Reno Style Air Racing for Tassie

The navigation race is scheduled to start on Monday February 28 1994, with registrations for all events starting two days earlier. The pylon racing activities will commence on Thursday March 3, with qualifying runs occupying two days, and the races proper taking place over the weekend of Saturday 5th and Sunday the 6th of March.

According to Terry Mulholland, Manager/CFI of the Tasmanian Aero Club, who together with Margaret Mulholland, recently ran a series of information nights at selected aeroclubs in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and the ACT, interest in the races is very positive and there is a high degree of confidence that the inaugural event will be a success.

Of some 500 aircraft owners canvassed as to their interest, over 20% responded which is a significant result for this type of survey, and augers well for a positive participation rate.

In broad terms, the round Tasmania navigation race will be a three day event, starting and ending in Launceston (refer map), and will be open (at the time of going to press) to six classes of aircraft. The categories are; unlimited; radial engine greater than 450hp; radial engine less than 450hp; cabin twins; cabin singles; Formula 1; and lastly, Sports Biplanes. Entry fees for the race range from $500 for the unlimited category down to $200 for the Sports Biplane.

Substantial prizes ranging from $50,000 for first in the unlimited category, down to $1000 for the Sports Biplane third placegetter, amounting to a total of $175,000 in all will be there to be won.

For the overall winner, the cream to top the whole thing off will be a completely rebuilt, nil engine and prop hours, registered, as new Cessna 150, valued conservatively at $45,000.

The race will be conducted on the “nominate your True Airspeed (TAS) beforehand” principle and contestants will be given flight plans calculated on this speed. They will have to then fly the route arriving at each check point precisely at the pre calculated time. Points will be deducted for minutes and seconds early or late and the winner will be the crew with the least loss of points.

To make the task more difficult, there will be diversions from the planned route which will require recalculations in flight.

In addition to the navigational accuracy aspect of the race, there will be a competition for the passengers in the “count the number of red roofs in the town of Woop Woop” idiom. Many of the questions will be based on information contained in Tasmanian travel brochures, supplied by Tourism Tasmania, which will be made available to all contestants.

For those intending participants who do not have their own aircraft, arrangements have been made for a number of Victorian flying organisations to hire out aircraft for the event. It should be noted that only a limited number of aircraft are available for hire in Tasmania.

The pylon racing, which is a first for Australia, has been the subject of lengthy negotiation with the CAA and a set of rules, based on the Reno rules, but modified for our conditions, have been approved.

The races will be conducted at Launceston Airport and will be flown around eighteen pylons, consisting of tall poles carrying a combination of drums and flashing lights. Pylon judges will be located at the bottom of each pylon and will sight up through the drum to check for “comer cutting”. Naturally there will be penalties incurred for such infringements. There will be a shorter course inside the main course for slower aircraft (refer diagram). Racing aircraft will be in full view of spectators, with the home straight along the north/south runway of the airport.

Left hand circuits will be flown with an air start and four aircraft per heat. Aircraft will not be allowed to start ahead of the pace aircraft or higher (which could confer a diving speed advantage).

The pace aircraft will be a Jet Provost which is currently under restoration, and in a major coup, Bob Hoover, who has flown the pace aircraft at Reno for 29 years, will fly the pace aircraft for the inaugural event.

In addition to Bob Hoover, the organising committee has managed to obtain the services of Gordon Bowman Jones, a well know US commentator to provide the commentary.\

Whilst no special qualifications are necessary to enter the navigation race, apart from the usual licences, it will be necessary to qualify to enter the pylon racing events and arrangements are in hand for approving officers to be appointed in each state. A minimum of 200 hours, 20 hours on type and a formation endorsement will be required in addition to the pylon racing qualification.

As might be expected, the Tasmanian Government is enthusiastically backing Skyrace and has provided seeding finance to enable the venture to get off the ground. In addition Tourism Tasmania has been appointed official agent for Skyrace to handle the various passenger requirements, accommodation and special visitor packages for the event. Accommodation will be available from five star down to tents which should suit all pockets.

Strong spectator attendance from the mainland is expected for the pylon racing events, and this will be catered for by the new Bass Strait ferry, Spirit of Tasmania which will be commissioned by the end of this year and will be capable of carrying large numbers of passengers.

Finally, sponsorship rights are available and further details can be obtained from the organisers. Further details can be obtained from Margaret Mulholland who is handling public relations. She may be contacted on (003) 91 8380 BH or (003) 94 7315 AH and fax (003) 91 8662.

Lets hope the aviation community, both professional and private gets behind this bold venture and gives it the support it deserves.

With the littlest State having shown the way, it is not hard to imagine big league Reno style racing developing as a major spectator sport on the mainland in the future.

Australian Aviation will keep you posted in future issues as details of the two events firm up.