Aside from the website info, I don't know didley about Air racing, aside from the fact that this is a rich man's sport and that there will be plenty of eye candy around the harbor.
Anybody follow this sort of thing?
Anybody going?
I gotta admit, it's kind of cool to see these planes flying around.
I saw a Red Bull air race on TV last week. Those guys are nuts, one mistake and they are dead. Back when you used to see more air races on TV it was more WWII fighters, pretty high up, and around a large course. These nutcases are on the deck going through markers instead of around pylons.
__________________
Now I'm just laid bad - G35Princess
R.I.P. MBC
I saw a Red Bull air race on TV last week. Those guys are nuts, one mistake and they are dead. Back when you used to see more air races on TV it was more WWII fighters, pretty high up, and around a large course. These nutcases are on the deck going through markers instead of around pylons.
It does look crazy!
Gamma does the course run right by your condo?
I love anything that's fast and if it flys, even better. I've been into watching air shows since I was a kid. Yes, these guys are really pushing the limits up there and it's awsome watching them. And GZ air racing has always been held very low to the ground and they've always gone through, around and or over cones/rings extremely close to the ground.
It's pretty much like road racing and they have multiple catagories they compete in. They have a course they race through for time. They have straight line races where they go from point A to point B. Some times they race in a group, which can be fun because they literally fly inches from each other as they zoom around the course. Also, historic aircraft is always fun to look at but these planes they fly are purpose built aircraft and are built for speed or for acrobatics. Some of these prop driven planes can almost reach mach 1 and are pushing the envelope. That's saying a lot for prop driven aircraft. Because they push the envelope during their races crashes and accidents are common and deaths occur. Especially in the acrobatic competitions, since they are pushing more G's than any fighter pilot in modern jet fighers ever will. I've seen an event on TV where a pilot in an acrobatic competition blacked out due to severe G loads and was literally falling from the sky. Luckily the guy was able to regain control and pull out just in the nick of time.
I was there at MCAS (Marine Corps Air Station) El Toro in '88 (I believe) when a Marine pilot slammed his F/A-18 Hornet into the tarmac doing a loop. He either misjudeged his altitude during the manuver or he blacked out just enough for him to loosen his turn leading him to slam his jet into the tarmac. He survived though. It was an awsome sight watching a $20 million dollar jet explode in a ploom of smoke.
__________________ Always outnumbered, never outgunned.
AutoForums.com is the premier network of enthusiast-owned
enthusiast-operated automotive communities.
We operate more than 100 automotive forums where our users consult peers for shopping information and advice, and share
experiences and opinions as a community.
Red Bull Air Race 2007
