PIREP: 2008 Red Bull Air Races Detroit

[Jay Honeck[_2_]]

For those who want to jump straight to the pictures:

http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2008_-_red_bull_races_in_detroit.htm

We intended to fly to YIP (Ypsilanti, MI) last Friday, to meet this group's
own Jim & Tami Burns (& Family) for a fun weekend at the races.
Unfortunately, Mother Nature brought a line of Level 5s to bear on our route
of flight, and we reluctantly made the decision to drive to Detroit -- a
1,000 mile round-trip.

The no-go decision was the right one, though -- I ended up driving in
torrential rains like few I've seen before, and flying would've been
suicidal. Luckily, Jim (coming from WI) was able to fly his Aztec over the
big lake, and pulled a neat northerly end-around the line of storms.

We stayed at the GM Renaissance Center's Marriott. Normally I avoid big-box
chain hotels like the plague, but this facility was "show center" for the
entire weekend, so I gritted my teeth and paid over $200/night for a room
less than half the size of one of our 2-bedroom suites. As expected, it was
a huge rip-off, with no continental breakfast, a one-cup (!) coffee maker,
and NO wireless internet.

But it *was* centrally located. We were able to simply walk out the front
door and watch the races, which was marvelous. Had we opted to stay at a
better (cheaper) hotel, any savings would have been offset by additional
parking and gas expenses.

In the evening we found the hotel bar to be chock-full of "Red Bull
Beautiful People" -- mostly young, blonde floozies apparently recruited for
the event. They mostly hung all over the pilots and Red Bull big-wheels,
but Jim and I enjoyed our time in the bar, and were even treated to a round
of drinks purchased by one of the floozies who flashed us from the bar!
(Our wives complained, but didn't send the drinks back... :-)

Saturday dawned promising, but the winds following the storms were
impressive, gusting to 59 mph. Unfortunately, the announcers (Red Bull sets
up speakers and giant-screen TVs everywhere in the viewing area) kept up a
steady, optimistic banter that pretty well promised that racing *would*
occur...eventually. So, we sat, and sat, and waited. Every now and then a
couple of T-6s would fly by, and the B-25 was fun, and the Heritage Flight
with an F/A-18 and Corsair was cool -- but, for the most part, there was not
much to do but watch the boats go past...

When one of the pylons broke loose from it's moorings and started rolling
down-river, we knew the writing was on the wall. It was a lot of fun,
watching them try to corral the damned thing with boats, but at 3 PM they
called it due to wind.

So, we did what every red-blooded American would do -- we sent the kids back
to the room with pizza and pop, and went bar hopping! Detroit comes
equipped with a wonderful "People Mover" system that aids and abets this
sort of behavior, and -- for just 50 cents -- you can ride all over downtown
Detroit in style.

Now, I know what you're thinking. I was expecting Detroit to be an open
sewer, with gang-bangers and trash everywhere, but we were pleasantly
surprised to find a clean, modern, nice riverfront area, and some fun bars
to visit. We never felt the least bit threatened, and, in fact, we walked
back to our hotel from the bars, enjoying the night air. They've spent HUGE
amounts of money cleaning up the area, and it shows.

We eventually settled into the Hard Rock Cafe, where (for reasons that may
become clear at the HOPS Party in Oshkosh) we endeavored to explore and
discover the perfect Long Island Iced Tea recipe. It was hell, but someone
had to do it -- and we eventually discovered the LIITs can be made both with
and without tequila.

This seemed incredibly important at the time, for some reason... I don't
know why.

Sunday dawned sunny and nice, in the 70s. The organizers had to pack two
days of racing into a single day, and it was chock-full of good stuff.
Once the racing got started, they were very good at keeping things moving,
with very small gaps between each racer. (Prior to racing, however, they
lagged badly. They need to study Oshkosh, and learn how to keep the crowds
entertained...)

The races themselves are fabulous, with real danger and excitement at every
pylon. For those who may not know, they don't race head-to-head, but rather
against the clock through a complex course made up of 60-foot inflatable
pylons mounted on anchored barges in the Detroit River. Some pylons must
be split in knife-edge flight, while others must be done wings-level.

The consistency of these competition pilots is simply incredible. Kirby
Chambliss ended up winning by a scant fraction of a second (like, .015 of a
second), over a course that takes between 1:12 and 1:20 to complete. To say
it's exciting is an understatement, and even the "NASCAR crowd" (meaning
non-aviation folk) was able to appreciate the skill that went into flying
the course.

Surprisingly, the Red Bull organizers muffed some pretty basic stuff. For
example, there was just one (1) vendor selling shirts and T-shirts for a
crowd of thousands, and the lines were interminable. They could've sold
many more, if they had the foresight to place more vendors in the area.

Ditto with race souvenirs -- there simply weren't any. With all the
down-time waiting, Red Bull left tens of thousands of dollars on the table
by not catering to the crowd.

The biggest rip-off of the weekend surely had to be the upscale $200 seats
that were placed inside a cordoned-off area right up against the hotel.
Unfortunately, tens of thousands of people continually walked the sidewalk
in front of these poor saps, meaning that they were unable to see anything
most of the time. I would have been furious, and demanded to be "upgraded"
to the $30 riverfront seats like ours...

