Last week the Reno Air Racing Association (RARA) conducted it’s 2009 Pylon Racing School (PRS) at Reno-Stead Airport, Reno, NV. There are three situations that require a pilot a pilot to attend PRS. First, if a pilot has never raced in the National Championship Air Races he or she would have to receive their race certification by graduating from the PRS course. Second, even if a pilot is certified to race in a given class of aircraft, if he or she decided to race in a different class of aircraft they must go through the course again in that new aircraft class. An example would be a pilot who is certified to race in the Biplane Class and decides to race a Sport Class aircraft. And lastly, even if a pilot has been certified to race in a particular class in the past, if they have not raced in the previous three years, they must attend PRS and be re-certified to race again. You can find more information about signing up to attend PRS at the Reno Air Racing Association website.
This year’s class had 36 pilots in attendance. Eleven of the pilots were new certifications, nineteen were currently certified (attending to get more race practice) and six were race instructors. Each day the pilots received briefings on the race rules and procedures and were given time on the race course to practice. They were required to show proficiency in formation flying and proficiency in various aerobatic maneuvers. Classroom time also provided the new race pilots with tips on negotiating the race course. Safety is a priority during the instruction and each pilot was required to perform a ‘mayday pull-up’ from the race course to a landing on one of the runways at Stead. For a rookie biplane pilot’s view of the PRS course you can read about Marilyn Dash’s experiences on her site.
My wife and I were interested bystanders, standing on the edge of the ramp watching the action and taking a few photos. Ron Klutts, a friend of ours who we met on Twitter as @Captain_Ron, flew his Cessna 172 up from the San Francisco bay area to take in the day’s action. Ron was nice enough to allow me to include a couple of his photos, here. The rest of the shots that he took can be found on Ron’s photo website.
There has been some discussion recently about long distance communications, specifically in relation to what could or should have been transmitted from Air France flight 447 before it disappeared on it’s flight from Rio De Janeiro (GIG) to Paris (CDG) on June 1st. There appear to be some misconceptions about what types of communication are used between aircraft and Air Traffic Control and a confusion between Air Traffic Control and radar contact on longhaul flights. I thought a little information about how my international flights are conducted might clear up some of the confusion.
The majority of my flights pass in and out of radar contact several times between take-off and landing. We start out the flight using the VHF radio to talk to Air Traffic Control (ATC). While we are using VHF communications we keep our company updated on our progress by manually sending position reports directly to them using the ACARS datalink system at approximately 90 minute intervals. Eventually we fly out of VHF (line-of-sight) range and switch to the High Frequency (HF) radio for long-range communications. At that point we are also usually out of radar contact. Radar, like VHF communications, is a ground-based and line-of-sight system. Once an aircraft is beyond the reach of the radar signals the separation of aircraft flying on the same route is accomplished through position reporting to an ATC facility.
I’m in the middle of a layover in Shanghai and finally have time to work on another post for you. I have had several layovers here and have progressed past the point of feeling like I need to go out and find something to buy. Wandering the shopping areas here is what I call “combat shopping”. As you walk along the side streets or through the well known tourist shopping areas the shop workers yell out their wares and will occasionally grab you by the arm to lead you into their shop. I know of one pilot who had a special t-shirt made for his layovers here. It said on the front and back, in Mandarin, “I do not want a t-shirt, I do not want a watch, I do not want a DVD.” plus a few other things. It’s not my idea of a fun time, but I’m not much of a shopaholic.
I thought you might be interested in seeing what it took to get here. The flight to Shanghai from the U.S., door closed to door open, was right at 14 hours and took us as far as 80 degrees north latitude. Routes that take us that far north are called Polar Routes for obvious reasons. This is a FlightAware plot that my wife sent to me showing most of the first half of the flight. The U.S. areas are obvious and the land areas are outlined in light blue.
The latest AOPA newsletter has this segment included:
Celebrate your freedom to fly
This year, celebrate July 4 by taking wing! For 233 years, America has led the world in defining and defending individual freedoms. Our unwavering commitment to these ideals has brought us rewards unimagined by the generations who passed them on. Among them is the ultimate expression of freedom—flight. Today, more than 500,000 Americans from all walks of life fly, continuing the tradition of inspiration and innovation that only freedom brings. On that holiday weekend, plan a flight to celebrate your freedoms, and share it with a friend or colleague who may not yet wholly value what general aviation has brought our nation over the past century.
For as long as I can remember I have made an effort to go flying in some sort of aircraft each December 17th to celebrate the Wright brother’s first flight. However, considering the pressures being put on general aviation these days it seems as though it might be just as appropriate to celebrate the freedoms that we enjoy in this country by going flying on July 4th.
So, why not join in a very loose formation and, wherever you are on July 4th, exercise your freedom of flight even if it’s only a trip around the pattern. Start the planning process now by fitting some time into your holiday schedule and reserving your plane if you are a renter or choosing a destination if you have your own aerial vehicle. If the weather on July 4th doesn’t match your capabilities or those of your aircraft don’t pressure yourself. The intent is to celebrate our freedoms with aviation in mind.
Get up in the air and celebrate the day! Start your planning Now!
First, if a pilot has never raced in the National Championship Air Races he or she would have to receive their race certification by graduating from the PRS course. Second, even if a pilot is certified to race in a given class of aircraft, if he or she decided to race in a different class of aircraft they must go through the course again in that new aircraft class. An example would be a pilot who is certified to race in the Biplane Class and decides to race a Sport Class aircraft. 
And lastly, even if a pilot has been certified to race in a particular class in the past, if they have not raced in the previous three years, they must attend PRS and be re-certified to race again. You can find more information about signing up to attend PRS at the Reno Air Racing Association website.
Eleven of the pilots were new certifications, nineteen were currently certified (attending to get more race practice) and six were race instructors. Each day the pilots received briefings on the race rules and procedures and were given time on the race course to practice. They were required to show proficiency in formation flying and proficiency in various aerobatic maneuvers. Classroom time also provided the new race pilots with tips on negotiating the race course. 
Safety is a priority during the instruction and each pilot was required to perform a ‘mayday pull-up’ from the race course to a landing on one of the runways at Stead. For a rookie biplane pilot’s view of the PRS course you can read about Marilyn Dash’s experiences on her site.
Ron Klutts, a friend of ours who we met on Twitter as @Captain_Ron, flew his Cessna 172 up from the San Francisco bay area to take in the day’s action. Ron was nice enough to allow me to include a couple of his photos, here. The rest of the shots that he took can be found on Ron’s photo website. 
There appear to be some misconceptions about what types of communication are used between aircraft and Air Traffic Control and a confusion between Air Traffic Control and radar contact on longhaul flights. I thought a little information about how my international flights are conducted might clear up some of the confusion.
This year, celebrate July 4 by taking wing! For 233 years, America has led the world in defining and defending individual freedoms. Our unwavering commitment to these ideals has brought us rewards unimagined by the generations who passed them on. Among them is the ultimate expression of freedom—flight. Today, more than 500,000 Americans from all walks of life fly, continuing the tradition of inspiration and innovation that only freedom brings. On that holiday weekend, plan a flight to celebrate your freedoms, and share it with a friend or colleague who may not yet wholly value what general aviation has brought our nation over the past century.
