Race Day One!

June 19, 2018


Race Day

     SWW - AVK

     AVK   - BIE

The morning started off nice and early at 0530. All the racers met for a final 30 minute meeting to receive our plane keys and perform roll call. 
"Al-ber" the Uber of SWW
I forgot to mention this earlier in the blog posts, but everyone in Sweetwater was so helpful and amazing especially with the transportation. In the middle of this photo is the man who gave us the experience of "Al-ber" because "Sweetwater doesn't have Uber". Imagine the nicest gentleman saying that in a Texan accent. They were an amazing help with our stay in Sweetwater. 
Our friend from Jacksonville Uni helping us out

 Back to departing.
We had to wait for clouds to lift, while doing this everyone was preflighting and working on getting the stakes out of the ground. We had some trouble with one of our stakes and Jacksonville University came to give us a hand. A volunteer was finally able to pull it out of the rocky ground.
Notice the Racer forward and left of the wing
Soon it was our turn to get the engine started and we taxied to the active runway. We waved to everyone on the taxi out!
Alva, OK
Our first stop was Alva, OK. 
On our way there, since the Cirrus has a high cruising speed, we were vigilant in looking for other aircraft and passing them. The racers are using an air-to-air frequency which is a predetermined frequency to talk to eachother in flight. We communicate current weather information, though mostly to say "passing on your left or right". 

 To stop the time for each leg we need to complete a flyby, which is done by full throttle 200-400' above the runway or offset of the runway (same for starting the timer too). The ARC (Air Race Classic) attains a special waiver from the FAA to do this for exactly the 4 days of the race (don't do this at home!).
Our first flyby ended up being a dual flyby which meant we were stopping our leg time with another aircraft (in this case) to the right of us!

 We completed the flyby, made it to the ground after trying a couple times to land but having to circle to allow flyby traffic to complete their leg time.

 Everyone volunteering at AVK were all very helpful and efficient. Alyssa and I were going to do a "quick turn" meaning get fueled and get back in the air as fast as possible. AVK offered us food, water, and gave us goody bags. 
We consulted with our ground crew to determine what altitude to fly as well as what the possibility of storms were. After talking to our ground crew coordinator and a weather briefer we were rearing to fly. 

 We hopped in the plane, did a runup, and took off. We did a departure flyby (to start the leg time) and flew at a lower altitude because that's where the favorable winds were located. 
Enroute to BIE
Again, we contacted air-to-air and because our route flew inside a Class D airspace we received permission to transit through the airspace from the tower. He was busy because he had a bunch of Classic Racers requesting transition as well as trying to land KC's.
Lake Foss (TX)
Soon we were preparing for our flyby to land.
The flybys are preset and the runway we do the flyby next to does not mean that is the runway we will be landing. Landing runways are chosen primarily by wind direction.
This is important because as we were approaching our flyby someone took off the opposing runway making nerves high in the flight deck to maintain safety. 

After a successful flyby we came in to land at Beatrice (bee-Ah-trish), Nebraska. 
We stayed the night due to convective SIGMETs (significant meteorological conditions) closing in and no VFR at the next destination airport. 
We did some more aircraft cleaning after tying down our plane for the night.

We sat outside with some other college teams and watched the storm roll in and it was a DOOZY. 

 Six aircraft decided to depart just prior to this reaching to the airport and they ended up diverting or filing IFR. Which means bad leg times and disqualification. We were worried for their safety.

 When it started raining we headed into the FBO and they had a massive sectional of the entire US as well as a massive working E6B (flight computer). I had Alyssa stand next to it to act as a scale. This would help so much when teaching students. 


Currently waiting for weather to improve.
Wishing for blue skies ahead!

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