Still, these were minor glitches in an overall wonderful weekend. If you
EVER get the chance to see this international "World Series" of air racing,
jump at it. I had seen their first "exhibition race" at Reno, back in '04,
so I knew what it was about -- and I'm here to tell you that they were worth
every hour of that horrible, 1000-mile drive to see them.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Bertie the Bunyip[_24_]]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in
news:DNp1k.139052$TT4.90385@attbi_s22:

> For those who want to jump straight to the pictures:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2008_-_red_bull_races_in_detroit.htm
>
> We intended to fly to YIP (Ypsilanti, MI) last Friday, to meet this
> group's own Jim & Tami Burns (& Family) for a fun weekend at the
> races. Unfortunately, Mother Nature brought a line of Level 5s to bear
> on our route of flight, and we reluctantly made the decision to drive
> to Detroit -- a 1,000 mile round-trip.
>
> The no-go decision was the right one, though -- I ended up driving in
> torrential rains like few I've seen before, and flying would've been
> suicidal. Luckily, Jim (coming from WI) was able to fly his Aztec
> over the big lake, and pulled a neat northerly end-around the line of
> storms.
>
> We stayed at the GM Renaissance Center's Marriott. Normally I avoid
> big-box chain hotels like the plague, but this facility was "show
> center" for the entire weekend, so I gritted my teeth and paid over
> $200/night for a room less than half the size of one of our 2-bedroom
> suites. As expected, it was a huge rip-off, with no continental
> breakfast, a one-cup (!) coffee maker, and NO wireless internet.
>
> But it *was* centrally located. We were able to simply walk out the
> front door and watch the races, which was marvelous. Had we opted to
> stay at a better (cheaper) hotel, any savings would have been offset
> by additional parking and gas expenses.
>
> In the evening we found the hotel bar to be chock-full of "Red Bull
> Beautiful People" -- mostly young, blonde floozies apparently
> recruited for the event. They mostly hung all over the pilots and Red
> Bull big-wheels, but Jim and I enjoyed our time in the bar, and were
> even treated to a round of drinks purchased by one of the floozies who
> flashed us from the bar! (Our wives complained, but didn't send the
> drinks back... :-)
>
> Saturday dawned promising, but the winds following the storms were
> impressive, gusting to 59 mph. Unfortunately, the announcers (Red
> Bull sets up speakers and giant-screen TVs everywhere in the viewing
> area) kept up a steady, optimistic banter that pretty well promised
> that racing *would* occur...eventually. So, we sat, and sat, and
> waited. Every now and then a couple of T-6s would fly by, and the
> B-25 was fun, and the Heritage Flight with an F/A-18 and Corsair was
> cool -- but, for the most part, there was not much to do but watch the
> boats go past...
>
> When one of the pylons broke loose from it's moorings and started
> rolling down-river, we knew the writing was on the wall. It was a lot
> of fun, watching them try to corral the damned thing with boats, but
> at 3 PM they called it due to wind.
>
> So, we did what every red-blooded American would do -- we sent the
> kids back to the room with pizza and pop, and went bar hopping!
> Detroit comes equipped with a wonderful "People Mover" system that
> aids and abets this sort of behavior, and -- for just 50 cents -- you
> can ride all over downtown Detroit in style.
>
> Now, I know what you're thinking. I was expecting Detroit to be an
> open sewer, with gang-bangers and trash everywhere, but we were
> pleasantly surprised to find a clean, modern, nice riverfront area,
> and some fun bars to visit. We never felt the least bit threatened,
> and, in fact, we walked back to our hotel from the bars, enjoying the
> night air. They've spent HUGE amounts of money cleaning up the area,
> and it shows.
>
> We eventually settled into the Hard Rock Cafe, where (for reasons that
> may become clear at the HOPS Party in Oshkosh) we endeavored to
> explore and discover the perfect Long Island Iced Tea recipe. It was
> hell, but someone had to do it -- and we eventually discovered the
> LIITs can be made both with and without tequila.
>
> This seemed incredibly important at the time, for some reason... I
> don't know why.
>
> Sunday dawned sunny and nice, in the 70s. The organizers had to pack
> two days of racing into a single day, and it was chock-full of good
> stuff. Once the racing got started, they were very good at keeping
> things moving, with very small gaps between each racer. (Prior to
> racing, however, they lagged badly. They need to study Oshkosh, and
> learn how to keep the crowds entertained...)
>
> The races themselves are fabulous, with real danger and excitement at
> every pylon. For those who may not know, they don't race
> head-to-head, but rather against the clock through a complex course
> made up of 60-foot inflatable pylons mounted on anchored barges in the
> Detroit River. Some pylons must be split in knife-edge flight,
> while others must be done wings-level.
>
> The consistency of these competition pilots is simply incredible.
> Kirby Chambliss ended up winning by a scant fraction of a second
> (like, .015 of a second), over a course that takes between 1:12 and
> 1:20 to complete. To say it's exciting is an understatement, and even
> the "NASCAR crowd" (meaning non-aviation folk) was able to appreciate
> the skill that went into flying the course.
>
> Surprisingly, the Red Bull organizers muffed some pretty basic stuff.
> For example, there was just one (1) vendor selling shirts and T-shirts
> for a crowd of thousands, and the lines were interminable. They
> could've sold many more, if they had the foresight to place more
> vendors in the area.
>
> Ditto with race souvenirs -- there simply weren't any. With all the
> down-time waiting, Red Bull left tens of thousands of dollars on the
> table by not catering to the crowd.
>
> The biggest rip-off of the weekend surely had to be the upscale $200
> seats that were placed inside a cordoned-off area right up against the
> hotel. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of people continually walked
> the sidewalk in front of these poor saps, meaning that they were
> unable to see anything most of the time. I would have been furious,
> and demanded to be "upgraded" to the $30 riverfront seats like ours...
>
> Still, these were minor glitches in an overall wonderful weekend. If
> you EVER get the chance to see this international "World Series" of
> air racing, jump at it. I had seen their first "exhibition race" at
> Reno, back in '04, so I knew what it was about -- and I'm here to tell
> you that they were worth every hour of that horrible, 1000-mile drive
> to see them.

Barf


Bertie

[cavedweller]

On Jun 4, 1:57 am, Bertie the Bunyip > wrote:
> "Jay Honeck" > wrote innews:DNp1k.139052$TT4.90385@attbi_s22:
>
>
>
> > For those who want to jump straight to the pictures:
>
> >http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2008_-_red_bull_races_in_detroit.htm
>
> > We intended to fly to YIP (Ypsilanti, MI) last Friday, to meet this
> > group's own Jim & Tami Burns (& Family) for a fun weekend at the
> > races. Unfortunately, Mother Nature brought a line of Level 5s to bear
> > on our route of flight, and we reluctantly made the decision to drive
> > to Detroit -- a 1,000 mile round-trip.
>
> > The no-go decision was the right one, though -- I ended up driving in
> > torrential rains like few I've seen before, and flying would've been
> > suicidal. Luckily, Jim (coming from WI) was able to fly his Aztec
> > over the big lake, and pulled a neat northerly end-around the line of
> > storms.
>
> > We stayed at the GM Renaissance Center's Marriott. Normally I avoid
> > big-box chain hotels like the plague, but this facility was "show
> > center" for the entire weekend, so I gritted my teeth and paid over
> > $200/night for a room less than half the size of one of our 2-bedroom
> > suites. As expected, it was a huge rip-off, with no continental
> > breakfast, a one-cup (!) coffee maker, and NO wireless internet.
>
> > But it *was* centrally located. We were able to simply walk out the
> > front door and watch the races, which was marvelous. Had we opted to
> > stay at a better (cheaper) hotel, any savings would have been offset
> > by additional parking and gas expenses.
>
> > In the evening we found the hotel bar to be chock-full of "Red Bull
> > Beautiful People" -- mostly young, blonde floozies apparently
> > recruited for the event. They mostly hung all over the pilots and Red
> > Bull big-wheels, but Jim and I enjoyed our time in the bar, and were
> > even treated to a round of drinks purchased by one of the floozies who
> > flashed us from the bar! (Our wives complained, but didn't send the
> > drinks back... :-)
>
> > Saturday dawned promising, but the winds following the storms were
> > impressive, gusting to 59 mph. Unfortunately, the announcers (Red
> > Bull sets up speakers and giant-screen TVs everywhere in the viewing
> > area) kept up a steady, optimistic banter that pretty well promised
> > that racing *would* occur...eventually. So, we sat, and sat, and
> > waited. Every now and then a couple of T-6s would fly by, and the
> > B-25 was fun, and the Heritage Flight with an F/A-18 and Corsair was
> > cool -- but, for the most part, there was not much to do but watch the
> > boats go past...
>
> > When one of the pylons broke loose from it's moorings and started
> > rolling down-river, we knew the writing was on the wall. It was a lot
> > of fun, watching them try to corral the damned thing with boats, but
> > at 3 PM they called it due to wind.
>
> > So, we did what every red-blooded American would do -- we sent the
> > kids back to the room with pizza and pop, and went bar hopping!
> > Detroit comes equipped with a wonderful "People Mover" system that
> > aids and abets this sort of behavior, and -- for just 50 cents -- you
> > can ride all over downtown Detroit in style.
>
> > Now, I know what you're thinking. I was expecting Detroit to be an
> > open sewer, with gang-bangers and trash everywhere, but we were
> > pleasantly surprised to find a clean, modern, nice riverfront area,
> > and some fun bars to visit. We never felt the least bit threatened,
> > and, in fact, we walked back to our hotel from the bars, enjoying the
> > night air. They've spent HUGE amounts of money cleaning up the area,
> > and it shows.
>
> > We eventually settled into the Hard Rock Cafe, where (for reasons that
> > may become clear at the HOPS Party in Oshkosh) we endeavored to
> > explore and discover the perfect Long Island Iced Tea recipe. It was
> > hell, but someone had to do it -- and we eventually discovered the
> > LIITs can be made both with and without tequila.
>
> > This seemed incredibly important at the time, for some reason... I
> > don't know why.
>
> > Sunday dawned sunny and nice, in the 70s. The organizers had to pack
> > two days of racing into a single day, and it was chock-full of good
> > stuff. Once the racing got started, they were very good at keeping
> > things moving, with very small gaps between each racer. (Prior to
> > racing, however, they lagged badly. They need to study Oshkosh, and
> > learn how to keep the crowds entertained...)
>
> > The races themselves are fabulous, with real danger and excitement at
> > every pylon. For those who may not know, they don't race
> > head-to-head, but rather against the clock through a complex course
> > made up of 60-foot inflatable pylons mounted on anchored barges in the
> > Detroit River. Some pylons must be split in knife-edge flight,
> > while others must be done wings-level.
>
> > The consistency of these competition pilots is simply incredible.
> > Kirby Chambliss ended up winning by a scant fraction of a second
> > (like, .015 of a second), over a course that takes between 1:12 and
> > 1:20 to complete. To say it's exciting is an understatement, and even
> > the "NASCAR crowd" (meaning non-aviation folk) was able to appreciate
> > the skill that went into flying the course.
>
> > Surprisingly, the Red Bull organizers muffed some pretty basic stuff.
> > For example, there was just one (1) vendor selling shirts and T-shirts
> > for a crowd of thousands, and the lines were interminable. They
> > could've sold many more, if they had the foresight to place more
> > vendors in the area.
>
> > Ditto with race souvenirs -- there simply weren't any. With all the
> > down-time waiting, Red Bull left tens of thousands of dollars on the
> > table by not catering to the crowd.
>
> > The biggest rip-off of the weekend surely had to be the upscale $200
> > seats that were placed inside a cordoned-off area right up against the
> > hotel. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of people continually walked
> > the sidewalk in front of these poor saps, meaning that they were
> > unable to see anything most of the time. I would have been furious,
> > and demanded to be "upgraded" to the $30 riverfront seats like ours...
>
> > Still, these were minor glitches in an overall wonderful weekend. If
> > you EVER get the chance to see this international "World Series" of
> > air racing, jump at it. I had seen their first "exhibition race" at
> > Reno, back in '04, so I knew what it was about -- and I'm here to tell
> > you that they were worth every hour of that horrible, 1000-mile drive
> > to see them.
>
> Barf
>
> Bertie

Bertie, do be quiet.

[Jay Maynard]

On 2008-06-04, cavedweller > wrote:
> Bertie, do be quiet.

I expect Bertie to quote all of a 120+-line message to add one line of
useless comment. You don't have to make matters worse by requoting the
entire thing *again*; if you *must* feed Bertie's ego by replying to him, at
least do what he refuses to do and please trim your quotes.
--
Jay Maynard, K5ZC http://www.conmicro.com
http://jmaynard.livejournal.com http://www.tronguy.net
Fairmont, MN (FRM) (Yes, that's me!)
AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC (ordered 17 March, delivery 10 June)

[cavedweller]

On Jun 4, 8:37*am, Jay Maynard > wrote:
> On 2008-06-04, cavedweller > wrote:
>
> > Bertie, do be quiet.
>
> I expect Bertie to quote all of a 120+-line message to add one line of
> useless comment. You don't have to make matters worse by requoting the
> entire thing *again*; if you *must* feed Bertie's ego by replying to him, at
> least do what he refuses to do and please trim your quotes.
> --
> Jay Maynard, K5ZC * * * * * * * * *http://www.conmicro.comhttp://jmaynard.livejournal.com* * *http://www.tronguy.net
> Fairmont, MN (FRM) * * * * * * * * * * * *(Yes, that's me!)
> AMD Zodiac CH601XLi N55ZC (ordered 17 March, delivery 10 June)

You're quite right, of course, and I usually do trim appropriately (or
at least try to) but I was so engrossed in whether it was even
advisable to offer a comment and I was on my way out the door
and....well....thanks for the reminder, and the civility.

[Stephen Ahrens]

On 4/6/08 3:02 PM, in article DNp1k.139052$TT4.90385@attbi_s22, "Jay Honeck"
> wrote:

> Still, these were minor glitches in an overall wonderful weekend. If you
> EVER get the chance to see this international "World Series" of air racing,
> jump at it. I had seen their first "exhibition race" at Reno, back in '04,
> so I knew what it was about -- and I'm here to tell you that they were worth
> every hour of that horrible, 1000-mile drive to see them.

Jay, even though this group is getting out of control I always enjoy your
posts.
I went to the first Red Bull in Perth Australia 2006. Absolutely enjoyed
every minute of it. (As well as the city of Perth - great food).
Same thing happened with the Red Bull souvenirs, they had all but sold out
by the second day.
For us it was a 4000km round trip from Adelaide with a Jet Jockey, and I
would certainly jump at the chance to go again, especially now that the
momentum is building and the series is becoming more spectacular.

Keep up the great posts.

Steve
VH-TVF
Archer II

[Jim Burns[_2_]]

Great wrap up Jay.

I was disappointed by the announcers portraying the Red Bull pilots as
god-like and never mentioning that "real" people can and do learn to fly
every day. They had a huge crowd and a wonderful opportunity to introduce
general aviation to the masses, especially on Saturday when there was plenty
of time to kill. During the slow periods between acts or runs, something
like One Six Right or the EAA promo movie played in segments on the big
screens would have been welcome.

From a purely commercial standpoint, they missed a gigantic opportunity to
sell memorabilia to not only the thousands of ticketed spectators by not
having souvenir stands within sight of every ticket holder, but they really
missed the boat by not having souvenir stands available to the tens of
thousands of un-ticketed spectators. People literally lined the sidewalks,
the streets, and the parking garages with money to spend but nobody to take
it.

All in all, it was a great weekend. The logistics and undertaking that the
Red Bull team goes through to arrange these events is remarkable.

For those headed to OSH this year, check the schedule and be sure to catch
the Red Bull aerobatic helicopter act.... it's amazing, and one of a kind.

Jim

[Jay Honeck[_2_]]

> I was disappointed by the announcers portraying the Red Bull pilots as
> god-like and never mentioning that "real" people can and do learn to fly

Excellent point that I forgot to make. Unfortunately, Red Bull has -- in
the interest of drumming up interest -- portrayed the pilots as super-human.
Of course, the kind of flying they're doing IS incredibly difficult, but it
sure would be nice if they could use their bully pulpit to help us maintain
the pilot population.

> For those headed to OSH this year, check the schedule and be sure to catch
> the Red Bull aerobatic helicopter act.... it's amazing, and one of a kind.

Another thing I forgot to mention -- d'oh! This was a high point of the
show, for sure. To see a helicopter rolling inverted and doing loops is
absolutely amazing, and I predict it will be a very popular addition to the
OSH airshow.
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

Jay Maynard > wrote in
:

> On 2008-06-04, cavedweller > wrote:
>> Bertie, do be quiet.
>
> I expect Bertie to quote all of a 120+-line message to add one line of
> useless comment.
At last, understanding.


You don't have to make matters worse by requoting the
> entire thing *again*; if you *must* feed Bertie's ego by replying to
> him, at least do what he refuses to do and please trim your quotes.


How do you know I refuse to trim? You're supposed to have me killfiled.


Bertie

[Bertie the Bunyip[_24_]]

cavedweller > wrote in
:

> On Jun 4, 1:57 am, Bertie the Bunyip > wrote:
>> "Jay Honeck" > wrote
>> innews:DNp1k.139052$TT4.90385@attbi_s22:
>>
>>
>>
>> > For those who want to jump straight to the pictures:
>>
>> >http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2008_-_red_bull_races_in_detroit.htm
>>
>> > We intended to fly to YIP (Ypsilanti, MI) last Friday, to meet this
>> > group's own Jim & Tami Burns (& Family) for a fun weekend at the
>> > races. Unfortunately, Mother Nature brought a line of Level 5s to
>> > bear on our route of flight, and we reluctantly made the decision
>> > to drive to Detroit -- a 1,000 mile round-trip.
>>
>> > The no-go decision was the right one, though -- I ended up driving
>> > in torrential rains like few I've seen before, and flying would've
>> > been suicidal. Luckily, Jim (coming from WI) was able to fly his
>> > Aztec over the big lake, and pulled a neat northerly end-around the
>> > line of storms.
>>
>> > We stayed at the GM Renaissance Center's Marriott. Normally I
>> > avoid big-box chain hotels like the plague, but this facility was
>> > "show center" for the entire weekend, so I gritted my teeth and
>> > paid over $200/night for a room less than half the size of one of
>> > our 2-bedroom suites. As expected, it was a huge rip-off, with no
>> > continental breakfast, a one-cup (!) coffee maker, and NO wireless
>> > internet.
>>
>> > But it *was* centrally located. We were able to simply walk out
>> > the front door and watch the races, which was marvelous. Had we
>> > opted to stay at a better (cheaper) hotel, any savings would have
>> > been offset by additional parking and gas expenses.
>>
>> > In the evening we found the hotel bar to be chock-full of "Red Bull
>> > Beautiful People" -- mostly young, blonde floozies apparently
>> > recruited for the event. They mostly hung all over the pilots and
>> > Red Bull big-wheels, but Jim and I enjoyed our time in the bar, and
>> > were even treated to a round of drinks purchased by one of the
>> > floozies who flashed us from the bar! (Our wives complained, but
>> > didn't send the drinks back... :-)
>>
>> > Saturday dawned promising, but the winds following the storms were
>> > impressive, gusting to 59 mph. Unfortunately, the announcers (Red
>> > Bull sets up speakers and giant-screen TVs everywhere in the
>> > viewing area) kept up a steady, optimistic banter that pretty well
>> > promised that racing *would* occur...eventually. So, we sat, and
>> > sat, and waited. Every now and then a couple of T-6s would fly by,
>> > and the B-25 was fun, and the Heritage Flight with an F/A-18 and
>> > Corsair was cool -- but, for the most part, there was not much to
>> > do but watch the boats go past...
>>
>> > When one of the pylons broke loose from it's moorings and started
>> > rolling down-river, we knew the writing was on the wall. It was a
>> > lot of fun, watching them try to corral the damned thing with
>> > boats, but at 3 PM they called it due to wind.
>>
>> > So, we did what every red-blooded American would do -- we sent the
>> > kids back to the room with pizza and pop, and went bar hopping!
>> > Detroit comes equipped with a wonderful "People Mover" system that
>> > aids and abets this sort of behavior, and -- for just 50 cents --
>> > you can ride all over downtown Detroit in style.
>>
>> > Now, I know what you're thinking. I was expecting Detroit to be an
>> > open sewer, with gang-bangers and trash everywhere, but we were
>> > pleasantly surprised to find a clean, modern, nice riverfront area,
>> > and some fun bars to visit. We never felt the least bit
>> > threatened, and, in fact, we walked back to our hotel from the
>> > bars, enjoying the night air. They've spent HUGE amounts of money
>> > cleaning up the area, and it shows.
>>
>> > We eventually settled into the Hard Rock Cafe, where (for reasons
>> > that may become clear at the HOPS Party in Oshkosh) we endeavored
>> > to explore and discover the perfect Long Island Iced Tea recipe.
>> > It was hell, but someone had to do it -- and we eventually
>> > discovered the LIITs can be made both with and without tequila.
>>
>> > This seemed incredibly important at the time, for some reason...
>> > I don't know why.
>>
>> > Sunday dawned sunny and nice, in the 70s. The organizers had to
>> > pack two days of racing into a single day, and it was chock-full of
>> > good stuff. Once the racing got started, they were very good at
>> > keeping things moving, with very small gaps between each racer.
>> > (Prior to racing, however, they lagged badly. They need to study
>> > Oshkosh, and learn how to keep the crowds entertained...)
>>
>> > The races themselves are fabulous, with real danger and excitement
>> > at every pylon. For those who may not know, they don't race
>> > head-to-head, but rather against the clock through a complex course
>> > made up of 60-foot inflatable pylons mounted on anchored barges in
>> > the Detroit River. Some pylons must be split in knife-edge
>> > flight, while others must be done wings-level.
>>
>> > The consistency of these competition pilots is simply incredible.
>> > Kirby Chambliss ended up winning by a scant fraction of a second
>> > (like, .015 of a second), over a course that takes between 1:12 and
>> > 1:20 to complete. To say it's exciting is an understatement, and
>> > even the "NASCAR crowd" (meaning non-aviation folk) was able to
>> > appreciate the skill that went into flying the course.
>>
>> > Surprisingly, the Red Bull organizers muffed some pretty basic
>> > stuff. For example, there was just one (1) vendor selling shirts
>> > and T-shirts for a crowd of thousands, and the lines were
>> > interminable. They could've sold many more, if they had the
>> > foresight to place more vendors in the area.
>>
>> > Ditto with race souvenirs -- there simply weren't any. With all
>> > the down-time waiting, Red Bull left tens of thousands of dollars
>> > on the table by not catering to the crowd.
>>
>> > The biggest rip-off of the weekend surely had to be the upscale
>> > $200 seats that were placed inside a cordoned-off area right up
>> > against the hotel. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of people
>> > continually walked the sidewalk in front of these poor saps,
>> > meaning that they were unable to see anything most of the time. I
>> > would have been furious, and demanded to be "upgraded" to the $30
>> > riverfront seats like ours...
>>
>> > Still, these were minor glitches in an overall wonderful weekend.
>> > If you EVER get the chance to see this international "World Series"
>> > of air racing, jump at it. I had seen their first "exhibition
>> > race" at Reno, back in '04, so I knew what it was about -- and I'm
>> > here to tell you that they were worth every hour of that horrible,
>> > 1000-mile drive to see them.
>>
>> Barf
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Bertie, do be quiet.
>

Unlikely.

Bertie

[Jim Burns[_2_]]

I think there were a LOT of things we both forgot! :)
Jim

[Bertie the Bunyip[_24_]]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in
news:Pzy1k.139660$TT4.91101@attbi_s22:

>> I was disappointed by the announcers portraying the Red Bull pilots
>> as god-like and never mentioning that "real" people can and do learn
>> to fly
>
> Excellent point that I forgot to make. Unfortunately, Red Bull has --
> in the interest of drumming up interest -- portrayed the pilots as
> super-human. Of course, the kind of flying they're doing IS incredibly
> difficult, but it sure would be nice if they could use their bully
> pulpit to help us maintain the pilot population.
>
>> For those headed to OSH this year, check the schedule and be sure to
>> catch the Red Bull aerobatic helicopter act.... it's amazing, and one
>> of a kind.
>
> Another thing I forgot to mention -- d'oh! This was a high point of
> the show, for sure. To see a helicopter rolling inverted and doing
> loops is absolutely amazing, and I predict it will be a very popular
> addition to the OSH airshow.


Barf


Bertie

[Ross]

Jay Honeck wrote:
> For those who want to jump straight to the pictures:
>
> http://www.alexisparkinn.com/2008_-_red_bull_races_in_detroit.htm
>
> We intended to fly to YIP (Ypsilanti, MI) last Friday, to meet this
> group's own Jim & Tami Burns (& Family) for a fun weekend at the races.
> Unfortunately, Mother Nature brought a line of Level 5s to bear on our
> route of flight, and we reluctantly made the decision to drive to
> Detroit -- a 1,000 mile round-trip.
>
> The no-go decision was the right one, though -- I ended up driving in
> torrential rains like few I've seen before, and flying would've been
> suicidal. Luckily, Jim (coming from WI) was able to fly his Aztec over
> the big lake, and pulled a neat northerly end-around the line of storms.
>
> We stayed at the GM Renaissance Center's Marriott. Normally I avoid
> big-box chain hotels like the plague, but this facility was "show
> center" for the entire weekend, so I gritted my teeth and paid over
> $200/night for a room less than half the size of one of our 2-bedroom
> suites. As expected, it was a huge rip-off, with no continental
> breakfast, a one-cup (!) coffee maker, and NO wireless internet.
>
> But it *was* centrally located. We were able to simply walk out the
> front door and watch the races, which was marvelous. Had we opted to
> stay at a better (cheaper) hotel, any savings would have been offset by
> additional parking and gas expenses.
>
> In the evening we found the hotel bar to be chock-full of "Red Bull
> Beautiful People" -- mostly young, blonde floozies apparently recruited
> for the event. They mostly hung all over the pilots and Red Bull
> big-wheels, but Jim and I enjoyed our time in the bar, and were even
> treated to a round of drinks purchased by one of the floozies who
> flashed us from the bar! (Our wives complained, but didn't send the
> drinks back... :-)
>
> Saturday dawned promising, but the winds following the storms were
> impressive, gusting to 59 mph. Unfortunately, the announcers (Red Bull
> sets up speakers and giant-screen TVs everywhere in the viewing area)
> kept up a steady, optimistic banter that pretty well promised that
> racing *would* occur...eventually. So, we sat, and sat, and waited.
> Every now and then a couple of T-6s would fly by, and the B-25 was fun,
> and the Heritage Flight with an F/A-18 and Corsair was cool -- but, for
> the most part, there was not much to do but watch the boats go past...
>
> When one of the pylons broke loose from it's moorings and started
> rolling down-river, we knew the writing was on the wall. It was a lot
> of fun, watching them try to corral the damned thing with boats, but at
> 3 PM they called it due to wind.
>
> So, we did what every red-blooded American would do -- we sent the kids
> back to the room with pizza and pop, and went bar hopping! Detroit
> comes equipped with a wonderful "People Mover" system that aids and
> abets this sort of behavior, and -- for just 50 cents -- you can ride
> all over downtown Detroit in style.
>
> Now, I know what you're thinking. I was expecting Detroit to be an open
> sewer, with gang-bangers and trash everywhere, but we were pleasantly
> surprised to find a clean, modern, nice riverfront area, and some fun
> bars to visit. We never felt the least bit threatened, and, in fact, we
> walked back to our hotel from the bars, enjoying the night air. They've
> spent HUGE amounts of money cleaning up the area, and it shows.
>
> We eventually settled into the Hard Rock Cafe, where (for reasons that
> may become clear at the HOPS Party in Oshkosh) we endeavored to explore
> and discover the perfect Long Island Iced Tea recipe. It was hell, but
> someone had to do it -- and we eventually discovered the LIITs can be
> made both with and without tequila.
>
> This seemed incredibly important at the time, for some reason... I
> don't know why.
>
> Sunday dawned sunny and nice, in the 70s. The organizers had to pack
> two days of racing into a single day, and it was chock-full of good
> stuff. Once the racing got started, they were very good at keeping
> things moving, with very small gaps between each racer. (Prior to
> racing, however, they lagged badly. They need to study Oshkosh, and
> learn how to keep the crowds entertained...)
>
> The races themselves are fabulous, with real danger and excitement at
> every pylon. For those who may not know, they don't race head-to-head,
> but rather against the clock through a complex course made up of 60-foot
> inflatable pylons mounted on anchored barges in the Detroit River.
> Some pylons must be split in knife-edge flight, while others must be
> done wings-level.
>
> The consistency of these competition pilots is simply incredible. Kirby
> Chambliss ended up winning by a scant fraction of a second (like, .015
> of a second), over a course that takes between 1:12 and 1:20 to
> complete. To say it's exciting is an understatement, and even the
> "NASCAR crowd" (meaning non-aviation folk) was able to appreciate the
> skill that went into flying the course.
>
> Surprisingly, the Red Bull organizers muffed some pretty basic stuff.
> For example, there was just one (1) vendor selling shirts and T-shirts
> for a crowd of thousands, and the lines were interminable. They
> could've sold many more, if they had the foresight to place more vendors
> in the area.
>
> Ditto with race souvenirs -- there simply weren't any. With all the
> down-time waiting, Red Bull left tens of thousands of dollars on the
> table by not catering to the crowd.
>
> The biggest rip-off of the weekend surely had to be the upscale $200
> seats that were placed inside a cordoned-off area right up against the
> hotel. Unfortunately, tens of thousands of people continually walked the
> sidewalk in front of these poor saps, meaning that they were unable to
> see anything most of the time. I would have been furious, and demanded
> to be "upgraded" to the $30 riverfront seats like ours...
>
> Still, these were minor glitches in an overall wonderful weekend. If
> you EVER get the chance to see this international "World Series" of air
> racing, jump at it. I had seen their first "exhibition race" at Reno,
> back in '04, so I knew what it was about -- and I'm here to tell you
> that they were worth every hour of that horrible, 1000-mile drive to see
> them.

I saw some of these races on TV and you are correct, they are great,
especially then in cockpit cameras. What a rush. On the TV they can
overlay one pilot's course to the other and you see quite clearly why
the winer won. Some of these races are pretty much in open areas, but
there was one last year somewhere in Europe that they had to watch out
for the mountains.

--

Regards, Ross
C-172F 180HP
KSWI

[Ken S. Tucker]

On Jun 4, 8:45 am, "Jim Burns" > wrote:
> I think there were a LOT of things we both forgot! :)
> Jim

Thanks Jim and Jay for taking the time to tell us
about the nifty weekend.
Detroit is a study of the Rust-Belt economy change
but it seems to be adapting and evolving. We've
always felt good there, even in the more run-down
areas.
Ken

[Bertie the Bunyip[_24_]]

"Ken S. Tucker" > wrote in news:e69f9dc1-bd00-4fc7-
:

> On Jun 4, 8:45 am, "Jim Burns" > wrote:
>> I think there were a LOT of things we both forgot! :)
>> Jim
>
> Thanks Jim and Jay for taking the time to tell us
> about the nifty weekend.
> Detroit is a study of the Rust-Belt economy change
> but it seems to be adapting and evolving. We've
> always felt good there, even in the more run-down
> areas.


Of course you have. Goes without saying, really.



Bertie

[Brock Boss]

On Jun 4, 10:31*am, "Jay Honeck" > wrote:

> Another thing I forgot to mention -- d'oh! * This was a high point of the
> show, for sure. *To see a helicopter rolling inverted and doing loops is
> absolutely amazing, and I predict it will be a very popular addition to the
> OSH airshow.

For those that haven't seen the Red Bull Helo demo I believe this is
it.
http://tinyurl.com/5mlx7d

[Jay Honeck[_2_]]

> For those that haven't seen the Red Bull Helo demo I believe this is
> it.
> http://tinyurl.com/5mlx7d

Fantastic! Yep, that's what it looks like...

The stress on that rotor's hub during a loop has got to be astronomical...
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"

[Bertie the Bunyip[_24_]]

"Jay Honeck" > wrote in
news:wUE1k.194339$yE1.109216@attbi_s21:

>> For those that haven't seen the Red Bull Helo demo I believe this is
>> it.
>> http://tinyurl.com/5mlx7d
>
> Fantastic! Yep, that's what it looks like...
>
> The stress on that rotor's hub during a loop has got to be
> astronomical...

No it doesn't, fjukkwit.


Bertie

[cavedweller]

On Jun 4, 11:34*am, Bertie the Bunyip > wrote:
> > Bertie, do be quiet.
>
> Unlikely.
>
> Bertie- Hide quoted text -

Swot I thot........;)

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...
>
> Barf
>
>
> Bertie

Yeah, it just makes you sick with others enjoy themselves, doesn't it?

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...
>
> How do you know I refuse to trim? You're supposed to have me killfiled.
>
>
> Bertie

He reads it when other reply, dumb ass.

[Bertie the Bunyip[_24_]]

cavedweller > wrote in news:567b93fe-3f43-4eb8-9386-
:

> On Jun 4, 11:34*am, Bertie the Bunyip > wrote:
>> > Bertie, do be quiet.
>>
>> Unlikely.
>>
>> Bertie- Hide quoted text -
>
> Swot I thot........;)
>
>

Now ya know!

Bertie

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...


>> Bertie, do be quiet.
>>
>
> Unlikely.
>
> Bertie

Like telling Aunt Wilma's Chawawa to hush, isn't it Squirty the ****dripp.

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...
>
> Of course you have. Goes without saying, really.
>
>
>
> Bertie

Nothing goes without saying around a lamer like you.

You're just like Anthony, you never learned when to shut up.

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...

>> The stress on that rotor's hub during a loop has got to be
>> astronomical...
>
> No it doesn't, fjukkwit.
>
>
> Bertie

Like you would have a clue.

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:B9F1k.1875$nD3.967
@newsfe15.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>> The stress on that rotor's hub during a loop has got to be
>>> astronomical...
>>
>> No it doesn't, fjukkwit.
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Like you would have a clue.
>
>
>

Like, I would.


Bertie

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:x5F1k.1872$nD3.404
@newsfe15.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> How do you know I refuse to trim? You're supposed to have me
killfiled.
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> He reads it when other reply, dumb ass.
>
>
>

Of course he does. He said so.


Snort!

Bertie

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in
:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>
>>> Bertie, do be quiet.
>>>
>>
>> Unlikely.
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Like telling Aunt Wilma's Chawawa to hush, isn't it Squirty the
> ****dripp.


Depends what's a chawawa, illiterate boi?


Bertie

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:%4F1k.1871$nD3.1222
@newsfe15.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Barf
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Yeah, it just makes you sick with others enjoy themselves, doesn't it?
>

Nope. I'm sharing you with the world for your entertainment value. QED



Bertie

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:L8F1k.1874$nD3.1032
@newsfe15.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Of course you have. Goes without saying, really.
>>
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Nothing goes without saying around a lamer like you.


Well seeing as how you snipped it, it seems that may be so, lamer boi..
>
> You're just like Anthony, you never learned when to shut up.
>

Sure i have.

This just is not the time.


Bertie

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Depends what's a chawawa, illiterate boi?
>
>
> Bertie

Ah, once again the poster child for drunken, fat fingered dyslexics (and
cross posters) attempts to teach spelling a grammar.

Sounds like a Far Side comic doesn't it?

God you're a loon.

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:EtF1k.1886$nD3.1059
@newsfe15.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>>
>> Depends what's a chawawa, illiterate boi?
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Ah, once again the poster child for drunken, fat fingered dyslexics
(and
> cross posters) attempts to teach spelling a grammar.


Not at all. I was genuinely confused. Is it what she calls her snatch?
Why is it so noisy?
>


Bertie

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
...
>
> Not at all. I was genuinely confused. Is it what she calls her snatch?
> Why is it so noisy?
>>
>
>
> Bertie

You were born genuinely confused.

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:fUF1k.1893$nD3.223
@newsfe15.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> Not at all. I was genuinely confused. Is it what she calls her
snatch?
>> Why is it so noisy?
>>>
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> You were born genuinely confused.
>

Yes, I know. The world doesn't make any sense. For instance, you'd think
even a cretin like you would eventually figure out he's just a great big
chew toy eventaully.
Bewildering.


Bertie

[Maxwell[_2_]]

"Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
.. .
> Yes, I know. The world doesn't make any sense. For instance, you'd think
> even a cretin like you would eventually figure out he's just a great big
> chew toy eventaully.
> Bewildering.
>
>
> Bertie

Fine, feel free to keep biting my ass.

[Bertie the Bunyip[_25_]]

"Maxwell" <luv2^fly99@cox.^net> wrote in news:8KG1k.3500$t07.162
@newsfe22.lga:

>
> "Bertie the Bunyip" > wrote in message
> .. .
>> Yes, I know. The world doesn't make any sense. For instance, you'd
think
>> even a cretin like you would eventually figure out he's just a great
big
>> chew toy eventaully.
>> Bewildering.
>>
>>
>> Bertie
>
> Fine, feel free to keep biting my ass.
>
>
OK


Bertie

[Rich Ahrens[_2_]]

on 6/4/2008 12:32 AM Jay Honeck said the following:
> Now, I know what you're thinking. I was expecting Detroit to be an open
> sewer, with gang-bangers and trash everywhere, but we were pleasantly
> surprised to find a clean, modern, nice riverfront area, and some fun
> bars to visit.

Of course you were. You're as ignorant of your own country as you are of
the rest of the world.