2013 Reno Air Races Summary

kimberlyanne546

kimberlyanne546

Final Approach
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Kimberly
I just got back from the Reno Air Races. I was there before and after the event to volunteer (Reno has 1600 volunteers which make the event possible).


While there, my volunteer boss suggested that I work on planes, or try to, since I know many race pilots (from their non-race planes in the Bay Area).


I also volunteer on weekends helping with annual inspections in Petaluma.... but there I usually only turn a screwdriver or two (nothing major).


In Reno I did the following to experimental biplanes and Cassutts:


Waxed the planes

Taped (for more airspeed) the race planes

Pulled a prop (including spinner, torquing prop bolts, installing safety wire etc)

Changed oil (including taking off louvers with nut plates in back)

Chaged a tire (jacks, wood blocks, separating tire from bead, taking off brake calipers and re-safety wiring them)


You get the idea.


Anyhow, this 1-week period of getting dirty and cleaning the belly of planes reminded me of why I joined the EAA.... to help / observe / work on the building of aircraft. This is something I want to do in order to better understand planes and keep my passengers safe.


I will upload pictures soon... I was on the runway, on a race / pitt crew, towed a plane, held down a plane (crew goes on runway with race planes for 10 minutes during run up).
 
My first oil change (on any vehicle)!

Holding a funnel up against the oil drain area to redirect the oil into a bucket (that louver was a b!tch to remove because it had nut plates in the back . . . )



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Cute pic...secure the hair before picking up a wrench...

(sorry, I've been supervising way too long - sorry to go safety nazi on you)
 
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Safety wire teaches you lessons in blood. This is me using safety wire pliers to tighten the wire around the prop bolt before spinning the wire roughly 8-10 spins per inch. Did I mention I'm not very strong? After re-installing the wire several times, I finally realized how important tightness is.

This is a 1988 modified Pitts special (experimental).


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Learning about prop wash the hard way.

Race crews (for biplane class) consist of the pilot and 3 essential crew members who are allowed past the hold short line and onto the runway. We help the pilot get his parachute on, give him a drink of water, close the canopy and latch it over his head, and physically hold down the I-Struts and Horizontal Stab while he does his run up to save his muscle strength for the race (he still holds down the brakes but not as hard). Each biplane has anywhere from 0 - 3 crew members. Others on the runway include flaggers (the racehorse start releases rows of 2-3 planes across every 2 seconds).

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Changing a wheel which had a stuck brake and flat spots creating some very "interesting" landings in the pitts..... This is a picture of me and the crew cheif separating the tire from the wheel (popping the bead).



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kimberlyanne546 said:
You get the idea.


Anyhow, this 1-week period of getting dirty and cleaning the belly of planes reminded me of why I joined the EAA.... to help / observe / work on the building of aircraft. This is something I want to do in order to better understand planes and keep my passengers safe.
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Very cool. I knew you'd have interesting things to report and show. Appreciate you sharing your experiences there!
 
Jim Logajan said:
Very cool. I knew you'd have interesting things to report and show. Appreciate you sharing your experiences there!
Click to expand...

I didn't even begin to elaborate on how the Chief Pylon Judge (a volunteer since 1967) helped me draw an 11 x 17 map of the entire (complex) race course according to class.

Classes are F1 / Biplane (one set of pylons), then Sport (a different set), then T6 airplanes (yet another set of pylons), then Jets and Unlimiteds (now called UWRC class or Unlimited Warbird Racing Class).

So much went on I am still in recovery mode!
 
Very cool! Nice update on the event and the wrenching pics give the view from the Pit Crew side of things...
 
Way to go, Kimberly. I admire your enthusiasm, plus there's just something about a woman with Aeroshell 100 in her armpits!
 
This is all I've seen about it. Did somebody win? Did things go well? Was it well-attended?
 
I was there for the last race on Saturday (plus the Patriots) and noon on Sunday. Kimberly gave us a great tour of the pits and introduced my GF and I to some of the pilots (thank you Kimberly!). She even grabbed one of the coveted golf carts and picked us up from the bleacher side on Saturday. Voodoo ran away with the unlimited class on both days. The Patriot Jet Demonstration Team was great. We saw the Sport class, too and it was a good race. I couldn't get the GF up early enough for the Formula 1 stuff.
 
I continue to work on race planes.

The very first weekend back from the Reno Air Races, here I am unloading a plane from a storage trailer. This plane hasn't flown in years, and needs a lot of work to bring it back to Reno 2014 - but the pilot is hoping to break many land speed records with it.... and of course bring home the gold.

If I'm lucky I will get to see everything from welding, to electrical, to fabric work (and more). Well, not just see all of that . . . but do all of that! We think it will take about 200 - 400 hours to complete.


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kimberlyanne546 said:
I continue to work on race planes.

The very first weekend back from the Reno Air Races, here I am unloading a plane from a storage trailer. This plane hasn't flown in years, and needs a lot of work to bring it back to Reno 2014 - but the pilot is hoping to break many land speed records with it.... and of course bring home the gold.

If I'm lucky I will get to see everything from welding, to electrical, to fabric work (and more). Well, not just see all of that . . . but do all of that! We think it will take about 200 - 400 hours to complete.


9937586456_9c6a128b53_o.jpg
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Very cool! I was lucky enough to get to assist an A&P with a little 65hp Franklin engine for a Piper Cub. I can only imagine the wrenching and fab work that goes into a plane made for speed. Jealous!
 
What kind of plane is that?


kimberlyanne546 said:
I continue to work on race planes.

The very first weekend back from the Reno Air Races, here I am unloading a plane from a storage trailer. This plane hasn't flown in years, and needs a lot of work to bring it back to Reno 2014 - but the pilot is hoping to break many land speed records with it.... and of course bring home the gold.

If I'm lucky I will get to see everything from welding, to electrical, to fabric work (and more). Well, not just see all of that . . . but do all of that! We think it will take about 200 - 400 hours to complete.


9937586456_9c6a128b53_o.jpg
Click to expand...
 
That should be your new profile pic.;)


kimberlyanne546 said:
Learning about prop wash the hard way.

Race crews (for biplane class) consist of the pilot and 3 essential crew members who are allowed past the hold short line and onto the runway. We help the pilot get his parachute on, give him a drink of water, close the canopy and latch it over his head, and physically hold down the I-Struts and Horizontal Stab while he does his run up to save his muscle strength for the race (he still holds down the brakes but not as hard). Each biplane has anywhere from 0 - 3 crew members. Others on the runway include flaggers (the racehorse start releases rows of 2-3 planes across every 2 seconds).

9792238133_4c91e9ecf3_o.jpg
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us AAirways said:
What kind of plane is that?
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Manufactured in 2004 - Second place - Biplane Class Gold - 231.685 mph - Pitts LR1

Built by a racer with 20 years of racing experience (and a close friend of the pilot's), this is a so called "Super Pitts" expiremental.

She is a Pitts LR-1 capable of flying at over 250 mph, which makes her the world's fastest Pitts Special.
 
And hoping to go MUCH faster next year, including trying to break several speed records. Some of those records are over 10 years old. Would be pretty cool.
 
Yes, you are correct. Great pilot stories too (though pilots like to tell the most scary ones).
 
kimberlyanne546 said:
Yes, you are correct. Great pilot stories too (though pilots like to tell the most scary ones).
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Cris is a good friend of mine. He is the mechanic who recovered my airplane. I also made a few videos with him/about him. His Pitts fit in my hangar when he stayed with us. I think it's the only airplane that would fit the same time mine is in there. :)
 
Diana - next time I see him I will mention your name. Small world! I hope to work on the plane with him.
 
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