt the families and friends are dealing with. My prayers are with them.

In the "old days" it was "go like he!! and turn left". The RV-8 link brought back memories. '79 Cleveland, and '81 Cincinnati in the formula V's. Makes me look at the Cassutt in the barn in a new light.

Pirate Lex
http://www.BrewsterCorsair.com

_________________
An ego is no match for gravity.

Did you race Formula V?

Air racing has been going on for 40 years....it's not any more dangerous today than it has been in any previous years.

In fact, for many DECADES, there was no Pylon Racing School or official pilot qualification/certification.

High performance aviation is inherently dangerous. People die. Always has been, always will be.

And....Mark Daniels is only hurting the sport when he makes quotes like that, although we all know his vendetta is against RARA.

You able to make the Party this year or is Uncle Suger keeping you busy?

If only that were true.

_________________
James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

I don't have any idea who Mark Daniels is. But if he's not even a fixed wing pilot he may not be that knowledgeable about the race. I'd be much more interested in the opinions and training from experts like Steve Hinton,Tiger, Skip Holm , Howard Pardue. I am sitting here tonight trying to decide whether I want to go out there. I hate crashes, I have seen 3 fatals and that's way too many. As for safety, I agree that safety sometimes is the gift wrapping paper, but when you open the box what it says inside is let's go fast, put on a good show, and maybe win some money. The idea of having a fast card sounds great on paper, but in a race you are trying to pass someone, not maintain station beside them. Requiring that card is mostly window dressing, and you are not trying to fly in formation except for the initial join up and start. The accident have not been at that point in the race, but when it is actually on or in practice.
Art Vance taught the intro school and asked me to come out to it a few years ago, and said I'd enjoy it. My plane is not a race plane, but it sounded like good experience and I came close to doing it that next year.
I hope the rest of the week is safe.

_________________
Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK