Jet Sailplane Racing League

[Dr. John]

I think it is time for a Jet Sailplane Racing League. Here me out
and I promise this is not heresy and might even be a boom to the
sailplane community. The Rocket Racing League was planning a racing
league similar to the Red Bull races using a fiberglass Canard Long-EZ
type airframe at a Million Dollars a ship. Severe financial
difficulty due to lack of funding and only a few sponsors seems to be
dooming the venture. The Red Bull races have appeared to do better
financially actually having races flying the aerobatic style Edge 540
airframes and racing around a 3 mile Pylon courses. It still has
still not risen to a national level of awareness but proves air racing
has potential! Unfortunately I just read that the 2011 Red Bull races
have been canceled after only 6 years of racing.
Soaring has a big problem. We are shrinking in popularity and not
competing very well for new participants. Less pilot numbers means
fewer soaring sites, less glider development, and less tow
availability. Shrinking numbers does nothing good for the long term
health of our sport. The challenge for us is that we are not very
spectator friendly like most other sports. Even golf is blows us by,
a very silly sport I might add. Hit a little ball in a little hole.
WOW! I attended my first sailplane race last year in Logan, Utah
and had a great time. Even with the Google earth/Spot Tracking
projected on a large screen in the hanger, spectators miss most of the
action and thrill of the race. It was fun for me but my wife has no
interest at all. Even my wife as uninterested as possible in watching
sports can watch a little football or car racing and feel a little
entertained, but glider racing, NADA!
Just imagine 12 Turbine powered sailplanes racing around a small 3
mile air circuit, slow and low enough for spectators to watch and
enjoy and loud enough to scream FUN! I can't imagine how difficult it
is to move all the airplanes for the Red Bull races but the sailplanes
naturally travel quite easily as they are designed to. The perfect
airframe platform is highly debatable but I propose the DuckHawk by
Windward Performance. Yes, I know it has not flown yet but its all
carbon airframe makes it the only one we could paint different colors
with sponsor logos and designs. Yes, I want the blue Viagra ship!
The DuckHawk has a high 200 kts VNE and a +11.0 / -9.0 g’s structural
design which bods well for a racing ship. We then mount one of Bob
Carltons TBS-100 turbines on the top for a pure racing machine. The
Duckhawk also has a large water ballast capacity which would lend
itself well to holding enough Jet A fuel for the race. The race could
even have pit stops for more fuel just like NASCAR. Airframe mounted
cameras would broadcast live video back for an in flight feel just
like NASCAR. The ground crew on a pit stop would race to fill up the
Jet A, top off the wingtip smoke and and quickly wipe the bugs off the
windscreen. Yes I know bug wipers are not as glamorous as tire
changers, but work with me here, it has possibility
Imagine little boys watching sailplane looking jets race around a
closed circuit, smoke streams off the wingtips, feeling the roar of
the turbines as they passed by going 150 kts. The sailplane jets
would be highly maneuverable with only a 15 Meter wings being able to
weave in and out of pylons. I know that 150 kts is really not that
fast in airplane speeds but when you consider how small a 15 meter
sailplane is in the air, it will look like 300 kts. Yes, I know these
racing ships would really not be sailplanes for all tense and
purpose. Our fans would fall in love with the shape and the idea of
racing airplanes with skinny wings and then realize they too have the
opportunity to learn to fly and even race traditional sailplanes at a
price that is somewhat affordable.
The jet sailplanes would cost less than $250K a ship which is only
a quarter of what the Rocket Racing League was proposing with their
million dollar jet airplanes. They would be highly portable from race
site to race site. I'm sure that the TBS-100 would only use a
fraction of the fuel that the Long-EZ racers were going to use.
Engine changes could take only minutes. The glide ratio of a DuckHawk
at 50 to 1 would greatly enhance safety with an in flight engine
failure over a tradition aerobatic airplane and its 6 to 1 glide
ratio.
I know to many glider pilots this sounds like sailplane apostasy.
Yes, I am proposing a *******ization of our sport, but for good
cause. Yes, it is not soaring in a thermal or a wave, but it could
be a shinning beacon of light showing new young minds the excitement
and fun of flying a sailplane in a 10 knot thermal surrounded by half
a dozen other gliders all ready to do battle. Air racing in this
country was once a national sport. Back in the golden age of the
airplane, air races were all the national rage. Many little boys
dreamed of someday becoming pilots. I can assure you now, the youth
of today are not dreaming of becoming pilots. Flying has lost its
magic some how.
I know this is probably a wild fantasy, a little heresy, and some
craziness, but it is sure fun to procrastinate piles of work around me
to dream about flying. Thanks for reading my day dream of the day.
John Ackerson

[Wayne Paul]

http://www.soaridaho.com/Schreder/HP-14/HP14BOOM.JPG

"Dr. John" > wrote in message
...
I think it is time for a Jet Sailplane Racing League. Here me out
and I promise this is not heresy and might even be a boom to the
sailplane community. The Rocket Racing League was planning a racing
league similar to the Red Bull races using a fiberglass Canard Long-EZ
type airframe at a Million Dollars a ship. Severe financial
difficulty due to lack of funding and only a few sponsors seems to be
dooming the venture. The Red Bull races have appeared to do better
financially actually having races flying the aerobatic style Edge 540
airframes and racing around a 3 mile Pylon courses. It still has
still not risen to a national level of awareness but proves air racing
has potential! Unfortunately I just read that the 2011 Red Bull races
have been canceled after only 6 years of racing.
Soaring has a big problem. We are shrinking in popularity and not
competing very well for new participants. Less pilot numbers means
fewer soaring sites, less glider development, and less tow
availability. Shrinking numbers does nothing good for the long term
health of our sport. The challenge for us is that we are not very
spectator friendly like most other sports. Even golf is blows us by,
a very silly sport I might add. Hit a little ball in a little hole.
WOW! I attended my first sailplane race last year in Logan, Utah
and had a great time. Even with the Google earth/Spot Tracking
projected on a large screen in the hanger, spectators miss most of the
action and thrill of the race. It was fun for me but my wife has no
interest at all. Even my wife as uninterested as possible in watching
sports can watch a little football or car racing and feel a little
entertained, but glider racing, NADA!
Just imagine 12 Turbine powered sailplanes racing around a small 3
mile air circuit, slow and low enough for spectators to watch and
enjoy and loud enough to scream FUN! I can't imagine how difficult it
is to move all the airplanes for the Red Bull races but the sailplanes
naturally travel quite easily as they are designed to. The perfect
airframe platform is highly debatable but I propose the DuckHawk by
Windward Performance. Yes, I know it has not flown yet but its all
carbon airframe makes it the only one we could paint different colors
with sponsor logos and designs. Yes, I want the blue Viagra ship!
The DuckHawk has a high 200 kts VNE and a +11.0 / -9.0 g’s structural
design which bods well for a racing ship. We then mount one of Bob
Carltons TBS-100 turbines on the top for a pure racing machine. The
Duckhawk also has a large water ballast capacity which would lend
itself well to holding enough Jet A fuel for the race. The race could
even have pit stops for more fuel just like NASCAR. Airframe mounted
cameras would broadcast live video back for an in flight feel just
like NASCAR. The ground crew on a pit stop would race to fill up the
Jet A, top off the wingtip smoke and and quickly wipe the bugs off the
windscreen. Yes I know bug wipers are not as glamorous as tire
changers, but work with me here, it has possibility
Imagine little boys watching sailplane looking jets race around a
closed circuit, smoke streams off the wingtips, feeling the roar of
the turbines as they passed by going 150 kts. The sailplane jets
would be highly maneuverable with only a 15 Meter wings being able to
weave in and out of pylons. I know that 150 kts is really not that
fast in airplane speeds but when you consider how small a 15 meter
sailplane is in the air, it will look like 300 kts. Yes, I know these
racing ships would really not be sailplanes for all tense and
purpose. Our fans would fall in love with the shape and the idea of
racing airplanes with skinny wings and then realize they too have the
opportunity to learn to fly and even race traditional sailplanes at a
price that is somewhat affordable.
The jet sailplanes would cost less than $250K a ship which is only
a quarter of what the Rocket Racing League was proposing with their
million dollar jet airplanes. They would be highly portable from race
site to race site. I'm sure that the TBS-100 would only use a
fraction of the fuel that the Long-EZ racers were going to use.
Engine changes could take only minutes. The glide ratio of a DuckHawk
at 50 to 1 would greatly enhance safety with an in flight engine
failure over a tradition aerobatic airplane and its 6 to 1 glide
ratio.
I know to many glider pilots this sounds like sailplane apostasy.
Yes, I am proposing a *******ization of our sport, but for good
cause. Yes, it is not soaring in a thermal or a wave, but it could
be a shinning beacon of light showing new young minds the excitement
and fun of flying a sailplane in a 10 knot thermal surrounded by half
a dozen other gliders all ready to do battle. Air racing in this
country was once a national sport. Back in the golden age of the
airplane, air races were all the national rage. Many little boys
dreamed of someday becoming pilots. I can assure you now, the youth
of today are not dreaming of becoming pilots. Flying has lost its
magic some how.
I know this is probably a wild fantasy, a little heresy, and some
craziness, but it is sure fun to procrastinate piles of work around me
to dream about flying. Thanks for reading my day dream of the day.
John Ackerson

[Walt Connelly]

Okay, you can have the blue Viagra ship, hope you can keep it up. I want the HOOTERS sponsored glider. My pit crew will be a bevy of scantily clad, busty young ladies with tight orange shorts and tighter tops. Of course my glider will have TWIN power plants. Glad to hear these things will only cost a QUARTER OF A MILLION DOLLARS EACH.

Seriously though, we do need to do something to grow our sport. Exposure to the public is everything. When a major championship gliding event fails to attract a news camera from a local tv station, something is wrong. The recent Senior Championships didn't get the coverage that the local Bike Week event did. There were stories every day on the local media about the bike event but nada on soaring. Sad.

Walt

[Martin Gregorie[_5_]]

On Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:58:08 +0000, Walt Connelly wrote:

> Seriously though, we do need to do something to grow our sport. Exposure
> to the public is everything. When a major championship gliding event
> fails to attract a news camera from a local tv station, something is
> wrong. The recent Senior Championships didn't get the coverage that the
> local Bike Week event did. There were stories every day on the local
> media about the bike event but nada on soaring. Sad.
>
It would be interesting to know what effort and finance the bike event
put into attracting sponsors, getting its footage onto TV and the type of
exposure (sport or local news slots). Comparing that with the same
figures for the Seniors is likely to provide all the reasons for that
lack of coverage.

I think we already have a good candidate for a TV sport slot. Its called
the Glider Grand Prix and comes complete with all the America's Cup
display gizmos that are apparently needed to get a non-mainstream sport
onto TV. Most importantly, it showcases racing sailplanes doing what they
are designed to do. Isn't that the sort of exposure we really need? IMO
its the type of exposure that's most likely to provide a steady flow of
new bods into two-seat cockpits.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[Walt Connelly]

;770579']On Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:58:08 +0000, Walt Connelly wrote:

Seriously though, we do need to do something to grow our sport. Exposure
to the public is everything. When a major championship gliding event
fails to attract a news camera from a local tv station, something is
wrong. The recent Senior Championships didn't get the coverage that the
local Bike Week event did. There were stories every day on the local
media about the bike event but nada on soaring. Sad.

It would be interesting to know what effort and finance the bike event
put into attracting sponsors, getting its footage onto TV and the type of
exposure (sport or local news slots). Comparing that with the same
figures for the Seniors is likely to provide all the reasons for that
lack of coverage.

I think we already have a good candidate for a TV sport slot. Its called
the Glider Grand Prix and comes complete with all the America's Cup
display gizmos that are apparently needed to get a non-mainstream sport
onto TV. Most importantly, it showcases racing sailplanes doing what they
are designed to do. Isn't that the sort of exposure we really need? IMO
its the type of exposure that's most likely to provide a steady flow of
new bods into two-seat cockpits.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

The reality is that Bike Week brings in many millions of dollars to the local economy. It draws about half a million bikers and wannabees to the local area for an entire week. We can't compete with those numbers but It's hard to understand how there was NO local TV coverage of a national event like this. JMHO

Walt

[kirk.stant]

On Apr 29, 1:42*pm, Walt Connelly <Walt.Connelly.
> wrote:
> 'Martin Gregorie[_5_ Wrote:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> > ;770579']On Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:58:08 +0000, Walt Connelly wrote:
> > -
> > Seriously though, we do need to do something to grow our sport.
> > Exposure
> > to the public is everything. *When a major championship gliding event
> > fails to attract a news camera from a local tv station, something is
> > wrong. *The recent Senior Championships didn't get the coverage that
> > the
> > local Bike Week event did. *There were stories every day on the local
> > media about the bike event but nada on soaring. *Sad.
> > -
> > It would be interesting to know what effort and finance the bike event
> > put into attracting sponsors, getting its footage onto TV and the type
> > of
> > exposure (sport or local news slots). Comparing that with the same
> > figures for the Seniors is likely to provide all the reasons for that
> > lack of coverage.
>
> > I think we already have a good candidate for a TV sport slot. Its called
>
> > the Glider Grand Prix and comes complete with all the America's Cup
> > display gizmos that are apparently needed to get a non-mainstream sport
>
> > onto TV. Most importantly, it showcases racing sailplanes doing what
> > they
> > are designed to do. Isn't that the sort of exposure we really need? IMO
>
> > its the type of exposure that's most likely to provide a steady flow of
>
> > new bods into two-seat cockpits.
>
> > --
> > martin@ * | Martin Gregorie
> > gregorie. | Essex, UK
> > org * * * |
>
> The reality is that Bike Week brings in many millions of dollars to the
> local economy. *It draws about half a million bikers and wannabees to
> the local area for an entire week. *We can't compete with those numbers
> but It's hard to understand how there was NO local TV coverage of a
> national event like this. *JMHO
>
> Walt
>
> --
> Walt Connelly

You guys are smoking dope if you think gliding is ever going to be
like bike racing or NASCAR - or any popular sport. Anyone can walk
into a motorcycle or car dealership and buy a bike or car and drive
it. He may not race it, but he is still involved.

You can't (and never will be able to) do that with gliding.

THAT is why gliding will always be a niche sport.

What gliding has to do is grow up, realize it's a (relatively) rich
man's sport, and work on attracting and keeping people who are looking
for a different way to spend their disposable income.

Yeah, I know that's heresy to the 1-26 and 2-33 crowd, and I wish you
could prove me wrong. But I think the numbers support me.

Which is why our club is looking at selling our 2-33 and one of our
1-26s, getting an ASK-21 and another glass single seater, making a
nicer clubhouse that is actually hospitable instead of being a
workshop, and building a simulator using the cockpit of a wrecked 103
and Condor.

And with the price of gas going up - trying to snag power pilots, who
already have the flying bug but can't afford or justify renting (or
owning, for that matter) a Cezzna for those $200 hamburgers anymore.

And as the Country Clubs fill up, snagging empty-nesters who don't
want to be stuck in a line waiting for a t-time.

Kids? Yeah, right, there will always be a few, and they should be
encouraged (good equipment helps here, too), but don't expect the
average kit to wander onto the gliderport...No chicks, way too many
old grumpy guys, too many rules, BORING!!!

Me, I'm going racing...and the only person I care about will be
watching me on my SPOT - and handing me a cold beer when I land.

Kirk
66

[Martin Gregorie[_5_]]

On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:42:19 +0000, Walt Connelly wrote:

> The reality is that Bike Week brings in many millions of dollars to the
> local economy. It draws about half a million bikers and wannabees to
> the local area for an entire week. We can't compete with those numbers
> but It's hard to understand how there was NO local TV coverage of a
> national event like this. JMHO
>
OK, that explains a lot. I've never been to Florida and so had no idea
what Bike Week might be - in fact I thought it must have been some local
cycling promotion.

However, there remains one relevant question: did anybody tell the local
media that the Seniors was on?

Our club's experience is that the local TV and/or paper generally ignore
us, but will usually cover stories we tell them about provided they're
something that interests folks outside the aviation community.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[Walt Connelly]

The reality is that Bike Week brings in many millions of dollars to the
local economy. *It draws about half a million bikers and wannabees to
the local area for an entire week. *We can't compete with those numbers
but It's hard to understand how there was NO local TV coverage of a
national event like this. *JMHO

Walt

--
Walt Connelly[/i][/color]

You guys are smoking dope if you think gliding is ever going to be
like bike racing or NASCAR - or any popular sport. Anyone can walk
into a motorcycle or car dealership and buy a bike or car and drive
it. He may not race it, but he is still involved.

You can't (and never will be able to) do that with gliding.

THAT is why gliding will always be a niche sport.

What gliding has to do is grow up, realize it's a (relatively) rich
man's sport, and work on attracting and keeping people who are looking
for a different way to spend their disposable income.

Yeah, I know that's heresy to the 1-26 and 2-33 crowd, and I wish you
could prove me wrong. But I think the numbers support me.

Which is why our club is looking at selling our 2-33 and one of our
1-26s, getting an ASK-21 and another glass single seater, making a
nicer clubhouse that is actually hospitable instead of being a
workshop, and building a simulator using the cockpit of a wrecked 103
and Condor.

And with the price of gas going up - trying to snag power pilots, who
already have the flying bug but can't afford or justify renting (or
owning, for that matter) a Cezzna for those $200 hamburgers anymore.

And as the Country Clubs fill up, snagging empty-nesters who don't
want to be stuck in a line waiting for a t-time.

Kids? Yeah, right, there will always be a few, and they should be
encouraged (good equipment helps here, too), but don't expect the
average kit to wander onto the gliderport...No chicks, way too many
old grumpy guys, too many rules, BORING!!!

Me, I'm going racing...and the only person I care about will be
watching me on my SPOT - and handing me a cold beer when I land.

Kirk
66[/QUOTE]

I never thought that gliding could be as big as motorcycling or auto racing but my point is that we need to take the initiative to promote it to those who might become part of the community. I lived in Orlando for 25 years before I heard of the local gliderport and that was by accident. The power pilot concerned about the cost of avgas, the country clubber who might have been a pilot at one time and still enjoys the idea of flying need to be recruited. If there is not sufficient participation in the sport locally the local operation might not stay afloat. This is a great place to fly, people need to be made aware of this.

Walt

[Mike Schumann]

On 4/29/2011 8:32 PM, Martin Gregorie wrote:
> On Fri, 29 Apr 2011 18:42:19 +0000, Walt Connelly wrote:
>
>> The reality is that Bike Week brings in many millions of dollars to the
>> local economy. It draws about half a million bikers and wannabees to
>> the local area for an entire week. We can't compete with those numbers
>> but It's hard to understand how there was NO local TV coverage of a
>> national event like this. JMHO
>>
> OK, that explains a lot. I've never been to Florida and so had no idea
> what Bike Week might be - in fact I thought it must have been some local
> cycling promotion.
>
> However, there remains one relevant question: did anybody tell the local
> media that the Seniors was on?
>
> Our club's experience is that the local TV and/or paper generally ignore
> us, but will usually cover stories we tell them about provided they're
> something that interests folks outside the aviation community.
>
>

Not just tell the media about the event, but did anyone bother to
volunteer to take a reporter with a TV camera on one of the contest
flights? Most local stations are constantly looking for interesting
feel good stories that they can use on slow news days.

--
Mike Schumann

[Martin Gregorie[_5_]]

On Sat, 30 Apr 2011 16:57:01 -0400, Mike Schumann wrote:

> Not just tell the media about the event, but did anyone bother to
> volunteer to take a reporter with a TV camera on one of the contest
> flights? Most local stations are constantly looking for interesting
> feel good stories that they can use on slow news days.
>
One of the more unusual things we've done was to get some of our two-
seater owners to fly their gliders round a 'five cathedrals' task, i.e.
each cathedral in our area was a TP, with the associated bishops or
cannons on board. It was flown a group tour rather than a race on a nice
day. The churchmen enjoyed their flights and the local media loved the
idea.


--
martin@ | Martin Gregorie
gregorie. | Essex, UK
org |

[airshowbob[_3_]]

Sailplanes CAN draw big crowds and lots of media attention. At my
last airshow, I flew before a crowd of 180,000. Lots of media
coverage. I'm scheduled to fly 5 days at Oshkosh this year. By the
end of the 2011 airshow season, literally millions of people will have
been exposed to sailplane flying. I've tried to get SSA to work with
me to promote soaring at the airshows I attend. I've never been able
to get any cooperation. At last year's SSA convention, it was
announced that SSA's goal was something like 120 new members
nationwide this year. On a good airshow weekend, we could approach
that number of new SSA members daily. It would take some real
marketing effort on the part of all participants to sell soaring.
We'd need a good hook and some professional salesmen. The announcer
would need the information on the local soaring clubs, then the local
club would need to offer a exciting experience in a modern sailplane
(no Schweitzers, please). Hook them for a one year SSA membership,
then get some modern aircraft in the magazine (again, no Schweitzers).

This year, I also filmed for our local TV news (three mornings of
shooting, with their helicopter), History Channel, Discovery Canada,
Discovery Australia and the new Discovery 3-D - all at their request.
The jet sailplanes have appeared in hundreds of magazines worldwide.

Yes, I realize that flying low-level aerobatics in a jet sailplane
isn't 'real' soaring any more than driving around a circle at 150 MPH
isn't 'real' driving, but there is a reason every car manufacturer
sponsors racing. It sells the excitement of their product, even
though most people will actually buy the mini-van.

Jet sailplane racing? Crazy! Ridiculous! Stupid! But it could be
just what our sport needs to capture public attention, recruit new
members and remain viable.

BC

[Dr. John]

Bob,
You articulated the thought and dream very well! Keep up the great
work promoting the wonderful sport of soaring through your very
effective non-soaring methods. I love the bonus jet!
John Ackerson