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Tasmania’s Inaugural Air Races
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Kiwis Take the Gold as Australia’s Inaugural Air Race Becomes Airborne
Valleyfield, a WW2 Training Field Came Alive in Early March With the Sounds of Thumping Radials and Screaming Continentals and Lycomings as Australia’s Inaugural Pylon Racing Event Took Wing.
And took wing it did. The gutsy move some two years back by the Launceston based Tasmanian Aero Club to con-duct pylon racing was met by many with derision and suspicion. To those with vision however it represented an opportunity to not only attempt south of the equator what has been a national pilgrimage to Reno, Nevada for many years but to develop a major tourism event similar to the highly successful Targa Tasmania This first attempt at what is by any standard a highly complex and sophisticated event was pretty good. More aircraft would have reduced some of the gaps in the routine while perhaps a local commentator would be more appropriate. Skyrace needed around 20,000 people to be in the black, it got something closer to 30,000, whilst the number of sponsors for next year’s event is not small by any measure. Also of interest is that next March’s Avalon spectacular will attract a large number of aircraft close to Tasmania, many competitors at Avalon will most certainly be attracted to Tasmania since they already are in the region. It is a good omen for both events.
Our sincere congrats also to those mainland competitors who supported the Skyrace concept from the outset. To many, the biggest fear was the thought of crossing Bass Strait in a very expensive single engine aircraft. Every overwater aviator knows that things always seem to run a little rough over tiger country and open ocean is perhaps the worse case example. Fortunately, everybody made it there and back and even the Kiwi Sea Fury ferried from Wanaka to Launceston without incident. Certainly modern GPS nav units and ELT beacons make this a less hazardous proposition that it would have been just a few years back. This year’s Skyrace was preceded by an around Tasmania air race which attracted 44 participants. It is expected that this, and the actual pylon racing will gain much more support next year. Certainly any owner of a performance homebuilt should be interested in getting involved as should those who are lucky enough to have their name on the side of a Winjeel, CT-4 or Harvard. Looking at the grins of the competing pilots at Valleyfield gives one the impression that this pylon racing stuff is one helluva lot better than a visit to the dentist.
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