Return-Path: Sender: (Marvin Kaye) To: lml@lancaironline.net Date: Mon, 02 Aug 2004 14:26:42 -0400 Message-ID: X-Original-Return-Path: Received: from imo-d23.mx.aol.com ([205.188.139.137] verified) by logan.com (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2b8) with ESMTP id 343130 for lml@lancaironline.net; Mon, 02 Aug 2004 14:23:43 -0400 Received-SPF: pass receiver=logan.com; client-ip=205.188.139.137; envelope-from=Sky2high@aol.com Received: from Sky2high@aol.com by imo-d23.mx.aol.com (mail_out_v37_r2.6.) id f.144.2fafce7f (3858); Mon, 2 Aug 2004 14:22:48 -0400 (EDT) From: Sky2high@aol.com X-Original-Message-ID: <144.2fafce7f.2e3fe078@aol.com> X-Original-Date: Mon, 2 Aug 2004 14:22:48 EDT Subject: The Ruminations of a Cross Country Race Junkie X-Original-To: Cozyone2@aol.com, N360TG@earthlink.net, lml@lancaironline.net, ewhyte@wi.rr.com, swtpndoughboy@mhtc.net, jmorrison@aurora-il.org, frank@remotearrow.com MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="-----------------------------1091470968" X-Mailer: 9.0 for Windows sub 5000 -------------------------------1091470968 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Language: en =20 2 August 2004=20 The 2004 Air Venture Cup Race=20 Chapter 1 =E2=80=93 Preparation H(our), Tightening the screws=E2=80=A6.=20 The week before the Cup Race:=20 Jack is re-painting parts of his E-Racer (Race 29) and switching to=20 turn-buckles instead of failed Lancair 320 canopy latches in order to hold=20= down the=20 middle of his 12 foot cowling lid. Equipped with a supercharged Lyc IO 540,= =20 he will fly in the Unlimited Class.=20 Arnie has polished everything on his Lancair 360 (Race 96) and wants to rac= e=20 on Thursday because he=E2=80=99s raring to go. Equipped with a blue-printe= d Lycon=20 IO 360, he will fly in the RG Class.=20 I (Scott) am also ready having completed finishing touches on my Lancair 32= 0=20 (Race 94) by covering the plane with a well-known secret slicker-than-snot=20 coating. Equipped with a simple Lyc IO 320, I will also fly in the RG Clas= s=20 against all odds and oddities.=20 The plan is for the three of us to fly out to Dayton on Sunday morning =E2= =80=93 but=20 first, on Friday I=E2=80=99ve got to pick up my temporary landlord, Arnie,=20= at OSH=20 since he dropped his camper in Horicon, WI (our accommodations) and had move= d=20 his truck to West Parking. Required to avoid crossing 27 and having a men= tal=20 lapse , I make a screaming left turn-out after taking off of 36L, giving th= e=20 tower a close-up view of the bottom (similar to =E2=80=9CTop Gun=E2=80=9D f= lybys). My VHF =20 broadcast of =E2=80=9COops=E2=80=9D was not well received. Of course, arriv= ing home I had to=20 re-polish after returning Arnie to KMRJ thru a hail of bugs wearing=20 cheese-wedge hats.=20 The day before (Sunday, 25 July 04):=20 Arnie arrives at KARR (Aurora Muni) and after relief we brief. 10:15 AM=20 Departure will be as a flight of three with the slowest (me) leading, Jack=20= in=20 the middle (his second flight with a new prop) and Arnie watching the 6 o= =E2=80=99 clock. We are held up at the runway 9 hold line while waves of incredibly=20= slow T6=E2=80=99 s perform overhead approaches (50 of them were practicing all weekend at=20 Aurora). A prod to the tower got us out 15 minutes late. After departin= g we=20 settle into the 1:25 flight to Dayton.=20 The high overcast and cool temperatures provide a nice ride in smooth air.=20= =20 Our chatter changes over Indiana (5500 MSL), where we encounter scattered=20 rain showers that we will see for the rest of the trip. Jack is experienci= ng=20 the usual gremlins that accompany his flights =E2=80=93 engine power losses= that go=20 away when he switches tanks from the empty (indicating =C2=BC full), inabil= ity to=20 descend (Tru-Trak still engaged) and an elevator trim jam caused by strippe= d=20 gears in the servo. Arnie and I keep track of =E2=80=9Cnearest=E2=80=9D a= irports as we hump=20 along.=20 15 minutes out of Dayton (KMGY), Arnie announces that he just finished his=20 pork sandwich =E2=80=93 poor form I thought, he could have fixed two more f= or us. OK,=20 he got his come-uppance as Race support provided us with tasty BBQ pork and= =20 other fixin=E2=80=99s for lunch.=20 After an uneventful landing and lunch, we did the usual =E2=80=93 talked wi= th other=20 racers, applied sponsor stickers (it is hard to put Mooney and Cirrus decal= s=20 on a Lancair) and tried to help Jack with his difficulties. After pulling= =20 out the un-repairable servo, he found the trim solution by hooking a bungee= =20 cord from his center stick to a spot between the seats. =20 Things were getting good when the Lancair pilots (Including Mark #77 and=20 Larry #36) began tweeking each other on speed enhancements, piloting style=20= and=20 other pointed comments in an attempt to make the competition suffer a compl= ete=20 mental breakdown before the race. Of course, I am a hardened race pilot =20 recently released from electro-shock therapy and a cushioned cell and imperv= ious =20 to any reasoned thought that might diminish my Camelot aloft.=20 Eric conducted the race briefing as we made crayon notes in our turn-by-tur= n=20 picture books. These pictures are important since some of us are challenge= d=20 by directions like =E2=80=9Cfly all the way down the runway to the checkpoi= nt at the=20 end=E2=80=9D and words longer than 6 letters (trailing =E2=80=9Cs=E2=80=9D n= ot included). =20 I cannot give enough compliments to Eric Whyte and his race crew for making= =20 the event most memorable. Sunday night was highlighted by a good dinner in= =20 the bowels of the Air Force Museum followed by 4 hours of wandering throug= h=20 one of the greatest aviation collections and, at a time when the museum is=20 normally closed.=20 Returning to our hotel, many of us soberly (?) studied the weather forecast= =20 for Monday before turning in. Modern laptops were severely hindered by the= =20 14Kb telephone access to DUATS and ADDS. Luck was with us since the Preside= nt=20 was staying home=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6.no pop-up TFRs. =20 Monday dawned too early (6:30 AM) and it was hustle that got us to the last= =20 bus scheduled to arrive in time for the 8 am briefing.=20 Chapter 2 - Take-off Power Rules!=20 Read the next chapter tomorrow. -------------------------------1091470968 Content-Type: text/html; charset="UTF-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Language: en

2 August 2004

 

The 2004 Air Venture Cup=20= Race

Chapter 1 =E2=80=93 Prepa= ration H(our),=20 Tightening the screws=E2=80=A6.

 

The week before the Cup R= ace:

 

Jack is re-painting parts= of his=20 E-Racer (Race 29) and switching to turn-buckles instead of failed Lancair 32= 0=20 canopy latches in order to hold down the middle of his 12 foot cowling lid.<= SPAN=20 style=3D"mso-spacerun: yes">  Equipped with a supercharged Lyc I= O 540,=20 he will fly in the Unlimited Class.

 

Arnie has polished everyt= hing on=20 his Lancair 360 (Race 96) and wants to race on Thursday because he=E2=80=99s= raring to=20 go.  Equipped with a blue-prin= ted=20 Lycon IO 360, he will fly in the RG Class.

 

I (Scott) am also ready h= aving=20 completed finishing touches on my Lancair 320 (Race 94) by covering the plan= e=20 with a well-known secret slicker-than-snot coating.  Equipped with a simple Lyc IO 320,= I=20 will also fly in the RG Class against all odds and oddities.

 

The plan is for the three= of us=20 to fly out to Dayton on Sunday morning =E2= =80=93 but=20 first, on Friday I=E2=80=99ve got to pick up my temporary landlord, Arnie, a= t OSH since he dropped his camper in Horicon, WI (our accommodations) and had moved hi= s=20 truck to West Parking.  Requir= ed to=20 avoid crossing 27 and having a mental lapse , I make a screaming left turn-o= ut=20 after taking off of 36L, giving the tower a close-up view of the bottom (sim= ilar=20 to =E2=80=9CTop Gun=E2=80=9D flybys). = ; My VHF=20 broadcast of =E2=80=9COops=E2=80=9D was not well received. =20 Of course, arriving home I had to re-polish after returning Arnie to=20= KMRJ=20 thru a hail of bugs wearing cheese-wedge hats.

 

The day before (Sunday, 2= 5 July=20 04):

 

Arnie arrives at KARR (Au= rora=20 Muni) and after relief we brief.  10:15 AM Departure will be as a fli= ght of=20 three with the slowest (me) leading, Jack in the middle (his second flight w= ith=20 a new prop) and Arnie watching the 6 o=E2=80=99clock.  We are held up at the runway 9 hol= d line=20 while waves of incredibly slow T6=E2=80=99s perform overhead approaches (50=20= of them were=20 practicing all weekend at Aurora). =20  A prod to the tower go= t us=20 out 15 minutes late.  After=20 departing we settle into the 1:25 flight to Dayton.

 

The high overcast and coo= l=20 temperatures provide a nice ride in smooth air.  Our chatter changes over Indiana (5500 MSL= ), where=20 we encounter scattered rain showers that we will see for the rest of the=20 trip.  Jack is experiencing th= e=20 usual gremlins that accompany his flights =E2=80=93 engine power losses that= go away=20 when he switches tanks from the empty (indicating =C2=BC full), inability to= descend=20 (Tru-Trak still engaged) and an elevator trim jam caused by stripped gears i= n=20 the servo.  Arnie and I keep t= rack=20 of =E2=80=9Cnearest=E2=80=9D airports as we hump along.

 

15 minutes out of Dayton=20= (KMGY),=20 Arnie announces that he just finished his pork sandwich =E2=80=93 poor form=20= I thought,=20 he could have fixed two more for us. = =20 OK, he got his come-uppance as Race support provided us with tasty BB= Q=20 pork and other fixin=E2=80=99s for lunch.

 

After an uneventful landi= ng and=20 lunch, we did the usual =E2=80=93 talked with other racers, applied sponsor=20= stickers (it=20 is hard to put Mooney and Cirrus decals on a Lancair) and tried to help Jack= =20 with his difficulties.  After=20 pulling out the un-repairable servo, he found the trim solution by hooking a= =20 bungee cord from his center stick to a spot between the seats. 

 

Things were getting good=20= when the=20 Lancair pilots (Including Mark #77 and Larry #36) began tweeking each other=20= on=20 speed enhancements, piloting style and other pointed comments in an attempt=20= to=20 make the competition suffer a complete mental breakdown before the race.  Of course, I am a hardened race pil= ot=20 recently released from electro-shock therapy and a cushioned cell and imperv= ious=20 to any reasoned thought that might diminish my Camelot aloft.

 

Eric conducted the race b= riefing=20 as we made crayon notes in our turn-by-turn picture books.  These pictures are important since= some=20 of us are challenged by directions like =E2=80=9Cfly all the way down the ru= nway to the=20 checkpoint at the end=E2=80=9D and words longer than 6 letters (trailing=20= =E2=80=9Cs=E2=80=9D not=20 included). 

 

I cannot give enough comp= liments=20 to Eric Whyte and his race crew for making the event most memorable.  Sunday night was highlighted by a=20= good=20 dinner in the bowels of the Air Force=20 Museum followed by 4=20= hours=20 of wandering through one of the greatest aviation collections and, at a time= =20 when the museum is normally closed.

 

Returning to our hotel, m= any of=20 us soberly (?) studied the weather forecast for Monday before turning in.  Modern laptops were severely hinde= red by=20 the 14Kb telephone access to DUATS and ADDS.  Luck was with us since the Preside= nt was=20 staying home=E2=80=A6=E2=80=A6.no pop-up TFRs.

 

Monday dawned too early (= 6:30 AM)=20 and it was hustle that got us to the last bus scheduled to arrive in time fo= r=20 the 8 am briefing.

 

Chapter 2 - Take-off Powe= r=20 Rules!

 

Read the next chapter=20 tomorrow.

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